Ratchaburi, a glorious town during the Dvaravati period, is located on the bank of the Mae Klong River. The provincial area abounds in natural attractions and historical sites. It is located 80 kilometres west of Bangkok and borders on Myanmar to the west having the Tanaosi Range as a borderline.
Ratchaburi occupies an area of 5,196 square kilometres and is administratively divided into nine districts: Muang Ratchaburi, Photharam, Damnoen Saduak, Pak Tho, Chom Bueng, Bang Phae, Wat Phleng , Suan Phueng, and Ban Pong, and one sub-district: King Amphoe Ban Kha.
How To Get There Car
a) From Bangkok, take Highway No. 4 (Phahonyothin Road) to Ratchaburi via Bang Khae, Om Noi, Om Yai, Nakhon Chai Si, Nakhon Pathom.
b) From Bangkok, take Highway No. 338 to Nakhon Chai Si via Buddhamonthon and turn into Highway No. 4, then proceed to Ratchaburi.
Bus
Both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal daily. It takes 2 hour for the trip. Contact Transport Co. Ltd. Tel: 0 2435 1199-200
Train
Regular trains depart from both Hua Lamphong Railway Station and Bangkok Noi Railway Station daily. Travelling time is 2 hours. Call 1690 for more information.
Festivals
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Sweet Grape Week Fair
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Sweet Grape Week Fair This fair features a beauty contest, a Thai cooking competition, agricultural exhibitions, and local product sales including fruits and Thai sweets.
Local Products
Glazed Jars and Ceramicware
Ratchaburi has been known for a long time as the major producers of dragon design water jars. In the old days, it was quite common to see vendors selling their products in boats. Nowadays, there are many ceramic factories in Ratchaburi which still make old designed water jars, as well as other small ceramic souvenirs
Grape
Grape, is famous produce of Damnoen Saduak district which is sold in Ratchaburi and Bangkok
Pha Tin Chok
Wat Khae Sai, about 8 kilometres from the town, is a centre of Tin Chok weaving fabrics. The villagers are descendants of settlers from Chiang Saen of the Lanna Thai kingdom some one hundred years ago
Attractions Wat Muang
This is a Mon temple situated in Tambon Ban Muang, west of Amphoe Ban Pong along Route No. 3089 and a left turn after crossing the Mae Klong River. Besides a Mon style pagoda, a well-managed folk museum has been established as a research centre of history, way of life, and culture of this Mon community.
Bo Khlueng Hot Spring
Located 5 kilometres beyond Amphoe Suan Phueng and another 10 kilometres along an access road, the stream is full of mineral water and is believed that it can be used for skin treatment. The water flows all year round from the Tanaosi Range. Its temperature ranges between 50-68 degrees Celsius.
On the route to the hot stream, a 3 km. branch road leads to Namtok (waterfall) Kao Chon, which consists of 9 cascades. The falls are plentiful during the late rainy season.
Phawothai Local Museum
This is located 2 kilometres from Suan Phueng district. Two Thai style houses in a pleasant garden displays a collection of ancient artifacts. The museum is open only on Saturdays , Sundays and Public Holidays. Admission is 20 baht. Accommodataion is also available for any visitors to stay overnight . Call 0 3221 1189 for more information
Pong Yup
5 kilometres before arriving at Amphoe Suan Phueng, there is a 5-km. branch road on the left leading to Pong Yup at Tambon Tha Khoei. This attracts visitors with plenty of strange looking earthen pillars and cliffs naturally created by soil erosion.
Tham Chomphon
This cave is 30 kilometres west of the town in the vicinity of Amphoe Chom Bueng. It was originally called Tham Mutchalin. In 1895, King Rama IV and Queen Si Phatcharin made a royal visit and were fond of its beauty, thus giving it a new name according to the shape of the stalactites which look like the epaulette of a field marshal. The cave also houses a medium-sized reclining Buddha. A nearby arboretum provides shady areas suitable for relaxation.
Tham Khao Bin
This is the most beautiful cave in Ratchaburi. It is located 20 kilometres from the town along the route to Amphoe Chom Bueng and 2 kilometres along an access road. The cave extends 300 metres from the mouth and offers truly amazing scenes of plentiful stalactite and stalagmite formations.
Tham Ruesi Khao Ngu
This famous attraction of Ratchaburi is 8 kilometres from the town along the road to Amphoe Chom Bueng (Route No. 3078). The cave houses a bas-relief Buddha image, considered the oldest archaeological evidence of the Dvaravati period found in Ratchaburi. The figure is 2.5 metres high in the attitude of giving the first sermon.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
This is the best known destination in Ratchaburi where the timeless lifestyle of native Thai people can be observed along the canals. The Floating Market, approximately 400 metres from the Damnoen Saduak District Office, operates every morning till noon. Boats can be hired for surveying canalside villages together with a house making coconut sugar.
Khao Chong Phran
This hill is located in Tambon Tao Pun, Amphoe Photharam, 17 kilometres north of Ratchaburi along the Khao Ngu-Boek Phrai route (Route No. 3089). The roadside hill has 2 interesting caves; Tham Phra Non housing more than 100 Buddha images and Tham Khangkhao or Bat Cave, which is home to some three million bats. As the sun sets over the horizon, they all disperse on their search for food and the mountain looks like a volcano disgorging thick black smoke.
Wat Khanon
More than 300 Nang Yai puppets are well preserved at this temple, some 10 kilometres from Amphoe Photharam. Nang Yai is an old form of entertainment which gathers many kinds of arts; for example, Thai sculpture and classical performances. The intricate carved puppets are portrayed on the screen by skilled male performers, and it can dance according to the music. The performance is usually demonstrated on Saturday from 10.00-11.00 a.m.
Wat Khongkharam
This 100 year old ethnic Mon temple is at Tambon Khlong Ta Khot, Amphoe Photharam, some 22 kilometres from Ratchaburi. The fine mural paintings about Lord Buddha's life in the main shrine hall are full of detail making them seem real. Completed in the early Bangkok period, they are very rare and worth studying. The temple also houses a Thai style building entirely made of teak with intricate carving designs.
Ratchaburi National Museum
This is located on Woradet Road near the river. The edifice was formerly the town hall, built in 1922. Established as a museum in 1988, it displays art and ancient items of different periods found in the local area, and exhibits the history of Ratchaburi, as well as its folk art and geology. The museum is open daily from 9.00 a.m.- 4.00 p.m. exept Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission fee is 30 baht.
Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat
This ancient temple, locally called Wat Na Phra That, is located on the west bank of the Mae Klong River in the town. Its elegant prang or pagoda remains in good condition and was probably copied from Cambodia's Angkor Wat. The prang made of bricks and stones stands on a rectangular base with pathways around the cloisters. The outer stucco designs were made in the reign of King Borommakot of Ayutthaya. Buddha images of Dvaravati, Lop Buri and Ayutthaya periods are placed around the pagoda.
2 kilometres west of Wat Na Phra That on the route to Khao Ngu is Wat Aranyik with a prang identical to that of Wat Na Phra That but smaller in size.
