4 Days 3 Nights

Leave Bangkok by using the

Boromrajchonnee elevated

highway (Pinklao-Nakhon Chaisri).

After you get off the highway, you’ll

find the petrol stations along the way.

When you reach 26 km, you will see

a road sign to Wat Don Wai. Take a

left turn and you will get a chance to

observe the local community’s way

of life with fruit orchards and orchid

plantations along the road. About

five km from the intersection, you will

find yourself at Wat Don Wai. You can

stop by the Tha Chin riverside market.

Boats are available for rent for

scenic river trips to observe riverside

way of life and also visit nearby

temples.

Next, you can stop by other

interesting places in the area.

Recommended: Wat Tha Phut, which

has three main Buddha images from

the Ayutthaya period. It also houses

Nakhon Pathom’s sole pagoda,

representing the mythical Chulamanee

Pagoda in heaven that contains Lord

Buddha’s tooth relic and is believed

by Thai Buddhists to be an important

place for people born in the Year of

the Dog. You can also visit a museum

within the compound to admire

ancient artifacts that were retrieved

from the river.

If you go further down the road

for another two km, you will reach

Wat Rai Khing to pay respects to the

Buddha image known as Luang Pho

Wat Rai Khing.

Further two km from the temple,

you will reach Petchakasem Road

and then take a U-turn in front of Suan

Sam Phran. You will pass the Sam

Phran Police Station (0-3432-5191-4)

and head towards Nakhon Chaisri

district. When you reach the Tha Na

intersection, turn right and go straight

until you reach another intersection

in front of Nakhon Chaisri Market.

Noi Bakery sells mouth-watering

“marmonjang” cup cake.

You can also buy the district’s

famous Nakhon Chaisri pomelos.

Tik Pochana Restaurant

(0-3433-1753) offers delicious

steamed curry fish custard,

crab sausage, and hot and sour

fish/shrimp soup.

Get back to Petchakasem

Road and take a right turn to Nakhon

Pathom’s Muang district and pass

Wat Sisathong. When you reach Ban

Phaew intersection, go straight and

keep left to go up the four-lane

bridge. There are, on both sides of the

road, state offices, Nakhon Pathom

Hospital (0-3425-4150-4), restaurants

and shops, including the well-known

Khun Au Jelly Shop (0-3425-7348).

Reach Phra Pathom Chedi

from the Na Phra Road. On the right

of the pagoda is highway No 3095

where the National Museum is located

near Nakhon Pathom Police station

(0-3424-2774).

Use highway No 3095 to visit

another attraction in the area.

Recommended: the centennial

Sanam Chandra Palace to admire

the beautiful building and a copper

monument built for Yalae, the pet

dog of King Rama VI. The palace is

open daily from 9am to 4pm. There

are also golf carts for visitors to rent

(0-3425-3840-4).

Tip: We recommend you to

have dinner at the Phra Pathom

Chedi, which has many restaurants

around. Try the “Ice Cream Loyfa”,

open from 6pm to midnight.

Golden city hotel, located just

before you reach Muang Ratchaburi

(0-3231-7140-4), offers bed breakfast

at650.

Head towards Ratchaburi’s

Muang district on Petchkasem Road

to find a place to stay for the night.

From Petchkasem Road to

Muang Ratchaburi, it has some petrol

stations along the way, especially an

LPG gas station at 98 km. When you

reach the elevated section of the

road, get on the bridge and turn left

until you see the Panurangsi Military

Camp. Turn left to go under the

railway and go straight towards Bang

Khon Tee district. When you reach

the three-pronged intersection, take

a right turn, and then go straight

through another intersection. At 9 km,

take a left turn to visit a well-know

Christian church called Wat Phleng,

more than 100 years old. If you want

to look inside, contact the church

officials at 0-3236-3022 and dress

modestly.

From Wat Phleng, return to the

route to Muang district and pass Wat

Phleng Hospital (0-3239-9290) until

you reach 5 km, where you will spot

the sign for Wat Khu Bua. Take a

left turn to highway No 3339 to visit

Ban Khu Bua Ancient City and

Chipathaphan Sathan Ban Khu

Bua and the Thai-Yuan Museum.

