Things to do in Nonthaburi.

A car-free artificial island in the Chao Phraya, reached by a short cross-river ferry from Wat Sanam Nuea pier (a few minutes, reported at only a few baht each way - fares vary by source and time of day, so treat it as pocket change rather than a fixed price). The island's Mon community settled here after fleeing Burma and, per local tradition, after the fall of Ayutthaya, and has kept its hand-worked clay pottery craft alive for roughly 300 years - you can watch potters at work in home workshops along the paths. Wat Poramaiyikawat, restored under Rama V, carries the island's signature Mutao Chedi: a roughly 10m Mon-style chedi that has visibly leaned for decades as the soft riverbank soil beneath it has eroded. Shaded car-free walking paths and a lively weekend market of food stalls and ceramics workshops round it out. Nonthaburi's single most-visited attraction, busiest on weekends, and an easy half-day trip.

A royal temple on the Nonthaburi riverbank at Bang Si Mueang, begun in 1849 by Rama III as a tribute to his mother, Queen Sri Sulalai, and his maternal grandparents, who lived in this area; he died before it was finished, and Rama IV completed it in 1858 in the same Chinese-influenced style Rama III favoured. Behind the ordination hall stands a roughly 45m-tall, two-tiered octagonal chedi in Sri Lankan style, and the chapel roof carries Chinese-made glazed clay tiles with a brightly coloured, Chinese-motif pediment - a distinctly Sino-Thai combination rather than the Khmer or marble styles seen elsewhere in Bangkok. Quieter and less touristed than the capital's riverside temples, with river views and room to walk the grounds without crowds.

One building, not two: the pastel-yellow teak hall by Nonthaburi Pier, near the clock tower, was built in 1910 under Rama V, served as the actual Nonthaburi provincial hall from 1928 to 1992, then housed an Interior Ministry training college until 2008, and has been preserved and run as the Museum of Nonthaburi since 2009 - so the photogenic old government building and the province's history museum are the same structure, not separate stops. Inside, the ground floor covers the province's history and the old riverside trading town, with pottery from Koh Kret and Bang Tanao Si on the upper floor. Reported closed on Mondays; confirm current hours and any entry fee locally, as sources vary on whether admission is free or a nominal charge. Still one of the most photogenic old provincial halls in the country, especially at golden hour with the river and passing boats behind it.

Nonthaburi Pier (pier code N30) is the northern terminus of the Chao Phraya Express Boat line, making it an easy, scenic way into central Bangkok - past Wat Arun, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho - without touching the road traffic. The everyday Orange Flag boat runs N30 all the way to Wat Rajsingkorn (S3) daily, roughly 6am-7pm every 10-20 minutes, at a flat fare (reported around 18 THB); weekday-only, peak-hour Yellow and Red Flag express boats also start from N30 for a faster, higher, non-stop fare into the Sathorn/CBD area on the morning and evening commute. Confirm the current timetable and fares on the operator's own site before relying on a specific service. Evening dinner-cruise boats also depart from piers along this stretch of river.

The riverside fresh market by the pier sells produce, seafood and ready-cooked Thai food daily, but the real draw is April to June, when Nonthaburi's famous Mon Thong durian orchards bring their harvest to market stalls and roadside sellers across the province.

The canals and back roads of Bang Kruai, west of the river, are lined with traditional Thai fruit orchards that made Nonthaburi durian nationally famous before Bangkok's expansion crowded out most of the capital's own orchards. Seasonal orchard visits and canal-side cycling make for a quiet, local half-day out.

Paved paths along the Chao Phraya near Mueang Nonthaburi and around Koh Kret are popular with local cyclists and joggers in the cooler morning and evening hours, offering river breezes and temple views without Bangkok's traffic.

Opened 28 August 2015 in Bang Yai near the MRT Purple Line, Central Westgate is one of Southeast Asia's largest shopping malls by gross floor area (reported around 550,000 sqm), combining department stores, a large cinema, an ice rink and dozens of restaurants and food courts. Its IKEA - Thailand's second and, at opening in March 2018, the largest IKEA store in Southeast Asia at roughly 50,000 sqm - anchors the complex and draws shoppers from across greater Bangkok, not just Nonthaburi. The default rainy-day or weekend destination for most Nonthaburi residents.

A long-running mall near Kasetsart University and the Ngamwongwan MRT stations, with reliable department-store shopping, a cinema and food court - a smaller, more central alternative to Central Westgate for everyday errands.

Beyond Koh Kret's weekend market, smaller local night markets pop up near several MRT stations and residential estates most evenings, selling grilled meats, noodle soups and fresh fruit at prices well below restaurant menus.

The MRT Purple Line connects at Tao Poon to the Blue Line, putting Bangkok's museums, malls, nightlife and Chinatown within a single, direct ride - Nonthaburi residents typically treat central Bangkok as an easy extension of their own weekend, not a special trip.

The must-see is Koh Kret, the car-free Mon pottery island reached by a short ferry crossing from Wat Sanam Nuea pier, paired with the riverside Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Worawihan, the old provincial hall (now the Museum of Nonthaburi) and a Chao Phraya Express Boat ride from Nonthaburi Pier (N30) into central Bangkok. Central Westgate covers shopping and family entertainment on days you want air-conditioning.

Yes - it's Nonthaburi's signature attraction: a car-free island whose Mon community has kept a hand-worked pottery tradition alive for roughly 300 years, plus the visibly leaning Mutao Chedi at Wat Poramaiyikawat, shaded footpaths and a weekend market of ceramics and food stalls. It's busiest on weekends, when the market is in full swing, and quieter on weekdays for a slower walk around the workshops. The ferry crossing itself is only a few minutes and a few baht each way.

Easily - the MRT Purple Line connects directly to the Blue Line at Tao Poon, and Chao Phraya Express Boats run straight to Nonthaburi Pier (N30). A day trip typically covers the old provincial hall/Museum of Nonthaburi, the riverside market, Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Worawihan and a ferry crossing to Koh Kret.

Two things above all: Koh Kret's Mon pottery craft, and Nonthaburi Mon Thong durian, historically considered among the best in Thailand thanks to the orchards around Bang Kruai and the riverside soil. It's also known as Bangkok's quieter, more residential neighbouring province, and as the home of one of Southeast Asia's largest shopping malls, Central Westgate.

Roughly April through June, when the province's durian orchards harvest and sell locally at the riverside market and roadside stalls in Bang Kruai and Bang Yai - a good reason to time a visit for late spring if durian is the draw.

Yes - they're the same teak building by the pier, built in 1910. It served as the actual provincial hall from 1928 to 1992, then an Interior Ministry training college until 2008, and has been run as the Museum of Nonthaburi since 2009. Some older guides describe them as two separate landmarks; they're one building with two chapters of history.