the second largest province of the South and the land of predominant Buddhism during the Srivijaya Period, is 780 kilometres from Bangkok . Nakhon Si Thammarat boasts pristine verdant jungles abundant with luxuriant vegetation and is also noted for picturesque beaches and beautiful waterfalls. Nakorn Si Thammarat's branch of the National Museum is full of artefacts of the South's long history. Of particular interest are some seventh century Mon inscriptions taken from Wat Phra Mahathat, ceramics from the Chinese Tang (518 - 907 AD) and Song (960 - 1274 AD) dynasties found in the waters around Nakorn Si Thammarat, and golden niello fittings from King Rama V's royal barge. Off the courtyard on the ground floor, you'll also find a model of the city as it probably was in the sixth century, just after the walls and main temples were built. On the second floor near the barge fittings are old pictures of Wat Phra Mahathat dating from the turn of the twentieth century.