Nakhon Pathom

Nakhon Pathom is a city in central Thailand and the capital of Nakhon Pathom province, about 57 kilometers west of Bangkok, with a population of roughly 120,657 across 19.85 square kilometers. It is counted among the oldest cities in Thailand, traditionally said to have been founded as early as 40 BC, and served as a major center of the early Dvaravati kingdom, whose moated settlement here, covering 602 hectares, is the largest known from that period. Buddhist tradition holds that the city played a founding role in bringing Buddhism to Siam, a claim resting on tradition rather than firm evidence, though seventh century inscriptions found there describe it as the meritorious work of the king of Sri Dvaravati. Today the city is best known for the Phra Pathommachedi, a Buddhist monument about 127 meters tall and described as the tallest Buddhist structure in the world.