Chanthaburi Attractions and Travel Guide

Amphoe Mueang Chanthaburi

King Taksin the Great Shrine (ศาลสมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช)

Located in front of Taksin Military Camp on Tha Luang Road. The shrine is a nonagonal building with a roof taking the shape of a royal hat with a pointed spire constructed in 1920 A.D. It houses a statue of King Taksin the Great to whom a large number of people come to pay respect each day. There is an annual merit-making and offering ceremony in commemoration of his heroic deeds on 28 December, the day of his accession to the throne.

City Pillar Shrine (ศาลหลักเมืองจันทบุรี)

Located on Tha Luang Road opposite the King Taksin the Great Shrine. There is no evidence as to when it was constructed except for a presumption that King Taksin the Great might have had it constructed when he occupied Chanthaburi after the fall of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1767 A.D. to be a stronghold for recruitment and collection of armaments and foodstuffs for the liberation of the Kingdom. The shrine is assumed to have been originally built of laterite though it is unknown how it looked like. The present shrine and city pillar were constructed in 1981 and have undergone restoration.

King Taksin the Great Monument (พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช)

Located within Thung Na Choei Public Park on Tha Luang Road diagonally opposite the City Hall. It covers an area of approximately 300 rai with a beautiful and shady landscape and attracts a lot of health-oriented people to exercise and relax. It also houses a fish breeding swamp of the Provincial Fishery Office. The monument of King Taksin the Great accompanied by his 4 trusted soldiers in memorial of the historic liberation of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya is situated on an islet in the middle of the swamp.

Si Chan Road (ถนนศรีจันทร์)

Is the commercial area and centre of gem business. Even though actual gem-mining in the province is not as extensively as it used to be, Chanthaburi remains a major centre for gem dealings with stones from neighbouring countries and abroad being bought and sold. The Gems Market during the mornings of Friday, Saturday and Sunday attracts large crowd of gem dealers and visitors alike.

Wat Phai Lom (วัดไผ่ล้อม)

Is located on the Tri Rat Road, about 500 metres from the K.P. Grand Hotel. Concerning the architecture, the building is surrounded by a boundary wall in four directions with an entrance on each side. Behind the temple, there is a corridor supported by five pillars without decorative capitals. The building’s base line is straight, and there is a pagoda with twelve-redented corners within the wall. There are also mural paintings of bonsais and Chinese-style flowers, the story of the Lord Buddha’s ten incarnations, and his biography. It is assumed that the paintings might have been drawn after the reign of King Rama III, as the pictures contain many foreigners.

The Catholic Church Chanthaburi (โบสถ์คาทอลิกจันทบุรี หรือ อาสนวิหารพระนางมารีอาปฏิสนธินิรมล)

Located within the same area as Stree Mandapitak School on Santisuk Road, Tambon Chanthanimit. According to history, the construction of this old and large Catholic Church took 275 years to complete. It was first constructed in 1711 A.D. on the west bank of the Chanthaburi River by Father Heart Tolantino and Catholic Vietnamese immigrants and was relocated in 1834 to the east bank where it now stands for an unknown reason. In 1903, the present church which was larger and could accommodate a larger number of Christians began to take shape to replace the former one. It was built into the Gothic architecture with beautiful stained glass decorations depicting Christian saints. The church has undergone restoration several times and a celebration was held to mark its 75th anniversary in 1985. It is claimed to be the most beautiful Catholic Church in the country. Open daily during 7.30 a.m.–5.30 p.m. Advance contact is recommended for a group visit. Tel. 0 3931 1578.

How to get there: it is accessible by the same road as Wat Phai Lom, about 1 Kilometres beyond, or from the city, cross the Wat Chan Bridge and continue on Chanthanimit Road before turning right to the church.

Wang Suan Ban Kaeo (วังสวนบ้านแก้ว)

Located inside Rajabhat University Rambhai Barni, 6 Kilometres from the city on Highway No. 316. The palace used to be a royal residence of Queen Rambhai Barni, the Royal Consort of King Rama VII, for 18 years during 1950–1968. It also served as the Queen’s office and demonstration centre where plants were grown and animals raised for the local people. Most importantly, she had the so-called ‘Suea Chanthabun’ or ‘Chanthabun reed mat’ which was a folk handicraft of Chanthaburi, developed to be more progressive. A reed mat weaving shelter was established only 200 metres from the palace. She designed hand bags and other products from the reed mat. The weaving shelter is now dilapidated with only some equipment left.

