Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [191]
Phetburi lives in the shadow of Khao Wang, a looming hill studded with wát and topped by various components of King Mongkut’s 1860 palace, Phra Nakhon Khiri ( 0 3240 1006; admission 150B; 8.30am-4.30pm). The mountaintop is divided into three sections; the east peak bears a scaled-down version of Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Click here) and an unusual chedi made of granite blocks; the middle peak is dominated by a 40m-high chedi that affords panoramic views from its upper level, while the western peak is home to Mongkut’s palace, his observatory and other palace essentials built in Thai and Sino-European styles. For more detail ask the information office for its ‘map’ (3B). To get here, make the strenuous upward climb or head to the west side of the hill and take a funicular straight up to the peak (return child/adult 15/40B). Note that Khao Wang is home to hundreds of cheeky monkeys that are, according to numerous signs, ‘not afraid anyone’.
Phetburi is known throughout Thailand for its varied collection of wát. The most prominent is the imposing Wat Mahathat (Th Damnoen Kasem), with its late Ayuthaya–early Ratanakosin adaptation of the prang of Lopburi and Phimai. The beautiful murals inside the wí·hăhn illustrate the jataka (stories from the Buddha’s lives) and also show vivid snippets of everyday Thai life during the 19th century. The roof of the adjacent bòht holds some fine examples of stucco work, which is characteristic of the Phetburi school of art that can be seen on many of the city’s temples.
Wat Yai Suwannaram (Th Phongsuriya) was originally built during the 17th century and renovated during the reign of Rama V (r 1868–1910). Legend has it that the gash in the ornately carved wooden doors of the lengthy wooden săh·lah dates to the Burmese attack on Ayuthaya. The faded murals inside the bòht date back to the 1730s. Next to the bòht, set on a murky pond, is a beautifully designed old hǒr đrai (Tripitaka library), though these days it’s home only to pigeons.
Wat Ko Kaew Sutharam (Wat Ko; off Th Matayawong) dates back to the Ayuthaya era, and the bòht features early 18th-century murals that are among the oldest and the most beautiful in Thailand. One panel depicts what appears to be a Jesuit priest wearing the robes of a Buddhist monk, while another shows other foreigners undergoing Buddhist conversions. You might have to ask the caretaker to open it for you.
Somewhat unusually for a Thai temple, contemporary stucco work portraying the violent political unrest of 1973 can be viewed at Wat Chi Prasoet (Th Suraphan).
About 4km north of town is the cave sanctuary Khao Luang (donation encouraged; 8am-6pm), which has three caverns filled with dozens of Buddha images in various poses – some of them originally placed by Rama IV – and several souvenir stalls. The best time to visit Khao Luang is around 5pm, when the school groups should have gone and the evening light pierces the ceiling, surrounding artefacts below with an ethereal glow. A săhm·lór from town costs about 80B return; a motorcycle taxi is 70B.
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TRANSPORT: PHETBURI
Distance from Bangkok 166km
Direction South
Travel Time Two to 2½ hours by bus or taxi; 2½ to four hours by train
Bus Air-con buses run to/from Bangkok’s Southern bus station (112B; 2½ hours) every 30 minutes between 4am and 8pm. In Phetburi, buses arrive and depart from an office behind the night market. Minibuses (100B, 2½ hours) leave from Th Bandai-It every 30 minutes or so from 5am to 7pm.
Taxi You can charter a Bangkok taxi to Phetburi for about 2000B, but there are no taxis in Phetburi for the return trip.
Train Trains are less convenient than buses, unless you