Nakhon Pathom province
Saffron-robed monks, gold-encrusted temples, spirit houses for every building. Images of Thailand's dedication to Buddhism are one of the most memorable parts of anyone's trip to the Thai Kingdom, and Nakhon Pathom is where it all began.
The small and nowadays insignificant province of Nakhon Pathom sits just outside the suburbs of Bangkok, and it was here that Buddhism was introduced to Thailand more than 2,000 years ago, when King Ashoka of India sent Phra Sona and Phra Uttera as missionaries to spread the Buddhist faith. Artifacts excavated from the province indicate the area thrived during the Dvaravati Period between the 7th and 11th centuries. When the Khmer empire gained power in the 11th Century, Nakhon Pathom's capital city diminished in importance until eventually it was abandoned. King Rama IV prompted a resettlement in the 19th Century, restoring both the city and the Phra Pathom Chedi.
The landscape of the province is predominantly a flat and alluvial plain in what is mainly a rice-producing region. The provincial capital has spread out to the west of the Chedi with a booming local economy. The province is particularly known for its cultivation of som-o (pomelo) which is regarded as being of exceptional quality. As a result of this, Nakhon Pathom is reportedly known as a land of 'Sweet som-o, white rice, beautiful daughters and tasty Khao Lam'.
