Central Thailand Travel Guide
Serving as the ricebowl of the country, the Central Plains north of Bangkok are a rich, fertile expanse spreading across the north-central of Thailand and extending from Kanchanaburi on the Burmese border to Sa Kaew on the Cambodian border. The majority of the provinces lie within the sweeping plains to the north of Bangkok.
Introduction
With the exception of Kanchanaburi, much of the region rarely features on visitors’ itineraries but there are nevertheless pockets of interest and some highly worthwhile historical areas.
Known for it’s spectacular waterfalls, Kanchanaburi Province, located at the western reaches of Central Thailand and bordered with Burma, offers some particularly amazing scenery, natural attractions and varied National Parks. It also holds the ghosts of many military and civilian personnel who died during the construction of the Burmese Railway or ‘Death Railway’, as it was commonly called during WWII.
At the eastern end of Central Thailand the landscape is also quite scenic at times with the central plains rising to the mountains, offering glimpses of natural phenomena such as waterfalls and wildlife living with in the sporadically placed National Parks. In the central areas the main point of interest is Lopburi which has a number of historical attractions, including evidence of some of the first Western presence in what was then the Kingdom of Siam, although it is now bettern known for its monkeys.
Highlights
Visit Sangkhlaburi, take a stroll over the longest wooden bridge in Thailand to the spectacular Wat Mon (Kanchanaburi Province).
Spend some time taking in the atmosphere along the Rive Khwae (Kanchanburi Province).
Wander the ruins of Lopburi and visit the monkey fiefdom of the Kala Shrine and do a day trip out to Wat Phra Phutthabat (Lopburi Province).
Visit little visited Uthai Thani with a day trip out to Lan Sak (Uthai Thani Province).Hike up all the steps of Thailand’s favorite waterfall, Namtok Erawan (Kanchanburi Province).
Itineraries
1 Week:
If you have more time:
Off the beaten track:
Destinations
- Ang Thong Province
- Ang Thong, Ban Bang Phae
- Ayutthaya Province
- Ayutthaya, Bang Pa-In, Royal Folk arts and Craft Center at Bang Sai, Wat Nivet Thammaprawat
- Chachoengsao Province
- Chachoengsao
- Chainat Province
- Chainat
- Kanchanaburi Province
- Ban Thakradan, Bophloi, Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park, Erawan National Park, Kanchanaburi, Khao Laem National Park, Sai Yok, Sai Yok National Park, Sangkhlaburi, Si Nakharin National Park, Si Sawat, Thong Pha Phum, Three Pagoda Pass, Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Reserve
- Lopburi Province
- Lopburi
- Nakhon Nayok Province
- Nakhon Nayok
- Nakhon Pathom Province
- Nakhon Pathom
- Nakhon Sawan Province
- Nakhon Sawan
- Nonthaburi Province
- Nonthaburi
- Pathum Thani Province
- Pathum Thani
- Ratchaburi Province
- Ratchaburi
- Samut Prakan Province
- Bang Phli, Samut Prakan
- Samut Sakhon Province
- Samut Sakhon
- Samut Songkhram Province
- Samut Songkhram
- Saraburi Province
- Saraburi
- Singburi Province
- Singburi
- Suphanburi Province
- Suphanburi
- Uthai Thani Province
- Lan Sak, Uthai Thani