Wat Phra Pathom Chedi

Every year the province of Nakhon Pathom hosts the Wat Phra Pathom Chedi Festival that lasts for nine days and nine nights. This festival is to pay tribute to the Buddha’s relics that is supposedly encased in the Chedi (the tall cone shaped structure).

Wat Phra Pathom Chedi (or officially Wat Phra Pathommachedi) translates to “the first holy stupa” and it is situated right in the center of the city of Nakhon Pathom.

It stands at a height of 120 meters tall, and it is definitely the tallest stupa in Thailand, perhaps even the entirety of South East Asia.

When you first catch sight of it on your way to Nakhon Pathom, you can’t help but be amazed at the sheer size of this beautiful stupa, and as you walk closer and closer, the size really showcases that it’s a true marvel of architecture and engineering.

Within the temple itself there are many opportunities for visitors to learn about the culture and history and to give merits to Buddha.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. By clicking on the links and purchasing the product, I will receive a partial commission. All of these products are ones that I fully trust and recommend with my heart. For more information please read Affiliate Disclaimer.

The Annual Market Festival

night market lots of people and neon lights — When the sun sets that’s when the festival comes alive with all the neon lights and huge crowds of people

As of 2022, This festival took place from November 5 to November 13, but in the future these dates will be different, so make sure to double check when you want to visit.

For more details head down to the bottom of this article.

The market is HUGE. The platform on which the stupa sits is a square structure, and the market encompasses all 4 sides of it. In addition to that, there are many twists and turns that branch out from the main area of the market. You will surely get lost if you aren’t paying attention to where you’re going.

And that’s okay because I got lost too.

You’ll find many items and souvenirs on sale, from cheap clothes to children’s toys, and phone cases. You can even find a section where a whole bunch of shooting gallery games are on offer.

Shoot a bunch of targets successfully and you’ll win a prize that you can give to your girlfriend or boyfriend.

There is even an area where you can paint paintings and miniature statues, You pick the painting or statue you want and then pay the vendor, he or she will then supply you with paint brushes, paint, and water. Then all you have to do is let your creativity shine through.

Of course we can’t forget about the countless food options that you will find here.

How to get to Nakhon Pathom?

Nakhon Pathom is about an hour away from Bangkok by car.

If you don’t have access to your own car you can take a van at BTS Victory Monument which will take you to a nearby Big C grocery store and you’ll have to take another 5 minute motorbike taxi to get to the temple.

I recommend booking a train from your current destination to Nakhon Pathom as it is the cheapest option and takes roughly the same time as travelling by car (~1 hour).

Now let’s get onto the more important things!

Let’s Go on a Food Adventure!

You’ll find standard market food items like: meat skewers, boat noodles, and fried insects. However, nowadays Thai street food vendors and on the edge of innovation, so you’ll find that many stalls are serving up new and trendy foods.

I’ll be showcasing some of my findings below!

Grilled Meat Skewers a Plenty!

Every corner you turn you’ll be guaranteed to find a stall selling all sorts of grilled meats. It just so happens that the corner that I turned there were an endless sea of stalls selling these skewers.

The most popular meat you’ll find is chicken. The best part is all of components of the chicken are grilled, from wings and thighs, to liver and gizzards.

My personal favorite is the chicken skin for its charred fattiness and flavor.

Another popular choice among the locals is the chicken liver. So when you’ve come across one of these stalls be sure to grab a skewer or two.

Chilled Chemicals in a Syringe???

chilled jelly in syringes — Different types of flavored jelly inside syringes

These are by far the weirdest thing I have found anywhere.

But let’s keep an open mind.

These are jelly filled syringes, they come in all sorts of flavors from strawberry to coca cola to whatever that bright fluorescent green one is.

I tried the strawberry one out of curiosity and I got to say, this one isn’t for me. The taste was fine, like artificial strawberry flavoring, but the texture…

When you push the syringe and the jelly goes through the nozzle it creates a sandy and grainy texture in the jelly, it’s not pleasant.

This one is definitely for the younger kids or for those like me who are just really curious.

Very Very Very Very Long French Fries

stall selling long french fries — The longest french fries I have ever seen

I first saw these large fries in Taiwan a couple years back and they seem to be a pretty recent trend here in Thailand. Mashed potatoes would be extruded into this long shape and then deep fried to give it that nice crispy outer shell and a soft a fluffy inside.

The fries will then be drizzled in a variety of sauces and seasonings. Some sauces may look scary with their vibrant colors but don’t judge a fry by it’s sauce, these are really tasty.

long french fries with different types of sauces — Can you guess what flavor rainbow is?

You can mix and match the flavors as well, I got the spicy paprika and the nori wasabi.

