Central Thailand

Introducing Central Thailand

Buffering Bangkok from the sea and the hinterlands, this fertile river plain is Thailand’s cultural heartland. It has birthed rice crops without coaxing, and cultivated a distinct Thai culture centred around the seasonal patterns of the region’s ‘mother waters’. The rivers brought rich mineral deposits from the northern mountains and sea traders from the oceans. Many of the ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms, like the Dvaravati and the Khmers, reached across the once undivided continent into modern-day central Thailand to plant their own cultural traditions in this earthly womb.

Due north of Bangkok is Ayuthaya, the former Thai capital. Touring the ruined temples on bicycle and learning the names of the illustrious kings will put you close to the Thai psyche. Further north is the little town of Lopburi, a pit-stop for journeys to Chiang Mai. The downtown nurses many crumbling ruins and a resident tribe of monkeys.

Heading northwest from Bangkok leads to the mountain range that climbs into Myanmar. In the wet season, rain feeds foaming waterfalls and keeps the dragon-scaled peaks lush. Kanchanaburi is the base town for organised expeditions into the surrounding wilderness; it also played an unlikely role in WWII when occupying Japanese forces used POW labour to build a railway through the demanding terrain.

Penetrating deeper into the mountain passes, Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhlaburi are two outpost towns, nearly forgotten by the outside world and blissfully undeveloped. This is the end of the line, an attraction in itself, as the Myanmar (Burma) border limits crossings to day-trips only. The cultural story continues beyond these political conventions, but you’ll have to save that trip for another time.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009