40 places to discover
Ao Bang Tabun is a shallow bay at the mouth of the Bang Tabun River in Bang Tabun Subdistrict, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, on the upper Gulf of Thailand. Known for its extensive cockle, mussel and oyster farms, mangrove fringes and stilted seafood restaurants, it is a traditional fishing community rather than a swimming beach. The bay is notable for aquaculture landscapes, birdlife and views across mudflats at low tide.
Cha-am Beach is a long, sandy beach on the Gulf of Thailand in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, about 170 km southwest of Bangkok. One of Thailand's oldest seaside resorts, it is known for its wide, gently sloping white sand shoreline lined with casuarina trees, shallow calm waters and relaxed family-oriented atmosphere. The beach features a continuous promenade, seafood restaurants, accommodation and proximity to the historic Mrigadayavan Palace.
Cha-am Forest Park is a coastal forest park in Cha-am Subdistrict, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, located near Cha-am Beach along Phetkasem Road. Managed by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, it preserves a shady casuarina pine forest. Notable for its tranquil shaded environment, picnic areas and easy access from the beach town, it offers a quiet natural retreat for relaxation away from the busy seaside.
Cha-am Night Market is a popular evening market in Cha-am town, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, located near Cha-am Beach. It features numerous stalls selling Thai street food, fresh seafood, clothing, accessories, and souvenirs. Known for its lively atmosphere and affordable prices, the market attracts both locals and tourists. It serves as a central evening shopping and dining destination for visitors staying in the Cha-am and Hua Hin coastal area.
Hat Chao Samran is a sandy beach on the Gulf of Thailand in Tambon Chao Samran, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi Province, about 15 km east of Phetchaburi town. It features a long, flat shoreline with calm, shallow water and a promenade lined with seafood restaurants. Popular with Thai families and day-trippers from Bangkok, it is known for its relaxed fishing-village atmosphere, royal visit history, and wide tidal flats.
Hat Puek Tian is a sandy beach in Puek Tian Subdistrict, Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi Province on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand, south of Cha-am. It is notable for large statues standing in the shallow sea depicting characters from Sunthorn Phu's epic Phra Aphai Mani, including Nang Phisuea Samut. The beach has a long sandy shoreline, fishing boats, seafood restaurants and resorts, and is a family-oriented coastal destination with literary and cultural associations.
Ho Chatchawan Wiang Chai is a historic observatory tower located on the central peak of Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park (Khao Wang) in Mueang Phetchaburi, Phetchaburi Province. Built during the reign of King Rama IV in the 1860s as part of the hilltop palace complex, it served as an astronomical observatory reflecting the king's interest in science and astronomy. The tower offers panoramic views and is a notable feature of the palace's architectural ensemble.
Kaeng Krachan National Park is Thailand's largest national park, covering 2,915 square kilometers across Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces, with its main entrance in Kaeng Krachan District. Established in 1981, it forms the core of the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex UNESCO World Heritage Site. Notable for dense evergreen and deciduous forests, mist-covered mountains, the Kaeng Krachan Reservoir, Pala-U Waterfall, and exceptional biodiversity including elephants, leopards, and over 400 bird species.
Kaeng Krachan Reservoir is a large artificial lake formed by the Kaeng Krachan Dam on the Phetchaburi River in Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand. Located at the edge of Kaeng Krachan National Park, it is the largest reservoir in the province and a scenic water body surrounded by forested mountains. It is notable for its vast open water, island-dotted landscape, and role in irrigation, water supply and hydroelectric power.
Khao Chao Lai is a limestone hill located in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, near Cha-am town and the Gulf of Thailand coast. The hill is known as a local viewpoint and natural landmark offering panoramic views of Cha-am Beach, town and surrounding coastal plain. Vegetated slopes and rocky outcrops characterize the site. It is visited for short hikes, photography and sightseeing, and is often included as a brief stop on Cha-am area itineraries.
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.
Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is a protected forest park in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand, about 3 km west of Cha-am town. Centered on a limestone hill resembling a reclining woman, it is linked to the Nang Phanthurat legend from Thai folklore. The park features a short steep nature trail to a summit viewpoint, limestone formations, dry evergreen forest, and panoramic views over Cha-am, the coastline and surrounding plains.
Khao Phanoen Thung is a 1,207-meter mountain viewpoint inside Kaeng Krachan National Park in Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi. It is the park's most famous viewpoint, renowned for its sunrise sea of mist, cool climate, and panoramic forest views. Accessible only by 4WD via a steep dirt road from Ban Krang Camp, it offers camping, birdwatching, and nature observation in Thailand's largest national park.
Laem Phak Bia is a sandy cape and coastal area in Phak Bia Subdistrict, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It is known for its beach, extensive mudflats, mangrove forests and the Royally Initiated Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project. The site combines natural coastal scenery with environmental study trails and is a noted location for birdwatching and nature education.
Mrigadayavan Palace is a former royal summer palace located on the coast in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Built in 1923-1924 during the reign of King Rama VI (Vajiravudh) and designed by Italian architect Ercole Manfredi, the palace consists of 16 golden teakwood buildings elevated on pillars and linked by covered walkways. Notable for its airy seaside architecture and historical royal associations, it now operates as a museum and cultural attraction within a military-managed compound.
Namtok Tho Thip is a multi-tiered forest waterfall located inside Kaeng Krachan National Park in Kaeng Krachan District, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand. Situated near the Ban Krang Camp area, it features nine cascades flowing through dense evergreen forest. Known for its relatively pristine environment and seasonal water flow, it is accessible via a forest trail requiring a hike and is noted for birdwatching and nature study within Thailand's largest national park.
Nong Ya Plong Hot Spring is a natural mineral hot spring located in Nong Ya Plong District, Phetchaburi Province in western Thailand, near the eastern edge of Kaeng Krachan National Park. The spring emerges in a quiet forested rural setting with developed pools for foot soaking and bathing. Known for its warm, mineral-rich water traditionally believed to have therapeutic properties, it offers a simple, nature-based wellness experience and is primarily visited by local residents and domestic travelers.
Pak Thale is a coastal wetland and salt-pan area in Pak Thale Sub-district, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, on the Inner Gulf of Thailand. It is internationally renowned as a wintering site for migratory shorebirds, including the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The landscape of salt evaporation ponds, mudflats and mangroves is managed by local communities and is part of the Laem Pak Bia - Pak Thale Important Bird Area.
Phetchaburi Old Town is the historic riverside quarter of Mueang Phetchaburi city in Phetchaburi Province, central Thailand. Centered along the Phetchaburi River and Damnoen Kasem and Panich Charoen roads, it preserves traditional wooden shophouses, Sino-Thai architecture, and important temples such as Wat Mahathat Worawihan. Notable for its well-preserved townscape, street art, and local dessert culture, it reflects the town's role as a historic trading and royal center since the Ayutthaya period.
Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park, commonly known as Khao Wang, is a hilltop palace complex in Khlong Krachaeng, Mueang Phetchaburi, Phetchaburi Province. Built between 1859 and 1860 as a summer palace for King Mongkut (Rama IV), it occupies three peaks overlooking Phetchaburi town. The site combines Thai, Western neoclassical and Chinese architectural styles and includes palaces, temples, observatory and museums, now preserved as a historical park.
Phra Ram Ratchaniwet, commonly known as Ban Puen Palace, is a former royal summer palace in Ban Puen Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Commissioned by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and designed by German architect Karl Siegfried Döhring, it was built between 1910 and 1916 in German Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style. Located on the Phetchaburi River, it is noted for its European-influenced architecture, tiled roofs and preserved interiors and now operates as a museum.
Phra That Chom Phet is a prominent white Buddhist chedi on the eastern peak of Khao Wang hill within Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park in Mueang Phetchaburi, Phetchaburi Province. Built in the 1860s during the reign of King Rama IV (King Mongkut) as part of the royal palace complex, it enshrines Buddha relics. Notable for its elegant Sri Lankan-style architecture, it is a revered religious landmark offering panoramic views over Phetchaburi town.
Saphan Pla Cha-am is a working fishing pier and seafood market located at the northern end of Cha-am Beach in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Extending into the Gulf of Thailand, it serves as a landing point for local fishing boats and a retail market for fresh catch. Notable for its authentic fishing community atmosphere, views over the coastline, and affordable fresh seafood sold directly from boats and stalls, it offers visitors insight into coastal livelihoods.
Tham Khao Luang is a revered cave temple located on Khao Luang Hill in Tha Rap, about 5 km north of Phetchaburi city. The large limestone cave houses numerous Buddha images and is famous for dramatic sunbeams streaming through natural sinkholes onto the statues. Developed as a temple since the Ayutthaya period and restored by Kings Rama IV and Rama V, it is one of Phetchaburi's most visited cultural and natural attractions.
Tham Khao Nang Phanthurat is a limestone cave within Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park in Heo Kraphang Subdistrict, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. The cave is known for its stalactites, stalagmites and chambers linked to the Thai folklore of Nang Phanthurat from Sunthorn Phu's epic Phra Aphai Mani. Surrounded by mixed deciduous forest and limestone hills, the site offers cave exploration, nature trails and viewpoints near Cha-am town.
Tham Khao Yoi is a Buddhist cave temple located on Khao Yoi hill in Khao Yoi District, Phetchaburi Province, central Thailand. The limestone cave complex houses multiple chambers with Buddha images, including a large reclining Buddha, stalactites and stalagmites. Historically linked to Thai kings including Rama IV, it serves as an active religious site and local landmark. Accessible via stairs from the hill base, it is noted for its natural formations and religious art.
Wat Kamphaeng Laeng is an ancient Khmer temple complex in Tha Rap Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Originally built in the late 12th to early 13th century in Bayon style during the Angkor period, it features five prangs enclosed by laterite walls. Later adapted as a Thai Buddhist temple, it is notable as the only major Khmer sanctuary in Phetchaburi and an important archaeological site showing Khmer influence in central Thailand.
Wat Khao Bandai It is a historic Theravada Buddhist temple located on Khao Bandai It hill in Bandai It Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi, Phetchaburi Province. Set on a limestone hill west of Phetchaburi city, it is known for its cave shrines, Buddha images, and hilltop viewpoint. Dating to the Ayutthaya period and later restored, the temple combines natural caves, religious architecture, and panoramic views, making it a notable cultural and sightseeing site.
Wat Khao Takhrao is a historic Buddhist temple located on Khao Takhrao hill in Bang Khun Sai Subdistrict, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, near the Bang Tabun River estuary and the Gulf of Thailand. It is renowned for enshrining Luang Pho Wat Khao Takhrao, a highly revered Buddha image. The hilltop setting offers panoramic coastal views and combines religious, historical and scenic interest as an important pilgrimage site in coastal Phetchaburi.
Wat Ko Kaeo Suttharam is a historic Buddhist temple in Tha Rap Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi town, on the east bank of the Phetchaburi River. Dating to the Ayutthaya period, it is renowned for its well-preserved early Ayutthaya murals inside the old ubosot, depicting Buddhist cosmology and daily life. The temple remains an active religious site and a significant example of Ayutthaya art and architecture in central Thailand.
Wat Mahathat Worawihan is a historic Buddhist royal temple located in Tha Rap Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi town, central Thailand. Centered around a five-prang Khmer-influenced complex, it is one of the province's most revered temples and houses Buddha relics. Notable for its Ayutthaya-period architecture, ornate stucco, murals and active monastic community, it serves as both a religious center and major cultural landmark near the Phetchaburi River.
Wat Neranchararam is a Buddhist temple located in Cha-am Subdistrict, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, near the center of Cha-am town. It serves as a local religious center for the community and features traditional Thai temple architecture with an ordination hall, prayer halls, and Buddha images. The temple is notable for its calm grounds, religious artworks, and role in daily merit-making and Buddhist ceremonies for residents and visitors.
Wat Nok Pak Talay is a Buddhist temple in Pak Thale Subdistrict, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand, situated near the Gulf of Thailand coastal salt flats. The temple serves the local fishing and salt-farming community and features traditional Thai Buddhist architecture including an ubosot, viharn and chedi. It is notable for its quiet rural coastal setting and as a local religious center within the Pak Thale area known for salt production and birdwatching wetlands.
Wat Phet Suwan is a Buddhist temple located in Ban Laem Subdistrict, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. It serves as a local community temple for religious practice and merit-making. The temple features traditional Thai Buddhist architecture with an ubosot, viharn, and chedi within a compact compound. It is notable as a quiet, active place of worship reflecting the cultural heritage of the coastal Ban Laem area.
Wat Phlapphla Chai is a historic Buddhist temple located in Tha Rap Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, in the center of Phetchaburi town, Phetchaburi Province. Dating to the late Ayutthaya period, it is known for its traditional Thai architecture, old ordination hall (ubosot) and well-preserved mural paintings. The compact, active temple compound reflects the cultural heritage of Phetchaburi's old town near Khao Wang.
Wat Phra Kaeo, also known as Wat Phra Kaeo Noi, is a historic royal Buddhist temple located on the western hilltop of Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park in Khlong Krachaeng, Mueang Phetchaburi. Built between 1859-1860 during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) as the royal temple for the Phra Nakhon Khiri palace, it was modeled after Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok and has no resident monks.
Wat Sra Bua is a historic Theravada Buddhist temple located in Tha Rap Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi town. Situated near the Phetchaburi River in the old town area, it is known for its Ayutthaya-period architecture, traditional ubosot and chedi, and well-preserved murals. The temple remains an active religious site and a quiet cultural attraction within Phetchaburi's historic temple cluster.
Wat Tham Chaeng is a Buddhist cave temple located in Khao Yai Subdistrict, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, western Thailand. Set against limestone hills inland from Cha-am Beach, it is known for its cave shrine, colorful Naga sculptures, and large Buddha images. The temple has become a popular visitor stop for its ornate decorations, hillside setting, and photogenic religious art, combining traditional worship areas with newer elaborately decorated structures.
Wat Tham Rong is a Buddhist cave temple located in Tham Rong Subdistrict, Ban Lat District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Set against a limestone hill, the temple is known for its natural cave shrine housing Buddha images, stalactites and stalagmites. The site combines a traditional temple compound with a cave interior used for worship and meditation. It is notable for its tranquil setting, historic cave architecture and role as a local religious center in the Phetchaburi area.
Wat Yai Suwannaram is a historic Buddhist temple in Tha Rap Subdistrict, Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Dating to the late Ayutthaya period and associated with King Suriyenthrathibodi, it is noted for its well-preserved Ayutthaya architecture, teak sala without nails, 300-year-old murals of divine figures, and ornate ubosot. The temple remains an active religious site and a significant example of Ayutthaya art and craftsmanship in central Thailand.