The spicy paprika was cheddar cheese whiz dust with a coating of paprika on top, it was salty, cheesy, and with a little kick of spice.

The nori wasabi, I would not recommend unless you really like sweet things. The white sauce that they use is the sweet Japanese mayo and it is really artificially sweet.

The fries themselves are delicious, nice and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

A Flat Sheet of Awesome Senbei

stall selling really flat senbei — This stall really stood out with their sakura tree, giving it a strong Japanese vibe

A food that you’ll see often on TikTok or other social media is this really flat Japanese snack which is a derivative of a senbei.

This stall caught my eye for being really bright and colorful and that sakura tree really added to the whole Japanese aesthetic.

The way they prepare this snack is they’ll take a seafood of your choosing, there are many options such as squid and soft shell crab, put it in the middle of the square press and add a batter around it. Then the press is… pressed, and the whole thing is cooked until the batter is thin and crunchy.

sugoi senbei squid with spicy sauce and teriyaki — I got squid with 2 different sauces, sweet chili sauce and teriyaki sauce

There are a few sauce options available, you can pick a maximum of 2 sauces and the vendor will pain them onto the senbei with a big paint brush.

The senbei was tasty, kind of like eating a cracker, it’s a bit salty from the seafood and the sauces, and is a nice snack to eat on the go.

It can be cumbersome to hold an maneuver when you’re walking through crowds of people though.

Japanese Pancake, Okonomiyaki on a Stick

Modern trendy Thai street food is heavily influenced by east Asian countries like Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. These okonomiyaki on a stick is no exception.

Obviously inspired by the Japanese dish with the same name, these things are basically just that. A Japanese pancake on a stick.

But the Thai flair here is that they have a variety of different toppings to choose from such as seaweed and crabstick mayo.

I got the dry fish flake variant and I got to say it was pretty good and it tasted much like how you expected it to taste…

Which is an okonomiyaki.

But on a stick.

The Thickest and Dense-est Chocolate Drink

thick chocolate cocoa drink stall — Who is that poor boy that got his face vandalized

A food trend that is popping up everywhere in Thailand is the “Coco” or chocolate milk.

No no no, don’t be underwhelmed, this isn’t your typical chocolate milk, what’s special about these is the that they are THICK.

These shops serve one thing and one thing only, chocolate milk. The options you have here are the different thicknesses you can have. From normal milky, to extremely thick like you’re drinking nutella.

The fun thing is that the different levels of thickness is indicated by the amount of facial hair that has been drawn onto the image of the boy (which I assume is the mascot or the owner?).

thick chocolate drink — It’s mesmerizing to see her pour the milk and watching it almost marbleized among the thick chocolate

A dense chocolate ganache-type mixture is poured into a cup of ice, then a cup of milk is poured in to make it drinkable through a straw.

I ordered extra thick (one level below the highest) and I have to say… It was not as a thick as I expected it to be.

Don’t get me wrong, it was more thick and dense compared to regular chocolate milk. I think next time I’ll try the highest level of thickness.

The taste however, was pretty good, a nice and smooth chocolate milk. Although a bit watered down because some of the ice has melted by the time I started drinking it.

An Assortment of Fried Goodies

assortment of fried foods — Lots of different types of fried goodies, this stall was popular amongst the younger crowd

Lastly you’ll find plenty of fried food stalls around the market serving up freshly fried golden goodies. There are many options to choose from like fried chicken nuggets, and fried crabsticks.

I’ll be honest, this one is mainly for the younger crowds but once in a while we all have a craving for some simple fried goodness.

They come with a few sauce packets as well, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, and Thai seafood sauce.

Details About The Festival

Wat Phra Pathom Chedi Festival takes place in the Nakhon Pathom Province of Thailand every year usually around October-November. The dates aren’t constant can changes every year so be sure to double check the dates before heading there.

The market festival is technically opened at 4pm but most stalls are opened way earlier.

I went there are 3pm and left by 7pm.

Looking for Things to Do in Bangkok?

Bangkok Odyssey eBook - My comprehensive Bangkok travel guide book (25% OFF)
SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World - Encounter over 400 marine species and 30000 creatures
Floating Markets Day Tour - Tour 3 major markets: Damnoen Saduak, Maeklong, Amphawa
Safari World Bangkok - Meet exotic and friendly animals at Bangkok’s animal kingdom
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price

Useful Resources for Traveling in Thailand

Tourism Information - All the information you need when traveling in Thailand
4G/5G SIM Card - 8 days, 15GB, Important for staying connected while in Thailand
Private Airport Transfers - Transfer from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the city without worry
Best Bangkok Hostels - A list of the best hostels to stay for cheap and meet new friends