Nakhon Sawan
Nakhon Sawan General Information
Nakhon Sawan Province, also known as Pak Nam Pho is where the rivers of Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan converge and form the Chao Phraya River, the most important waterway of Thailand.
Nakhon Sawan is in the lower northern part of the country between the North and the Central Region. It is regarded as the doorway to the North and it is the hub of transportation in the Lower North.
Nakhon Sawan Festival Information
- Boat Races for His Majesty's Trophy
Boat Races for His Majesty's Trophy is held annually at the end of the Buddhist Lent on the Chao Phraya River in front of the Provincial Hall. There are also races at temples along the river, such as Wat Ko Hong and Wat Takhian Luan. The races show the unity of the people, as well as the skill of paddlers and boat owners participating.
- Chao Pho-Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho Procession Festival
Chao Pho-Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho Procession Festival is a festival of Thais' Chinese ancestry who lived in Nakhon Sawan. The festival has been continued since ancient times. It is held during Chinese New Year (around February every year) to bring good fortune. The festival features various processions such as lion parade, dragon parade, angel procession, the goddess Kuan Im procession, and others going along main roads in the municipality. The festival is famous among Thais and foreigners.
Nakhon Sawan Attactions Information
- Khao No-Khao Kaeo
Khao No-Khao Kaeo is a limestone mountain that has Wat Khao Lo at its foot. A stairway leads to the cave at the peak where a large Buddha image sits in front. When King Rama V visited here via the Ping River, he stayed overnight on the mountain. The province later built a monument to commemorate the occasion. There are numerous monkeys at the foot of the mountain and you can see plenty of bats that live in the cave flying out to feed in the evening, making a long black line in the night sky. Khao Kaeo nearby also has a number of bats flying out at night.
- Khao Tham Phra
Khao Tham Phra is at Mu 8 in Tambon Noen Sala. Inside are stalactites, stalagmites and Buddha images. During Songkran Festival locals will take flowers, candles and incense sticks up the 100 steps from the foot of the hill to pay homage to the images. A great view of Amphoe Krok Phra can be seen from the peak.
Getting There:Take the Nakhon Sawan-Krok Phra road for about 16 kilometers, then turn right onto the Krok Phra-Thapthan road for about 10 kilometers and a left into the cave for about 4 kilometers. The road is a laterite road. The total distance from the city is approximately 30 kilometers.
- Wat Bang Pramung Floating Market
Wat Bang Pramung Floating Market is on the bank of Bang Pramung Canal in front of Wat Bang Pramung, about 14 kilometers from the city on the Nakhon Sawan-Krok Phra road. Locals will paddle to the market to sell goods and agricultural produce every weekend during 07.00-16.00 hrs. In addition, there are other services like traditional Thai massage, boat tours of Bang Pramung Canal, tours of orchid farms, and boats and water bicycles for hire.
- Mae Wong National Park
Mae Wong National Park is on the Thanon Thong Chai Mountain Range. The area consists of winding mountains and is the source of several waterways, including the Mae Wong River and some parts of Khlung Canal. The waterways flow into the Ping River and the Chao Phraya River.
Mae Wong National Park is in Amphoe Pang Sila Thong in Kamphaeng Phet (446.4 square kilometers) and in Amphoe Mae Wong-Mae Poen in Nakhon Sawan (446.48 square kilometers), totaling 892.88 square kilometers. The north borders Khlong Lan National Park of Kamphaeng Phet, the south borders Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Reserve of Uthai Thani, the east borders villages in Kamphaeng Phet and Nakhon Sawan, and the west borders Um Phang Wildlife Reserve in Tak. The area was proclaimed a national park on 14 September 1987 and was the 55th national park of Thailand. The park headquarters are at No. 65, Khlong Lan-Um Phang Road, Amphoe Pang Sila Thong, Kamphaeng Phet.
Attractions in Mae Wong National Park :
Kaeng Pha Khoi Nang-Kaeng Nam Bon Kaeo Hin is on the Khlong Lan-Um Phang road and 1.4 kilometers from the park headquarters and another 400 meters on a secondary road. This is a large brook that Khlung Canal flows through. From here, you can walk around 350 meters to Pha Khoi Nang Waterfall that has 4 levels.
Viewpoint is on the Khlong Lan-Um Phang road at Km. 81, around 16 kilometers from the park headquarters. At Km. 93 about 28 kilometers from the headquarters is the area between mountains that is perpetually breezy with an average temperature below 20 degrees Celsius. It is 1.34 kilometers above sea level.
Nang Nuan Waterfall can be reached by getting to Km. 93 and going on foot for about 6.4 kilometers. The waterfall is located amidst the lush jungle. It has 4 levels. It takes about 1 day to make a return trip to the waterfall.
