Nonthanburi and Pottery island    

We visited Bangkok many times and look always for new exploring tours which are not known by tourists at all. This time we went with the public express boat to the northern terminus Nonthaburi and then with a small longtail boat to Koh Kret, also known as the Pottery island.

The boat trip itself is very worthseeing. In this one-hour trip, starting from the jetty Sathorn Pier at Taksin Bridge, you will pass many major attractions such as Wat Aurun, Royal Palace, and so on. There are more than 20 stops until you arrive in Nonthaburi. Further north you come, much more rural is it, also there are no more tourists on board, the boat fills up at every stop mainly with local people.

Nonthaburi the small provincial town, just 20 kilometers north of Bangkok is a busy but quiet town with rural ambience. After arriving at the pier you can see already the landmark, the Clock Tower. Around this square and the surrounding streets there is pure thai life, rickshaws and Motorbike taxis waiting here relaxed for customers. Of course, you can also find food stalls and markets but nothing is offered especially for tourists, its mainly for the local people, who buy their normal goods here.

Our next destination was Koh Kret, a small island in the Chao Phraya River, a few kilometers from Nonthaburi. With a very small speedboat we went in ½ hour, in a rapid trip to the famous pottery island Koh Kret, which is a very popular destination for Thais at weekends. We were very happy to be there during the week so it was relatively quiet. At the 6 km long round trail there are many little shops side by side which all offer nearly the same goods.

On the river island there are seven small villages and six small temples, which are connected by narrow roads and you can explore them by rented bike. At the Pottery Village you can watch the processing from lumps of clay to the finished product. Of course, the pottery is also sold there.

The most interesting, largest and most beautiful Wat is the 200 year old Wat Poramai Yikawat which is located on the main pier of Koh Kret in the north of the island. The area round the Wat is neat and tidy and offers lovely views over the river. Another beautiful temple is the Wat Phai Lom in the southern part of the island.

A nice day trip for all people who want to escape the bustling Bangkok. But anyway, often the way is the goal.