PATHUM THANI — A sand dune that vanished for half a century now attracts visitors to the middle of the Chao Phraya, the main river of the Central Plains, in this satellite province north of Bangkok.
On the days of very low tides in the dry season, a sand dune about 20 metres wide and 100 metres long emerges in the middle of the Chao Phraya River in tambon Sam Khok of Sam Khok district, typically in the evenings.
The freshwater sand formation disappeared about 50 years ago due to sand mining in the river. Mining stopped a decade ago because of depletion, and the sand dune has since returned. Its length can sometimes reach 300 metres, depending on river levels.
A boy enjoys an evening on the sand dune in Pathum Thani on Tuesday. Photos: Pongpat Wongyala
Visitors can reach the dune by boat from the piers of two riverside Buddhist temples, Wat Thua Thong and Wat Surat Rangsan, in Sam Khok in the evening.
The sand dune usually appears near the western bank of the Chao Phraya between 3pm and 6pm. The natural attraction lasts about a month in the dry season but does not appear daily, depending on the river’s tides.