Buildings within the palace include Phra Tamnak Yai (พระตำหนักใหญ่)

Or Phra Tamnak Thao (พระตำหนักเทา) - a 1½-storeyed half wooden, half concrete residence where the queen stayed and accommodated her royal guests, now exhibiting a collection of her personal belongings that reflect her simple and common way of life, Phra Tamnak Don Khae (พระตำหนักดอนแค) or Phra Tamnak Daeng (พระตำหนักแดง) - a 2-storeyed European style building built of golden teak and painted in dark red where the Queen’s Private Secretary and Deputy Private Secretaries resided.

Wang Suan Ban Kaeo is open during 8.30 a.m.–4.30 p.m. on weekdays. For weekends and group visits, advance contact is required. Tel. 0 3933 5408-9 Ext. Public Relations officers.

Wat Phlap (วัดพลับ)

Is located in Tambon Bang Kacha, about 1 Kilometres from Noen Wong Camp. There is a direction sign on the left leading to the entrance of the temple. The archaeological evidence shows that people took up residence around Wat Phlap and the Ban Bang Kacha community as from around 1757. This was once the place where King Taksin the Great’s troops rested. Many ancient monuments in the temple were constructed during different periods. For example, the gilded wooden scripture cabinet with the pattern in the Lai Rot Nam technique has a style of the Ayutthaya Era, and there is a Prang-shaped Pagoda which was constructed in 1898. In addition, the Ho Trai or Scripture Hall in the middle of the pool, a wooden building whose original pillars with the decoration of the Lai Rot Nam were built before the Ayutthaya Era, was last repaired in 1975. There is also a bell-shaped Pagoda in the middle of the pool which was believed to have been built in the Rattanakosin Period, and a Wooden Wihan with 4 porches which is more than a hundred years old. The hall houses the principal Buddha image in a gesture of practicing asceticism, which was constructed in the reign of King Taksin the Great when he visited Chanthaburi City. This hall was also used as the place to hold the Ceremony of Murathaphisek or making sacred water - water for pouring over the king’s head in the coronation ceremony or other royal rituals - at the beginning of the Chakri Dynasty. Furthermore, behind the temple, there used to be a “Sam Sang”, an ancient crematorium which is believed to have remained only in this temple. It had a five-layered roof, covered with Krabueang Klet Tao (baked clay tiles with sharp corners and matt red texture, which is normally used to cover the ordination hall’s or wihan’s roof.) However, it is ruined now.

Wat Thong Thua (วัดทองทั่ว)

4 kilometres from town on Sukhumvit highway, is the site of an ancient Bot which was built over a Khmer-style temple. It also has a large collection of ancient Khmer sculptures such as lintels, sandstone door columns carve in various designs and inscription stone. Nearby is the Mueang Phaniat archaeological site with its remains of laterite base of a large Khmer religious sanctuary and moats marking the town limit the south. The ancient town is believed to have been dated from the 12th-16the centuries B.E. (Buddhist Era).

Boran Sathan Mueang Phaniat (โบราณสถานเมืองเพนียด)

Is an ancient monument located at Mu 4, Tambon Khlong Narai, about 300 metres from the city. It has already been explored and registered by the Fine Arts Department. It is assumed that this monument might be the original settlement of Chanthaburi City in an early age, about a thousand years ago. Nowadays, only a ruined sandstone wall and an unidentified earth mound with a height of about 1 - 3 metres remains.

Wat Bot Mueang (วัดโบสถ์เมือง)

Located on Benchamarachuthit Road. It is believed to have been constructed in the late Ayutthaya period as evident from its white sandstone boundary markers as well as ordination hall (Phra Ubosot) and Ceylonese bell-shaped Chedi. The temple also houses a lintel of the late Baphuon style (967–1080 A.D.) depicting the God Indra on his Airavata elephant in a niche.

Amphoe Laem Sing–Amphoe Mueang Chathaburi- Amphoe Tha Mai - Hat Khung Wiman Route.

