Ko Kret

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Leaning chedi on the northeast corner of the island. The architecture is in the Mon style.
Leaning chedi on the northeast corner of the island. The architecture is in the Mon style.

Ko Kret ( 13°54′31″N, 100°28′43″E) is an island in the Chao Phraya river, to the north of Bangkok, Thailand, and belongs to Amphoe Pak Kret. The island is only reachable by boat, usually from the Wat Sanam Nau Pier[1]. There are also boat tours around the island.

Ko Kret is the most famous place in Pak Kret, and its most popular tourist target. On the island there are several temples (wat), such as Wat Poramai Yigawat, Wat Phailom, Wat Saotong Thong and Wat Chimphi, as well as the OTOP Village, which serves as a market for local products and souvenirs. Other attractions include the dessert shop (Ran Khun Aew), Kret Buddha Garden, and a small bar.

The most notable icon of the island is the leaning chedi or Chedi Mutao, a pagoda in Wat Poramai Yigawat located at the north-eastern tip of the island. Monam Lai Wichit, the most beautiful terracotta product of the island, is also the symbol of the province Nonthaburi.

Many of the inhabitants are of Mon (also called Raman) origin, as is reflected in their architecture.

The island was created in 1722 when a navigation channel, Khlong Lat Kret, was dug to bypass a loop in the river, isolating a part of Pak Kred.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gray P, Ridout L, Thailand - The Rough Guide, 3rd edition, Penguin, 1998, ISBN 1-85828-341-8