Khao Nang Phanthurat

Khao Nang Phanthurat is a limestone hill and forest park in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, about 10 km west of Cha-am town. Managed as a forest park, it features forested trails, limestone outcrops, small caves and a hilltop viewpoint. It is notable for its association with the legend of Nang Phanthurat from Sunthorn Phu's epic Phra Aphai Mani and offers panoramic views over Cha-am, the coastline and surrounding countryside.

Visitors can expect a low limestone hill with forested nature trails leading to a viewpoint at the summit. The park has rocky formations, small caves and shelters, interpretive signs related to the Nang Phanthurat legend, and open viewpoints overlooking Cha-am town, agricultural land and the Gulf of Thailand in the distance. The environment is natural and quiet, with shaded forest, birds and limestone scenery. Exploration is on foot via steps and dirt trails.

The hill is named after Nang Phanthurat, the ogress figure in Sunthorn Phu's early 19th-century epic poem Phra Aphai Mani, a major work of Thai literature. The forest park was established to protect the limestone hill and its forest and to commemorate this literary association.

The site holds cultural significance as a landscape linked to Thai folklore and classical literature. Sculptures and storyboards in the park retell the legend of Phra Aphai Mani and Nang Phanthurat, making it a cultural learning site for visitors.