Nakhon Sawan is where the Ping and Nan rivers meet to form the Chao Phraya, the river that flows on through Ayutthaya and Bangkok. The meeting point, Paknampho, gave the town its everyday name and its big Chinese community, whose New Year parade is one of the most famous in Thailand. Just east of town lies Bueng Boraphet, the country’s largest freshwater wetland, full of lotus and water birds.<\/p>\n
Getting there:<\/strong> Nakhon Sawan is about 240 km north of Bangkok, around 3 hours by car on Highway 32 and Highway 1. Trains on the Northern Line stop at Nakhon Sawan station (Nong Pling), and buses run often from Mo Chit. Many people stop here on the way to Chiang Mai.<\/p>\n Stand by the riverbank where the clear Ping and the darker Nan meet; on some days you can see the two colours side by side. The riverside park has viewpoints and sculptures. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Thailand’s largest freshwater swamp, with boat trips through lotus fields, fishing villages and a bird park. Early morning in the cool season is best for birdwatching. Map<\/a><\/p>\n A hill in the middle of town topped by an old temple and a chedi; climb the steps or drive up for a view over Nakhon Sawan and the rivers. Map<\/a><\/p>\n A large city park around a lake, popular for evening walks, jogging and family outings. Map<\/a><\/p>\n The shrine at the heart of the Chinese New Year festival, close to the river. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Forest, waterfalls and mountain views on the western edge of the province, shared with Kamphaeng Phet. Map<\/a><\/p>\n A riverside area remembered as the place where King Taksin was wounded in battle in 1768. Combine it with the old riverside town of Chum Saeng. Map<\/a><\/p>\n Day 1:<\/strong> Paknampho riverside \u2192 Chao Pho\u2013Chao Mae Paknampho shrine \u2192 lunch in the old market area \u2192 Khao Kob for sunset \u2192 dinner in town.<\/p>\n Day 2:<\/strong> Early boat trip on Bueng Boraphet \u2192 Sawan Park \u2192 continue north to Kamphaeng Phet<\/a> or west to Uthai Thani<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dates change each year, so check with the province or TAT before you travel.<\/p>\n Naresuan chased the King of Chiang Mai’s retreating army as far as Nakhon Sawan: The Battle of Ban Sa Ket: Routing the King of Chiang Mai’s Army<\/a>. Read the full story with maps on our King Naresuan trail site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n King Taksin’s campaigns passed through this province: the Phitsanulok campaign, when Taksin was shot at Koei Chai<\/a> \u00b7 The campaign against Chao Phra Fang<\/a>. The full story with maps is on our King Taksin trail site (in Thai).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At Paknampho in Nakhon Sawan, where the Ping and Nan rivers meet.<\/p>\n Around Chinese New Year each year; the grand procession is the highlight.<\/p>\n Yes, especially early in the morning for lotus and birds.<\/p>\n One night is enough for the main sights.<\/p>\n Cover photo: Fishing on Bueng Boraphet.jpg<\/a> \u00b7 JJ Harrison (https:\/\/www.jjharrison.com.au\/) \u00b7 CC BY 3.0<\/a> \u00b7 Wikimedia Commons<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nakhon Sawan guide: the start of the Chao Phraya at Paknampho, Bueng Boraphet lake, Khao Kob, Chinese New Year parade, history trails and a 2-day route.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"province":[251],"class_list":["post-5856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions-en","province-nakhon-sawan-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5856"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5911,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5856\/revisions\/5911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5856"},{"taxonomy":"province","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/songkran.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/province?post=5856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Top things to do in Nakhon Sawan<\/h2>\n
1. Paknampho, source of the Chao Phraya<\/h3>\n
2. Bueng Boraphet<\/h3>\n
3. Khao Kob and Wat Woranat Banphot<\/h3>\n
4. Sawan Park (Uttayan Sawan)<\/h3>\n
5. Chao Pho\u2013Chao Mae Paknampho shrine<\/h3>\n
6. Mae Wong National Park<\/h3>\n
7. Koei Chai, Chum Saeng<\/h3>\n
Suggested itinerary<\/h2>\n
Festivals and annual events<\/h2>\n
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On King Naresuan’s trail<\/h3>\n
On King Taksin’s trail<\/h3>\n
Travel tips<\/h2>\n
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FAQ<\/h2>\n
Where does the Chao Phraya River start?<\/h3>\n
When is the Paknampho Chinese New Year festival?<\/h3>\n
Is Bueng Boraphet worth visiting?<\/h3>\n
How long should I stay?<\/h3>\n
More to read<\/h2>\n
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