Recommended: The folk

museum of the Ban Khu Bua

community has exhibitions of artifacts

from the Dwaravadi Era, mannequins

to show local ways of life, and a

display of ancient-patterned cloths.

It is open everyday from 9am to

4pm (0-3233-7918). Not far from the

museum, about 100 metres, is located

the Ban Khu Bua Jok cloth Co-Op

which you can stop to buy beautiful

clothes of the OTOP brand. Open

daily from 8.30am to 5pm (0-3271-

7165).

Back to the city, drive past the

Panurangsi Military Camp to reach

Petchkasem Road then turn left to

cross the river. When you turn left at

the second intersection, you will spot

Muang Raj Hospital (0-3232-2274-80).

On your left, there is the entrance

to Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat,

whose elegant pagoda is said to be

copied from Cambodia’s Angkor

Wat.

When you leave the temple,

take a left turn and, when you reach

a three-pronged intersection, you

will spot a fruit market. Turn right and

go straight to Khao Wang for lunch.

Use the Petchkasem Road

and drive towards Bang Phae district.

Whene you reach the Bang Phae

intersection, turn right to highway

No 325, which is a four-lane straight

road.

Recommended: Siam Cultural

Park opens daily and features

traditional Thai houses and fibre glass

wax images of important people,

including revered monks from all

regions (0-3238-1401-3).

Back to the Bang Phae

intersection and head to Photharam

district by highway No 3090. When

you reach the three-pronged

intersection with a PTT petrol station,

turn right to highway No 3089, cross

the bridge, then turn right to the Rural

highway No 4005. Recommended:

Wat Khanon has hundreds of Nang

Yai shadow puppets on display in a

Thai traditional house.

Use highway No 3090 to go to

Wat Khao Chong Phran, which is

located at the foothills. During the

evening, at around 5-6pm, you will

spot a giant flock of bats flying out

together out of the cave and forming

a large long black line across the sky.

Then go straight and turn left

to highway No 3089 (Khao Ngu-Berk

Prai Road) and turn right at

the intersection to highway No 3087

towards Chom Bung district. Stop by

to visit the Khao Bin Cave, which

features strange-shaped and

beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has

sponsored a fund to install electricity

system inside the cave with different

colour schemes in each chamber.

Pass the Somdet Phra Yuppharat

Chom Bung Hospital (0-3236-2662-4).

When you reach the Ban Pak Bung

checkpoint intersection, turn right and

then turn left at another three-pronged

intersection. Pass Chombueng

Rajabhat University, Chomphon

Cave, Pong Yup, and head towards

Suan Phueng district. Pass the Suan

Phueng Police Station (0-3239-5111),

keep going until you reach 34 km

where you turn left and pass resorts

and restaurants straight to Bo Khlung

Hot Spring.

Recommended: You can soak

in mineral water from the hot spring,

which provides both modern pools

and natural ponds. It is open from

Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm

and remains open until 6pm during

weekends. There are restaurants

and accommodations in form of

bungalows and tents (08-1313-6575,

08-5219-9224). If you go further down

the road, you can see Kao Chon

Waterfall.

Travel to Kanchanaburi province

by taking a left turn at the intersection

before reaching Chom Bung district

to use highway No 3274 to go to

Dan Makham Tia district and Muang

Kanchanaburi. Beyond the city area,

you will find the Kanchanaburi War

Cemetery (Don Rak) and if you go

straight and then turn left, you will

see the Bridge on the River Khwae.

We recommend you try food at the

restaurant called Ban Lung Chuan

Suan Pa Tew (0-3462-4382). Themoneyexchange

booth is at the War Museum.

Use Saeng Chuto Road and

turn left, you will find a PTT petrol

station with NGV gas service. Turn left

at the intersection to use highway No

323 to go to Sai Yok district. At 9 km,

there is a tourist police booth. There

is also a tourist information centre at

a Bangchak petrol station at 15 km.

There are also many petrol stations

along the road.

