Nonthaburi sits just north of Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, close enough to the capital to feel like an extension of the city but distinct enough to reward a visit of its own. Fruit orchards and flower plantations edge up against the canal network, giving the province a greener, slower character than the Bangkok sprawl just south.
The easiest and most rewarding way to arrive is by Chao Phraya Express Boat — step off at Nonthaburi Pier and you find yourself at a handsome pier with a large clock tower, surrounded by temples, a local market, and the unhurried rhythm of river life. From the dock a short ferry crosses to Wat Chalerm Phra Kiet, a cluster of Ayutthaya-period temples set among breadfruit trees.
Nonthaburi was absorbed into Bangkok briefly during World War II but re-established as its own province in 1946. Its Mon heritage runs deep, particularly in Pak Kret district, where descendants of Mon immigrants who settled here during the Ayutthaya and early Bangkok periods still practice traditional crafts and music. The island of Ko Kret, in the river northeast of the city, is the most visited expression of this Mon culture — a car-free island of pottery workshops, Mon temples, and canal-side lanes.
Other temples worth seeking out include Wat Chotikaram, with its floor-to-ceiling Buddhist murals, and Wat Khemaphirataram Rajaworawiharn, one of the province's most important temple complexes. Wat Chomphuwek on Sanam Bin Nam Road is quieter and less visited, worth combining with a walk along the riverside road.