Nakhon Pathom

The name Nakhon Pathom derives from the Pali Nagara Pathama, meaning 'first city,' and the province is believed to be where Buddhism first arrived in what is now Thailand during the Dvaravati civilisation. Nakhon Pathom covers 2,168 square kilometres and is bordered by Suphan Buri and Ayutthaya to the north, Nonthaburi and Bangkok to the east, Samut Sakhon to the south, and Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi to the west. The Tha Chin River flows through the province, and the fertile alluvial land supports pomelo orchards, rice farming, and proximity-to-Bangkok market gardening. Nakhon Pathom is also home to Silpakorn University's first campus (outside Bangkok), the Rose Garden cultural centre, and Sampran Riverside. With a registered population of around 924,000, the province is increasingly urbanised as a satellite of Bangkok.