Go on to visit Krasae Cave,

Muang Singh Historical Park, Ban Kao

Museum and Wang Krajae Hot Spring.

Stop by at 46 km to rest and have a

meal at Sai Yok Noi Waterfall.

Head towards the Hell Fire Pass

Memorial Museum at 65 km to see

the “Hell Fire Pass”, a part of the Death

Railway that was constructed during

World War II. The nature trail is open

daily from 9am to 4pm.

At 82 km, turn left to visit the

Sai Yok Yai Waterfall and then go

about two km further to visit the

Daowadung Cave. After that you

can take a left turn towards the city

and visit the Pha Tad Waterfall and

then go two km further to visit the Hin

Dad Hot Spring.

Tip: From this point, travel for another

40 km to reach Thong Pha Phum

district or another 70 km to reach

Sangkhla Buri district. You should reach

the town area before dark because

the two-lane uphill route has some

sharp curves therefore is dangerous

for night-time driving.

To go to Thong Pha Phum

district, use highway No 3272 and

head to the country’s western border

area, with the road cutting through

forestland and running along

Vajiralongkorn Dam’s Lake.

From the intersection to enter

the Thong Pha Phum City, turn

right to Sangkhla Buri district using

highway No 323. At 26 km, stop by

the Lam Khlong Ngu National Park

to see the tallest rock column ever

found in Thailand. At 32 km, there is

a resting stop with a police booth,

shops and restrooms at the entrance

of Kroeng Kra Via Waterfall and Dai

Chong Thong Waterfall.

The Khao Laem National Park

is located around 39 km and nearby

is the National Park Protection Unit

(Pom Phi). Here you can admire the

beautiful scene of sunset over the

Khao Laem Dam’s Lake. There are

accommodations, bungalows and

a tent-setting area, as well as boats

and life vests for visitors to rent.

At 58 km, there is a viewpoint

with large parking space, rest rooms,

shops and public phone booths.

Beware the stretch between

55 and 56 km is a winding, uphilldownhill

section that has witnessed

many road accidents.

At the intersection to the Three

Pagodas Pass, turn left to reach the

Sangkhla Buri town area. The Sangkhla

Buri Police Station (0-3459-5300-1)

and the Sangkhla Buri Hospital

(0-3459-5058).

The Burmese Inn offers good

Burmese food (08-6168-1801).

The Porn Pailin (Sri Daeng)

Hotel has delicious freshwater fish

menu (0-3459-5355).

In the morning, watch the sunrise

at the Utamanusorn Bridge (Mon Bridge),

which is Thailand’s longest wooden

bridge at 850 metres long, and crosses

Songkaria River. Besides admiring the

Khao Laem Dam’s Lake, visitors can

also enjoy the famous view of the

merging point or “Sam Prasop” of three

rivers, Songkaria, Bikhli and Ranti.

A concrete bridge was built to link

with this wooden bridge so people

could cross the river conveniently.

You can visit Mon villages to see their

way of life and try rice noodles with

fish curry sauce with banana stalks.

Stop by Wat Wang Wiwekaram

to pay respects to an elegant marble

Buddha image named “Luangpho

Khao”. This made it a tourist attraction

Muang Badan (underwater city).

You can ask for tour boats from hotels

and guesthouses.

Tip - Admire the beauty of the temple’s

interior during February-May

- Admire the Muang Badan view

amid fog above water surface during

July-January

Not far from the temple, the

golden Buddha Gaya Chedi is situated,

containing relics of Lord Buddha. In

front of the pagoda’s entrance,

there is a Lord Buddha footprint

miniature.

Out of Sangkhla Buri district,

return on the same route for four km

until you reach the Three Pagodas

Pass intersection, where you will also

find a PTT petrol station. From the

Three Pagodas Pass, you can cross

to visit Burma’s Phaya Tongsu Market

from 8am to 6pm. Contact the Sangkhla

Buri Immigration Office (0-3459-5335).

The Scenery (08-1000-7070)

provides accommodations in the

country-styled resort resembling a sheep farm,

along with barbeque meal.

Ban Hon Thien Restaurant also

provides accommodations amid

scent candles (08-1841-1895).