Things to do in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The city's founding temple and southern Thailand's most important Buddhist site, dating to the 13th century and on Thailand's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The 55.78m Sri Lankan-style chedi, its spire sheathed in gold, is visible across the old town; the surrounding cloisters hold hundreds of Buddha images and the temple's own museum of historic artefacts. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and expect it to be genuinely active as a place of worship, not a roped-off monument.

A restored stretch of Nakhon Si Thammarat's old fortified wall runs alongside Ratchadamnoen Road near the old moat, rebuilt in the early Rattanakosin period and again in 1990. A short, easy stop that frames how large and fortified the old Tambralinga-era city once was, best combined with a walk to Wat Phra Mahathat.

A working museum and workshop at the family home of the late Suchart Subsin, a National Artist who spent his life preserving Nang Talung, southern Thailand's traditional shadow-puppet theatre. Watch craftsmen cut and paint water-buffalo-hide puppets, browse a collection that includes pieces from China, Cambodia and India, and — if you call ahead — arrange a live shadow-puppet performance for a modest fee.

A canal-side community market in Chian Yai district known for genuine southern-Thai dishes like khao yam and khanom jeen namya koei, eaten the way locals actually eat them rather than a tourist-facing food court. A good half-day pairing with the old-town temple walk if you want a real taste of the province's food culture.

One of southern Thailand's best-known waterfalls, a seven-tier cascade in Nopphitam district about 75km from the city centre, roughly a 1.5-2hr drive. The standout tier, Nan Fon Saen Ha, drops around 100m off a sheer cliff. Reaching it means a roughly 3.7km trail through rainforest — a proper half-day hike, best in the dry season (roughly December-April) when trails are safer and the flow still strong.

A 19-tier waterfall right at the Khao Luang National Park headquarters area near Lan Saka district, roughly 20-30km from the city — the easiest of the park's falls to reach and a realistic half-day or even a few-hours trip. Khao Luang itself, at 1,835m, is the highest peak in southern Thailand and the park is genuinely rich in wildlife, with over 300 recorded wild orchid species.

Two more falls inside Khao Luang National Park for anyone who wants to go deeper than the two headline cascades: Phrommalok is a large three-tier fall, and Ai Khieo, fed off Khao Luang itself, has nine tiers. Both see far fewer visitors than Krung Ching or Karom — bring your own water and check current trail conditions at a ranger station first.

A model eco-tourism community in the foothills of Khao Luang, promoted as having some of the cleanest air in Thailand, set among fruit orchards, forest and a fast mountain stream. A genuinely different pace from the city — homestays, guided fruit-orchard walks and river tubing are organised through the village's own community-tourism group rather than a commercial tour operator, so it rewards contacting them ahead of a visit.

Thong Nian Bay off Khanom district — roughly 70-80km and about 1.5hr from the city — is one of the most reliable places in Thailand to see wild Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, whose skin turns distinctively pink with age. Registered longtail boats run from Laem Prathap pier through the Laem Prathap Eco-tourism Society, with sightings most consistent January-April in the early morning. This is a real, community-managed wildlife encounter, not a marketed attraction — book locally rather than assuming a sighting is guaranteed on any given day.

Khanom's best-known beach, a long stretch of fine white sand and clear water backed by casual seafood restaurants and small resorts, far quieter than Samui or Phuket's beaches. An annual sand-whiting fish festival is held here each July, tied to the local fishing community rather than a tourist calendar.

A national park covering Khanom's pine-backed beaches and a scatter of nearby islands, with calm, gently shelving water better suited to swimming than big surf. A realistic day trip from the city if combined with the dolphin tour and Nai Phlao Beach, or a worthwhile overnight base of its own for a couple of quieter beach days.

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan — the 13th-century founding temple of the city, on Thailand's UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, with a 55.78m gold-spired chedi and cloisters full of historic Buddha images. Pair it with a walk along the restored old city wall and, if timing allows, a stop at the Suchart Subsin shadow-puppet museum.

Yes — Khao Luang National Park has four notable falls. Karom, near the park headquarters roughly 20-30km from the city, is the easiest half-day trip. Krung Ching, the province's most famous seven-tier cascade, is further out (about 75km, 1.5-2hr) and needs a genuine half-day hike along a 3.7km trail. Phrommalok and Ai Khieo are quieter alternatives deeper in the park.

Yes, in Khanom district, about 70-80km (roughly 1.5hr) from the city. Registered longtail boats run from Laem Prathap pier through the local Laem Prathap Eco-tourism Society, with sightings of the pink-skinned Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins most reliable January-April in the early morning. Book locally — it's a genuine community-run wildlife trip, not a scheduled tourist attraction.

It's genuinely worth a dedicated stay, not just a stopover — it's one of Thailand's oldest cities and a first-tier domestic tourism destination in its own right, just with far fewer foreign visitors than Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui. Old-town temples and culture, Khao Luang's waterfalls and eco-villages, and the Khanom coast's dolphins and beaches together make for a genuinely full multi-day trip.

Nang Talung is southern Thailand's traditional shadow-puppet theatre, performed with intricately cut water-buffalo-hide puppets. The Ban Suchart Subsin Shadow Puppet Museum, the family home and workshop of the late National Artist Suchart Subsin, is the place to see puppets being made and — with advance notice by phone — arrange a live performance.