Nakhon Sawan Province is in the Lower North of Thailand and is about 240 kilometers from Bangkok. It lies on the main route between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I have passed through it many times though I have only spent the night there twice. It is not really a tourist town but it is worth a visit if you have time. I am heading up there today and will spend the weekend in the city for their celebrations for the Chinese New Year. They have a large Chinese community and it should be good.
When you first arrive in Nakhon Sawan the first place that you should head to is Wat Kiri Wong on Kao Dawa Deong hill. This has some great panoramic views of the city below and the countryside beyond. Nakhon Sawan is also famous for being the place where the four rivers Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan come together to form the Chao Phraya River. So, if you ever wanted to see the source of this mighty river that passes through Bangkok then you should head up to Nakhon Sawan.
On top of this hill there is also a beautiful Sukhothai style golden chedi. It is unusual as you can actually go inside. Don’t forget to look up as there are some beautiful murals on the ceiling. I will be in Nakhon Sawan for the Chao Pho Chao Mae Procession which is the most important event of the year for people of Chinese descent. There will be dragon dances and parades and of course plenty of delicious food to eat. I am really looking forward to it.
You can follow me live on this trip as usual on my twitter account @RichardBarrow and also on Facebook. I will write a full report about the trip here when I get back.
