Nakhon Si Thammarat Province Guide: History, Towns and Local Products
Nakhon Si Thammarat was a great city long before Bangkok existed. Pilgrims from all over the south still come to its white stupa, one of the most revered monuments in Thailand, and the town keeps crafts and performing arts that are rarely seen elsewhere.
This guide walks through the ancient kingdom of Tambralinga, the districts between the mountains and the Gulf, the temple festivals that draw the whole region, and the crafts and fruit the province is known for. For local producers, there is also a word on finding customers outside Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Nakhon Si Thammarat
The Old Religious Capital of the South
Southern Thailand's spiritual heart: a white stupa older than Bangkok, the highest peak in the south and crafts found nowhere else.
By the SnapSellGo Thailand Desk · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Made in Nakhon Si Thammarat
What the province is known for. Local producers are joining SnapSellGo now.
"Known for" cards are editorial, not listings. Live products from Nakhon Si Thammarat replace them automatically.
Why Nakhon Si Thammarat is the soul of the south
The province sits on the site of Tambralinga, a kingdom whose inscriptions go back to the 7th and 8th centuries. Its great temple, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, dates in its current form to the 13th century and is described as the principal Buddhist monument of southern Thailand.
It is also a big province, with 1.53 million people, the 9th largest population in Thailand, and a varied landscape: Khao Luang, at 1,835 metres the highest peak in the south, rises behind a coast of fishing villages and quiet beaches.
A great white stupa
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan is the principal Buddhist monument of the south.
Tambralinga
An ancient kingdom whose inscriptions date back to the 7th and 8th centuries.
Khao Luang
At 1,835 metres, the highest peak in southern Thailand.
Shadow puppets
Nang talung, the southern shadow puppet theatre, is still performed here.
Key dates in Nakhon Si Thammarat's history
Few Thai provinces can trace their story as far back. Nakhon Si Thammarat grew from an Indianised trading kingdom into the religious centre of the whole south.
- 600s–700sInscriptions record the kingdom of Tambralinga in the area.
- 1200sWat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan takes its current form, becoming the south's great pilgrimage site.
- 1300s–1700sThe city stays a major religious and political centre of the southern peninsula.
- 2012Wat Phra Mahathat is placed on Thailand's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.
Where to go in Nakhon Si Thammarat: the main districts
Nakhon Si Thammarat has 23 districts, from the Gulf coast to the rainforest of Khao Luang. A few stand out.
| District | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat | The great stupa, the old town, nielloware workshops and shadow puppet makers. |
| Lan Saka | Khiri Wong, a village at the foot of Khao Luang known for its orchards and clean air. |
| Khanom | Quiet beaches on the Gulf and a coast known for pink dolphins. |
| Sichon | A coastline of fishing villages and small resorts. |
Festivals, seasons and the best time to visit
Nakhon Si Thammarat's biggest events are religious, and they draw pilgrims from across the south.
Made in Nakhon Si Thammarat: OTOP and local specialities
Under OTOP, every product is linked to the sub-district where it is made, and Nakhon Si Thammarat has some of the most distinctive crafts in Thailand. Nielloware, or khruang thom, is silver inlaid with a black alloy, and yan lipao baskets are woven from a fine fern vine into bags and boxes.
The province also makes the leather figures of nang talung shadow theatre, and its orchards around Khao Luang are known for mangosteen and other fruit.
Looking to buy? The carousel above fills with real items from Nakhon Si Thammarat as local makers list them. Selling? SnapSellGo takes no cut of your sales.
Short on time? Wat Phra Mahathat and a nielloware workshop. Into nature? Khiri Wong and the trails of Khao Luang. Visiting in September? The Tenth Lunar Month festival. Buying local? A yan lipao bag or a piece of nielloware.
Questions people ask about Nakhon Si Thammarat
What is Nakhon Si Thammarat famous for?
Its great stupa at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the old kingdom of Tambralinga, Khao Luang, nang talung shadow puppets, nielloware and yan lipao basketry.
What is the highest mountain in southern Thailand?
Khao Luang, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, rises to 1,835 metres.
What is yan lipao?
A traditional basketry made from a fine fern vine, woven into bags, boxes and trays in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
What is Hae Pha Khuen That?
A festival in which pilgrims carry long cloths to wrap the great stupa of Wat Phra Mahathat, held around Makha Bucha day.
Sources: Wikipedia entries for Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan and Tambralinga. Population: 2024 registration data. Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and change each year. Cover photo: Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan by Preecha.MJ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.