King Taksin Shipyard (อู่ต่อเรือพระเจ้าตาก)

Or Samet Ngam Shipyard (อู่ต่อเรือเสม็ดงาม): Located at Tambon Nong Bua, Amphoe Mueang, 11 Kilometres from the city. It is assumed to have served as a shipyard when King Taksin prepared his forces for liberation of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1767. From underwater archaeological excavations and examination, several rectangular dock-like areas were found along the shore as well as parts of an old ship believed to be a three-masted Chinese junk using a rudder and measuring 24 metres long and 5 metres wide. Nearby is a storehouse for miniature ships and boats once used by the people.

How to get there: head for Ban Samet Ngam and turn right at the direction sign at Wat Samet Ngam for another 1 Kilometres

Boran Sathan Khai Noen Wong (โบราณสถานค่ายเนินวง)

Is an ancient army camp located in Tambon Bang Kacha, Amphoe Mueang, on Highway 3147. From the front of the Eastern Hotel, drive along Tha Chalaep Road for 6 Kilometres Turn right at the junction and go on about 400 metres. In the reign of King Rama III, the king ordered Chaophraya Phra Khlang to build this site on 9 January, 1834, by taking sandstones and bricks from the old city wall to construct the camp defending the city from an Annamese invasion; and wall of artillery was set up surrounding the camp. Within the camp, tourists can visit the King Taksin the Great’s City Pillar Shrine and Wat Yothanimit which was built to be the city temple. At present, the camp space contains an area of the Underwater Archaeology Unit, Fine Arts Department, a storage place of artefacts and pottery taken from the Australian Tide Ship, which trespass Thailand’s waters in the Gulf of Thailand to illegally transport antiques out of the country. The unit opens daily. Free admission.

Panichnavee National Museum (พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติพาณิชย์นาวี)

Located within Noen Wong Fort, the 2-storeyed twin building puts on an exhibition on Thai merchant marine as evidenced by over 20 years of underwater archaeological studies. The major exhibition is upstairs where an exact replica of a junk attracts visitors inside to learn about international maritime trade in the past as well as miniature royal barges. The downstairs presents a scene of an underwater archaeological excavation. There is also a room where the province’s tourism products are displayed such as gemstone mining, fruit orchards, natural attractions, as well as its original ethnic Chong people.

The museum is open during 9.00 a.m.–4.00 p.m. on Wednesday–Sunday and closed on national holidays. Admission is 30 baht. Advance contact is required for a group visit. Tel. 0 3939 1431, Fax. 0 3939 1432.

How to get there: from Amphoe Mueang, take Highway No. 3146 to Ban Tha Chalaep via the Eastern Hotel for 6 Kilometres and turn toward Amphoe Tha Mai for approximately 400 metres.

Chedi Yot Khao Phloi Waen (เจดีย์ยอดเขาพลอยแหวน)

Located in Tambon Phloi Waen, Amphoe Tha Mai, on Highway No. 3174. It was built by Phraya Chanthaburi in 1832 in the reign of King Rama V on top of Khao Phloi Waen. The round Ceylonese-style Chedi contains the Lord Buddha’s relic. There is also a Mondop housing the Buddha’s footprint built in 1928 to replace the original one that had been broken. The surrounding area used to be Chanthaburi’s first gemstone digging sites.

Wat Takat Ngao (วัดตะกาดเง้า)

Located in Amphoe Tha Mai, the old temple is approximately 200 years old. It contains a scripture hall or Ho Trai built in the middle of a pond by an artisan of the royal school toward the end of King Rama III’s reign. The scripture hall is believed to have been dismantled from elsewhere to be reconstructed here using wooden joints. It underwent restoration in 2001. There are also several other interesting antiquities such as the wooden principal Buddha image and preaching pulpit.

Khao Laem Sing Forest Park (วนอุทยานเขาแหลมสิงห์)

Located at Mu 1, Tambon Bang Kachai, Amphoe Laem Sing. It covers a total land and marine area of 9,500 rai, including dry evergreen forest and beach forest which are home to important flora such as eaglewood, Krabok, queen’s flower, jambolan, Tin Pet, and fauna such as crab-eating macaque, lesser mouse deer, red-cheeked flying squirrel, red jungle fowl and birds. Marine life can be found on beaches and islands.

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