via Thai PBS, 07 April 2023: Feature on the Dvaravati culture on display at the U Thong National Museum in Suphan Buri province.
Think of Suphan Buri, and your mind probably conjures up images of endless rice paddies, water buffaloes chewing the cud mindfully, small-town charm, country music and farmers with a unique dialect and a humorous outlook on life. But while these are indeed all common to the province, Thailand’s rural legend has more to share with weekenders and culture and history enthusiasts.
Thirty kilometres south of downtown Suphan Buri, the U Thong National Museum is one of the best museums in the country. Established in 1966, two modern buildings painted vanilla white beckon art historians, archaeologists, goldsmiths, writers and the like-minded for the finest collection of the Dvaravati arts excavated from the ancient city of U Thong.
The religious arts and artefacts found in and around the ancient moated city of U Thong led academics to believe that U Thong, instead of Nakhon Pathom, was the first place where Buddhism was introduced to Thailand. It is also believed to have been the centre of Buddhism and culture and an international marine trade port about 2,500 to 3,000 years ago.
