Ban Dan Phai Nga: Recent Excavations Along Southern Thailand’s Trans-Peninsular Route

Siriyupon Tubpenthai

Between 2022 and 2023, the 12th Regional Office of Fine Arts, Nakhon Si Thammarat, conducted the "Upper Southern Thailand Trans-Peninsular Route Project," surveying over 120 sites and identifying two new locations, including the strategically situated Ban Dan Phai Nga in Chang Klang district. Initial surveys yielded monochrome glass beads and Chinese ceramic sherds (Tang to Yuan dynasties) dating from the 9th to 13th centuries, while subsequent excavations revealed a Srivijaya-style stupa with architectural parallels to contemporary sites like Khao Sri Vijaya, Ban Ja Lea No. 3, and Wat Klong Suwankiri. This architectural style, typically attributed to the 9th–11th centuries, is further supported by AMS dating, which suggests the monument was active during the 9th–10th centuries. As a newly identified settlement along the trans-peninsular route, Ban Dan Phai Nga serves as a crucial link between Nakhon Si Thammarat on the east coast and Krabi on the west. Its discovery significantly enhances the understanding of regional maritime and overland networks, connecting established sites such as Thung Tuk, Khao Pra Narai, and Khao Kha within the broader archaeological landscape of Southeast Asia.