Petchaburi
is an old city and used to be an important fort town, at the Royal Child
level, of Thailand long ago. It was formerly called by many name such as
Muang Phribphli, Muang Petchli, etc. Petchaburi occupies an area of 6,225.1
square kilometers and is divided into seven Amphoes and one King Amphoe
: Muang, Cha-am, Khao Yoi, Tha Yang, Ban Lat, Ban Laem and Nong Ya Plong.
Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest :
Tham Khao Yoi
This cave is located on Khao
Yoi Hill, Amphoe Khao Yoi, 22 Kilometers from the township. Buddha images
of various attutudes are housed in the cave. Khao Yoi Cave was the place
where King Mongkut practiced meditation while he was in the monkhood.
Khao Wang
This hill in the vicinity of
Amphoe Muang is 92 meters high. King Mongkut was very found of Khao Wang
so he commanded a palace built on top of it in the year 1860 to be used
for vacationing; he named it Phra Nakhon Khiri. However, Petchaburi inhabitants
have called it "Khao Wang" until now.
At present, Khao wang is established as Phra Nakhon Khiri National Museum, open to the public from 09.00-16.00 hours every day except Monday and Tuesday, and the entrance fee is B 5.00 per person. To go up Khao Wang, one can either walk or take Cable Car.
Khao Bandai It
This is a rather small hill
121 meters high located two kilometers from khao Wang. An ancient monastery
built in the Ayutthaya period is maned Wat Khao Bandai It. There are several
caves on this hill such as Tham Prathun, Tham Phra Chao Sua, Tham Phra
Puttha Saiyat, etc.
Tham Khao Luang
The cave is located on Khao
Luang Hill which is only 92 meters high, and five kilometers from Khao
Wang. Khao Luang Cave is regarded as the most important cave of Petchaburi
because it houses a dressing Buddha image cast by the royal command of
King Chulalongkon as the dedication to King Nang Klao and King Mongkut.
On the right hand of Khao Luang Access Road at the foot hill there is a large monastery called "Wat Tham Klaep" or Wat Bunthawi having a very large multipurpose hall. The Sala Kanparien and weeden door panels of the Ubosot are beautifully carved.
Hat Chao Samran
This beach 15 kilometers from
the Petchaburi Provincial Market used to be a famous seaside resort in
the old days. Legend says that King Naresuan the Great and King Eka Thotsarot
used to make royal visits here. They enjoyed the beauty of this beach so
very much that they spent many hights there causing the villagers to call
it the "Beach of Royal Leisure"
Four kilometers from Hat Chao Samran is Laem Luang Beach-a white sandy beach of two kilometers in length. Seven kilometers from Hat chao Samran to the south is Hat Puktian which is the latest popular beach in Petchaburi.
Hat Cha-am
This beach is located 41 kilometers
from the township. The access road to thebeach is two kilometers long.
It is a very beautiful beach.
Kaeng Krachan Dam
This dam is located in Amphoe
Tha Yang, 53.5 kilometers from Petchaburi township. One can go two ways:
First is to travel to Amphoe Tha Yang; then 30 kilometers beyond Tha Yang
is the dam site. Another way is to travel by Highway No. 4 where a right
turn is made between Km. 186-187; go 30 kilometers more. Kaeng The widest
part of the base is 250 meters.
Phra Ratchaniwet Marukkhathayawan
This place is located between
Cha-am and Hau Hin; make a left turn via a two kilometers access road.
King Rama VI used it as a vacational accommodation during the summer time.
Now very deteriorated, it is taken care of by the Border Patrol Police
Headquarters.