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| Capital: | Nakhon Pathom |
| Area: | 2,168.3 km² Ranked 65th |
| Inhabitants: | 809,062 (2001) Ranked 26th |
| Pop. density: | 373 inh./km² Ranked 8th |
| ISO 3166-2: | TH-73 | Map |
Nakhon Pathom (Thai นครปฐม) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Suphanburi, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi.
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2 History 3 Symbols 4 Administrative divisions 5 External links |
Geography
Nakhon Pathom is located in the alluvial plain of central Thailand. It is drained by the Tha Chin river. The urban area of Bangkok has already grown until the provincial borders to Nakhon Pathom.History
The name Nakhon Pathom derives from the Pali Nagara Pathama, meaning First city, and is thus often referred as the oldest city of Thailand. It was already an important center during the Dvaravati kingdom from the 6th century until the 11th century, however it might even be older. Some historians speculate it dates back to the 3rd century BC, when Buddhist missionaries from India visited there.
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The provincial seal shows the pagoda Phra Pathom Chedi, with 127m the highest pagoda of the world. It is located in the center of the city Nakhon Pathom, and has been an important buddhist center since the 6th century. The current building was created by king Mongkut in 1860. On the pagoda a royal crown is depicted, the symbol for King Mongkuts work on reconstructing the pagoda. Provincial tree is Diospyros decandra. |
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