Category:Chachoengsao Province

Map Keys
	Large Prasats		Arogyasalas
	Large Ruins		Dharmasalas
	Medium Prasats		Ancient Bridges
	Medium Ruins		Ancient Cities
	Medium Tuols		Ancient Kilns
	Small Prasats		Ancient Quarries
	Small Ruins		Ancient Reservoirs
	Small Tuols		Ancient Villages
	Museums		Carvings
	Depositories		Other Structures
	Wats		Prehistoric Sites
	Neak Ta's		Unknown Sites
	Unconfirmed Sites

Chachoengsao forms a relatively thin but elongated province, running between what is today Sa Kaeo Province to the east and the suburbs of Bangkok to the west. Much of its eastern half consists of forested hills while the scarcity of archaeological sites - both Dvaravati and Khmer - in the flat, western, lowland section suggests that in earlier times it was likely to have been largely covered by inhospitable swamp and marshland.

The region was probably an unavoidable section of route if travelling between coastal ports on the Gulf to the south and ancient settlement sites to the north in Prachinburi but one that clearly didn't itself inspire settlement. Present-day highways 301 and 319 run north across the province, connect to the important early sites of Muang Si Mahosot and Muang Si Mahapot and presumably keep close to the ancient route.

The province's only listed site is close to the aforementioned Highway 304 but also situated on the banks of the Beung Krachap, a tributary of the Bang Pakong, and undoubtedly in a marshy area riverine transport was more important than land. The area only gained in importance during the later Ayutthaya era with increased traffic and trade between the early Thai capital and the coast when towns became established along the Bang Pakong River and adjacent canal routes.

There may be some smaller Dvaravati settlements in Chachoengsao we haven't listed as their relevance to Khmer occupation is unconfirmed and, as is often the case, a deposited Khmer artefact such as a pedestal or lion may yet turn up in one of the various wats of what is today a relatively densely populated province.