Nakhon Si Thammarat - Nakhon Si Thammarat 6.79

Nakhon Si Thammarat is a city in southern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the Nakhon Si Thammarat District. It is about 610km south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The city was the administrative center of southern Thailand during most of its history. Originally a coastal city, silting moved the coastline away from the city. The city has a much larger north to south extension than west to east, which dates back to its original location on a flood-save dune. The modern city centre on the train station is north of Old Town. As of 2005, the city had a population of 105,417.EtymologyThai honorific Sri or Si is from Sanskrit Sri;, from Dharma;, from Raja. Dhammaraja means "righteous ruler", an important Theravada concept.HistoryIt is one of the most ancient cities of Thailand, previously the Kingdom of Ligor, and contains many buildings and ruins of historical significance.The king of Srivijaya "had established a foothold on the Malay Peninsular at Ligor" by 775, where he "built various edifices, including a sanctuary dedicated to the Buddha and to the Bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani."