Ratchaburi offers many delights to explore

Posted by admin on July 15th, 2009 filed in Day trips, Sightseeing, Temples

Located within less than 50 miles of Bangkok, Ratchaburi offers much more than its famous guay tiew khai, noodles with chopped fried eggs decorated with the halves of boiled eggs, and not all of them are culinary.

The Ratchaburi National Museum is a well-conserved architectural national gem offering a wealth of ancient artefacts. Built in 1922, this Western-style museum once served as the town hall. Most of what is on display here has been excavated around the historic Dvaravati town of Ban Khu Bua in Muang district.

Today, Ban Khu Bua houses a flourishing Tai Yuan community, many of whom create the typical hand-woven textiles that have earned them a local and national reputation. The exhibit’s highlight is a stone Avalokites Bodhisattva, one of the five discovered in the country. It dates back to between the 11th and 13th centuries AD and is part of the archaeological evidence suggesting that Ratchaburi was once an outpost of the Khmer empire.

Ratchaburi is also home to a large Mon community along the Mae Klong River’s banks in Ban Pong and Potharam districts. On Vichitsongkram Road is the Municipal Court, which is another western style edifice constructed in 1906 and featuring an elegant gabled roof as well as floral perforated arches above wooden windows. Built in 1871, Wat Pra Sri Suriyawong boasts an interesting architectural Gothic style and a principal hall that is resplendent with Corinthian arches and columns.