Introduction

Ratchaburi means, "The land of the king."

You might be familiar with the crest of the scaled dragon on the excellent earthenware jars.

Ratchaburi, a glorious town during the Dvaravati period, is located on the bank of the Mae Klong River.

Ratchaburi is one of the western provinces of Thailand.

Ratchaburi occupies an area of 5,196 square kilometres.

The province is subdivided into 10 districts:Muang Ratchaburi, Photharam, Damnoen Saduak, Pak Tho, Chom Bueng, Bang Phae, Wat Phleng , Suan Phueng, Ban Pong, and Ban Kha.

The neighboring province to the north is Kanchanaburi, in the east are Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut SongKram, While in the south is Petchburi Province.

Ratchaburi Province is an ancient province known for its historical sites and natural attractions.

From historical sources, antiques and other archaeological finds that have been uncovered, it appears that Ratchaburi, in addition to bordering Myanmar, was also formerly a commercial port where many traders would meet.

So you can see that Ratchaburi is a land of rich and varied culture and origin, much of which has been preserved and can still be seen today.

The provincial seal shows the royal sword above the royal sandals on a phan , as the name Ratchaburi means City of the King. The name derives from the fact that King Rama I was born here.

The provincial slogan is Beautiful women of Photharam, beautiful women of Baan Pong, the city of earthen jars, shadow plays at Wat Khanon, magnificent caves, floating market at Damnoen, bats, delicious Yii Sok fish.

Local Products

Glazed Jars and Ceramicware

Ratchaburi has been known for a long time as the major producers of dragon design water jars.

In the old days, it was quite common to see vendors selling their products in boats.

Nowadays, there are many ceramic factories in Ratchaburi which still make old designed water jars, as well as other small ceramic souvenirs.

Grape

Grape, is famous produce of Damnoen Saduak district which is sold in Ratchaburi and Bangkok.

Pha Tin Chok

Wat Khae Sai, about 8 kilometres from the town, is a centre of Tin Chok weaving fabrics.

The villagers are descendants of settlers from Chiang Saen of the Lanna Thai kingdom some one hundred years ago.

Ratchaburi Tourist Attractions

Phawothai Local Museum

Two Thai style houses in a pleasant garden displays a collection of ancient artifacts.

It has a pleasant garden and a big fish pond.

Pong Yup

It attracts visitors with plenty of strange looking earthen pillars and cliffs naturally created by soil erosion.

Tham Chomphon

It was originally called Tham Mutchalin.

Inside there is a medium-sized statue of the Reclining Buddha.

A nearby arboretum provides shady areas suitable for relaxation.

In front of the cave, an arboretum features various species of plants and trees as well as a troop of monkeys to welcome you.

Tham Khao Bin

This is the most beautiful cave in Ratchaburi.

The cave extends 300 metres from the mouth and offers truly amazing scenes of plentiful stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

This is the best known destination in Ratchaburi where the timeless lifestyle of native Thai people can be observed along the canals.

Boats can be hired for surveying canalside villages together with a house making coconut sugar.

Wat Khanon

More than 300 Nang Yai puppets are well preserved at this temple.

Nang Yai is an old form of entertainment which gathers many kinds of arts; for example, Thai sculpture and classical performances.

The intricate carved puppets are portrayed on the screen by skilled male performers, and it can dance according to the music.

Ratchaburi National Museum

This is located on Woradet Road near the river.

The edifice was formerly the town hall.

It displays art and ancient items of different periods found in the local area, and exhibits the history of Ratchaburi, as well as its folk art and geology.