Mae Krasa Waterfall is a large 9-level waterfall about 900 meters high. The waterfall is formed by streams from high-altitude jungles on the Thanon Thong Chai Mountain Range. It is about 18 kilometers from the park headquarters. The trip on foot takes 3-4 days.
Mae Riwa Waterfall is around 21 kilometers from the headquarters. It is a large waterfall that has 5 levels and takes about 3 days for a return trip on foot.
Mokochu Peak is the highest peak in the park. It is 1.964 kilometers above sea level and is 50 kilometers from the headquarters. The return trip on foot takes 5-7 days.
Kaeng Lan Nok Yung is a brook with a wide rock plateau. Mae Wong River, which originates in Mae Wong Forest flows through it. It is about 800 meters from Mae Rewa Forest Protection Unit. The area is suitable for training programs and group camping. The distance from the unit to the brook is about 1.5 kilometers and it is accessible by car.
- Bung Boraphet
Bung Boraphet is the largest freshwater swamp in Thailand. It has an area of around 212 square kilometers. It covers parts of Amphoe Muang, Amphoe Tha Tako and Amphoe Chum Saeng. In the past Bung Boraphet was called the northern sea or Chom Bung as there was an abundance of aquatic animals and plants. According to surveys, there are still some 148 species of animals and 44 species of plants here. Rare animals include white-eyed river-martin and tiger perch.
During November to March a large number of waterfowls migrate here. Some parts of the swamp have been declared the Bung Boraphet Non-Hunting Area under the care of the Wildlife Conservation Division. Bung Boraphet is also a fish breeding ground where the Department of Fisheries has set up the Bung Boraphet Fishery Development Station.
- Chao Pho Thepharak-Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine
Chao Pho Thepharak-Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine is in the area of Pak Nam Pho Community on the right bank of the Chao Phraya River. The shrine is revered by locals and is the spiritual magnet of the people in the area as well as passersby using the river. The shrine also offers the best view of the beginning of the river.
- The Origin of the Chao Phraya River
The Origin of the Chao Phraya River is the point where the Ping and Nan rivers converge at Tambon Pak Nam Pho in front of the dam in the city. Here, one can clearly distinguish the difference between the two rivers. The Nan River is reddish in color while the Ping River is somewhat green. They flow to form the Chao Phraya River, the most important waterway of the country. The Chao Phraya flows past several provinces before going through Bangkok and ending into the Gulf of Thailand in Samut Prakan. It is about 370 kilometers long. The best place to view its origin is at the Chao Pho Thepharak-Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine.
Tourists can take boat rides to view the scenery on both banks and pay homage to Luang Pho To Buddha image at Wat Pak Nam Pho (Wat Thong Thammachat Nua). Boats can be hired from Chao Phraya Pier.
- Wat Krieng Krai Klang
Wat Krieng Krai Klang is at Mu 5, Tambon Kriang Krai, on the bank of Nan River. Inside is a Sukhothai-style bronze Buddha image in the Man Wichai posture and an old hall over a hundred years old. There is also a replica of Lord Buddhas Footprint and a mural of Lord Buddhas life. The area in front of the temple is inhabited by many monkeys and it is where a crocodile farm can be found.
- Wat Woranat Banphot
Wat Woranat Banphot (Khao Kop) is an old temple of the province on the peak of Khao Kop 185.5 meters above sea level. There are 2 ways up; a stairway of 439 steps and an asphalt road 3 meters wide. The peak has a replica of Lord Buddhas Footprint and a pagoda encasing the relic of Lord Buddha built when Sukhothai was the countrys capital. The temple was praised by the Department of Religious Affairs as the best development temple of 1966. A nearby hill is the site of some television relay stations.
- Chan Sen Ancient City and Chan Sen Museum
Chan Sen Ancient City and Chan Sen Museum is in Mu 2 in Tambon Chan Sen. It is believed that in the Thawarawadi period, the city was surrounded by a moat with an earth mound. The city had a square shape but with rounded corners almost like a circle. The moat was about 20 meters wide. The area is now a waterlogged valley but traces of the moat can still be seen. The city is about 800 meters long and 700 meters wide with an area of about 480,000 square meters. As the part within the moat is higher than that outside, locals call it Khok Chan Sen.
A number of artifacts have been discovered in the ancient city; earthenware items like amulets, dolls, lamps; stone items like pedestals, Buddhism wheels, and axes; metal objects like earrings made of lead or tin, spearheads, and iron; and bronze objects like Buddha images in the Man Wichai posture. All of the objects are now kept at Chan Sen Museum in Chan Sen Temple. It is open on weekends. Those wishing to visit the site on weekdays can request permission from the temple. Youth volunteers from Chan Sen School can guide you around the city and take you on a tour of the museum.
**Information Reference : tourismthailand.org
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