🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Nakhon routes itself better than you'd expect. The city sits in the middle, Sichon and Khanom are up north, and Khiriwong is south, tucked below Khao Luang. The distances between points aren't huge, but they fan out in different directions, so a private car or a rental is by far the smoothest way to do it. We've set day one on foot in the old town, day two heading out via Sichon and Lan Saka for Ai Khai and Khiriwong, then wrapping up day three at Khanom before the drive back. No car? You can still do it, you'll just need to charter a vehicle or hop songthaews leg by leg.
Day 1 — Old Town: the Stupa and Good Southern Food
Wat Phra Mahathat, the City Pillar Shrine, the shadow-puppet house, then eat your way around town
Day-one tip
A lot of Nakhon's famous dishes come from morning-to-afternoon shops, especially khanom jeen and curry-rice, which often sell out before 3pm. If you've got your eye on a particular spot, get there before noon to be safe. And don't forget southern food is genuinely spicy, order it mild to start if you're not used to it.
Book the activities in your Nakhon Si Thammarat trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
The Nakhon Food You Have to Try
Nakhon takes its food seriously, full-on southern flavours: khanom jeen, tai pla curry rice, fried chicken, right through to sweets like khanom la and roti. We've picked out the things locals eat themselves and lined them up in the order you shouldn't skip them.
Nakhon Khanom Jeen (Phanyom Road)
Fresh rice-noodle khanom jeen at a well-known shop near the stupa, with several curries to choose from: coconut curry, jungle curry, tai pla, and all-you-can-eat fresh herbs. It's the first dish that comes to mind when people talk about Nakhon.
Pa Luan Curry Rice (Tha Phae)
Bold southern curry-rice by Tha Phae market, in front of the Vajiravudh army camp. The standouts are garlic-fried mullet, fried pork-liver intestine, and sour kulao-fish curry. So many dishes it's hard to choose.
Tai Pla Curry
A signature of the south, salty and fiercely spicy from fermented mackerel gut, eaten with fresh vegetables and boiled egg. Hot and satisfying if you like it punchy, and you'll find it at nearly every curry-rice shop in town.
Southern Khao Yam
Rice tossed with finely shredded herbs, dressed in sweet-salty budu sauce, topped with dried shrimp and toasted coconut. A light, refreshing meal, good for breakfast or a snack on a hot day.
Nakhon Fried Chicken
Crispy-skinned fried chicken marinated in southern spices, eaten with sticky rice or khanom jeen. Several shops in town make it their signature, scattered with fragrant fried garlic.
Roti Cha Chak
Roti, crisp outside and soft inside, with hot pulled tea, a breakfast and snack staple in Nakhon's Muslim community. Many shops run from morning till midday and make a relaxed spot to sit before heading out.
Khanom La
A local sweet made of fine fried threads, either crisp or soft, sweet and fragrant with palm sugar. It's a classic Nakhon souvenir you can pick up around the stupa and the souvenir markets.
Khiriwong Coffee
Coffee and cakes at cafés set in the Khiriwong valley, mountains all around and a cool, easy climate. A nice spot to pause over a coffee with a very different feel from the city.
Khanom Seafood
Prawns, shellfish, crab and fresh fish straight from the Khanom sea, cooked southern-style: stir-fried, deep-fried, or in soups. The beachfront places at Nai Phlao and Pak Nam Khanom throw in a sea view too.
Khiriwong–Lan Saka Fruit
Mangosteen, durian and longkong from the orchards around Lan Saka and Khiriwong. In fruit season, roughly June to August, it's fresh and well-priced, to eat on the spot or take home.
Day 2 — Make a Wish at Ai Khai, Then Up to Khiriwong
Wat Chedi (Ai Khai) in Sichon, then down to Khiriwong village below Khao Luang
Para Keeree Cafe & Restaurant
A café on a rise in the Khiriwong valley with an almost 180-degree mountain view. Coffee, cakes, and bold southern dishes made with local ingredients.
Mungroos Cafe
A café for arabica coffee in clean mountain air, with panoramic ridge views and fusion-style Thai food to order alongside.
Khiriwong Village Bridge
The bridge across the stream in the middle of the village, a favourite photo and sunset spot. The clear cool water is fine for a dip on a good day.
What to know about Ai Khai
Everything you'd offer is sold inside the temple, so there's no need to carry it in. And if your wish comes true, the custom is to return and fulfil whatever you pledged out loud. On long weekends the crowds get so heavy that traffic backs up in front of the temple, so if you can, come on a weekday morning.
Day 3 — Down to the Khanom Coast for Pink Dolphins
Drive north to Khanom, take a boat out for the dolphins, then catch the beaches before heading home
About the dolphin boat trip
Pink dolphins are wild animals, and no one can promise you'll see them every time you go out. Your best chance is March to October, with a calm morning sea. Pick a boat that runs slowly and doesn't chase or herd the pod, it's better for you and for the animals.
Budget and Getting Around
- Getting around — Nakhon's best bits are spread in different directions, so a private car or rental is smoothest. Without a car you'll need to charter a vehicle or hop songthaews leg by leg, which pushes travel costs up.
- Ai Khai — Free to enter, with money set aside for offerings as you see fit. Offerings can be bought inside the temple, so there's no need to bring them.
- Khanom boat trip — A dolphin-watching charter runs about 1,200 THB per boat; split among 5–6 people that's a few hundred each.
- Accommodation — The city has hotels at various levels, handy for temple visits on foot. Khiriwong has homestays by the stream, and Khanom has beachfront resorts starting around two thousand-odd THB.
- Souvenirs — Khanom la, Nakhon nielloware, shadow puppets, and Khiriwong seasonal fruit. Buy them before you leave on the last day.
Want a well-located place to stay in Nakhon before you plan
See the Top 10 Nakhon Si Thammarat hotels →