T.I.C.D.: Nakhon Si Thammarat coast & islands (Part II: Ko Kra, Mueang Nakhon, Pak Phanang & Khao Luang)
The bulk of Southern Thailand's second largest province, condensed.
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T.I.C.D. ticker: So far, we’ve covered 957 islands and 300 notable coastal areas in 54 sections of the Thai Island & Coastal Directory.
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Resuming Nakhon Si Thammarat province…
Joining the previous section on Khanom and Sichon, this one completes Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the S part of the Mid Southern Gulf.
Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat & Tha Sala district coasts
This central stretch of the Nakhon coast has only a handful of beaches — all of them in Tha Sala district to the N — along with miles of mangrove shores and aquaculture plots. Seafood is the main draw at places like Hat Bo Non and Ban Pak Nakhon, a village that overlooks both the estuary and the 10-km-wide bay of the same name in the provincial capital district.
While most of the area’s historical sites are in Mueang Nakhon, the area of Hat Sai Kaeo is thought to have centered the Tambralinga Kingdom in its dawning days. Evidence of this is sparse today in Tha Sala district, but at Wat Moklan you will find the ruins of sites used for Brahman rituals around the 12th century.
Mueang Nakhon is often called the ‘ancient capital of the South’ and many traces of its history are still visible in the city. A walkable route starting at Wat Phra Mahathat covers the old inner-city walls and a host of Buddhist / Hindu sites before ending at the National Museum, home to one of the most extensive collections of ancient art this side of Bangkok. The capital is also within day-tripping distance of Laem Talumphuk and Khao Luang, making it a winner for combining nature and history.
Islands and coastal areas below are arranged roughly from N to S.