Suphan Buri is the province directly north west of Bangkok, flat river plain from one edge to the other, which is where the capital's traffic finally gives out. Rice, sugar cane, canals with wooden houses along them and a string of small towns on the Tha Chin River. It is one of the oldest settled parts of Thailand and one of the least visited by foreigners, which are two good reasons to go.
We are not going to tell you it is a secret. It is a working agricultural province with a provincial capital, a hundred year old market, some large Buddhas and a great deal of open country. If that sounds like the Thailand you came to see rather than the one on the brochure, read on.
When To Go
November to February is the dry, cooler stretch. From late February the heat builds and by April and May the plains are among the hottest places in the country, with the mercury nudging 40 degrees. The rains run from roughly May to October, which turns the paddies green and the canals full but makes a day of walking round markets hard work.
The one date on the calendar is the Don Chedi fair in late January, a week of fairground, light shows and re-enactments around the monument to King Naresuan's elephant duel. Book a room early if you want to be there for it.
Getting There
Suphan Buri town is about 100 km from Bangkok. By car it is an hour and a half up Route 340 through Bang Bua Thong, longer on a Friday evening or a holiday. Song Phi Nong, the southern district, is closer at a little over 80 km.
Without a car, take a minivan. They leave the Northern Bus Terminal at Mo Chit and the Southern Bus Terminal roughly every half hour, take about two hours and cost around ฿110. There is a railway, a branch line off the Southern Line that reaches Suphan Buri station on the edge of town, but it runs one train a day in each direction at unhelpful hours, so treat it as a curiosity rather than a plan.
What To See
Sam Chuk 100 Year Market sits on the Tha Chin River about 30 km north of town: 150 or so two-storey timber shophouses, still trading, with a heritage award from UNESCO for the restoration. It opens daily from eight in the morning until five. Go early, eat breakfast there and leave before the coaches arrive.
Wat Pa Lelai in the town centre holds Luang Pho To, a seated Buddha more than 23 metres tall in a posture you rarely see. It also has a place in Khun Chang Khun Phaen, the long Thai folk epic set in Suphan Buri.
Don Chedi, north west of town, is the monument to the 1593 elephant duel in which King Naresuan defeated the Burmese crown prince. The statue is by Silpa Bhirasri, the Italian who founded Thai modern art. The fair in January is built around it.
Bueng Chawak, about 64 km north, is a freshwater lake with an aquarium, a zoo and an aviary. The aquarium's walk-through shark tunnel is the biggest in South East Asia and it is the place to bring children.
The Dragon Descendants Museum in town sits inside a 135 metre dragon beside the City Pillar Shrine. It tells the history of the Chinese in Thailand, closes on Tuesdays and charges foreigners ฿499.
Wat Phai Rong Wua, down in Song Phi Nong on Route 340, has a 26 metre Buddha and a hell garden of life sized statues showing what happens to sinners. It is grim, strange and unlike anything else on this list.
The newest sight is the seated Buddha at Wat Khao Tham Thiam in U Thong, carved straight into the face of an old limestone quarry, with a gold chedi on the hilltop above it. Its formal name is Phra Buddha Phaya Khiri Sri Suvarnabhumi; locals call it Luang Pho U Thong. It is the picture at the top of this page.
Eating Out
The market at Sam Chuk is the obvious meal. Otherwise the province eats the way the central plains eat: river fish, noodle shops and canalside cafes where the coffee has become a small point of pride. Our first stop is Cafe Chedi in Song Phi Nong, a black timber cafe behind a temple with a deck over the canal, a coconut americano the reviews rave about and catfish you can feed for ten baht.
How Long To Spend
A day from Bangkok covers Sam Chuk and one or two temples if you leave early. Two days with a night in town lets you add Bueng Chawak or Don Chedi without rushing. More than that and you are staying for the quiet, which is a fine reason but not one that needs a plan.
