ABSTRACT
Literary and archaeological evidence has confirmed that Central Thailand was the homeland of an early kingdom, or kingdoms, referred to in inscriptions as “Dvaravati”. The seventh century ad saw a large number of moated sites in occupation located along the margins of the Central Plain of Thailand. According to Vanasin and Supajanya, sea level was higher at that time and so these settlements were accessible by boat. The Lopburi–Pasak valleys include a number of important Dvaravati towns, of which Chansen, Sab Champa, Lopburi and Sri Thep can be described. Chansen is located on the west side of the Pasak River in Nakhon Sawan Province. The Bang Pakong Valley southeast of modern Bangkok also includes a number of important Dvaravati towns, such as Muang Phra Rot and Muang Sri Mahosot. Scholars have long been troubled by the absence of early Buddhist remains in the Mon country of Lower Burma, as compared with their abundance in Central Thailand.
