Nakhon Pathom travel guide: Thailand's largest stupa and a canal day

Why go: an old city on Bangkok's doorstep

TAT describes Nakhon Pathom as about 58 kilometres from Bangkok and one of the oldest cities of the Dvaravati period. It is an easy escape from the capital: no early start, no long transfer, and a town centre that is calm by Bangkok standards.

Most visitors come for the chedi and leave; the better day adds the canals and orchards that surround the city. Choose between the city sights and a countryside afternoon rather than trying to cover the whole province.

Phra Pathom Chedi

Wat Phra Pathom Chedi is a royal temple whose stupa TAT calls the biggest and highest in Thailand. Walk the terraces around its base, where galleries, smaller shrines and Buddha images circle the dome, and visit the northern vihara with the standing Buddha image Phra Ruang Rojanarit.

The temple is a busy place of worship. Dress modestly, take off your shoes where signs ask you to and keep your voice down in the halls. The homage festival, held over nine days and nights each year, fills the grounds with stalls and pilgrims; check the dates if you want to attend or avoid it.

Sanam Chandra Palace

A short distance west of the chedi, Sanam Chandra Palace was built in the early 20th century as a royal residence, with a mix of Thai and European-style buildings set in large gardens. It is a pleasant contrast to the temple and a shady place to walk.

Opening hours and the buildings open to visitors can change; check at the entrance. The palace grounds also contain a university campus, so expect students as well as visitors.

The canals: Khlong Mahasawat by longtail boat

TAT promotes Khlong Mahasawat, a canal dug in the 1860s to link Khlong Bangkok Noi with the Nakhon Chai Si River, as a community-based agro-tourism area. Longtail boats run past fruit orchards, lotus farms and orchid nurseries, with stops arranged by local groups.

This is a slower, rural afternoon rather than a floating-market spectacle. Arrange the boat in advance or through the community's visitor point, check what each stop includes and allow time to get back to Bangkok before dark.

The alternative is Don Wai Market, a riverside market on the Tha Chin River in Sam Phran district, on the Bangkok side of the province. It is a market for eating and food shopping rather than a boat spectacle, and it is easy to combine with the drive back to the city. Busy days and stall hours vary, so check before going out of your way.

A day in Nakhon Pathom

One way to shape the day; adjust to the season and your transport.

• Morning: Phra Pathom Chedi and its terraces before the heat.
• Late morning: Sanam Chandra Palace and its gardens.
• Lunch: khao lam and a noodle lunch near the chedi.
• Afternoon: a longtail boat on Khlong Mahasawat, or Don Wai Market on the way back to Bangkok.