Qibla · Nakhon Pathom Province
Qibla direction in Nakhon Pathom
To face the Kaaba in Nakhon Pathom, turn to 286.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (16.8° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 6,402 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Nakhon Pathom should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Nakhon Pathom as a needle at 286.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 287°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Nakhon Pathom
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 16.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 286.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 17° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Nakhon Pathom, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Nakhon Pathom to Mecca points to 277.6° (west), 9.3° away from the correct 286.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 30 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 286.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 13.8196° N, 100.0443° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Nakhon Pathom to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 6,402 km from Nakhon Pathom as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 6,411 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 8 h 02 min, although most pilgrims from Nakhon Pathom connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Nakhon Pathom run 4 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Nakhon Pathom rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Nakhon Pathom
On 64 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Nakhon Pathom while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (29 days); for example, on 1 May 2027 it happens at 12:34 local time.
On 160 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in March (31 days), for instance on 15 February 2027 at 07:41.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 07:41 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 08:39 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 09:33 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 10:36 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 11:29 |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:34 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 13:40 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:28 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 13:34 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:28 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 11:14 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 10:14 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 09:06 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 08:05 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 06:51 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Nakhon Pathom: at 16:18 and 16:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Nakhon Pathom compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Bangkok (286.9°), and Mecca is 49 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ban I Chang (20 km), prays towards 286.9°, a difference of 0.1°.
Across the 27 cities in Thailand on this site, the Qibla ranges from 283.5° in Chiang Mai to 290.7° in Hat Yai, a spread of 7.2°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Thailand.
Qibla in cities near Nakhon Pathom
- Ban I Chang286.9° · 20 km
- Nong Khaem286.9° · 35 km
- Bangkok286.9° · 50 km
- Pak Kret286.8° · 50 km
- Mueang Samut Prakan287.0° · 65 km
- Bang Kapi286.9° · 65 km
Qibla in Nakhon Pathom: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Nakhon Pathom?
It is 286.8° from true north, which is west: 16.8° north of west.
How far is Nakhon Pathom from Mecca?
6,402 km in a straight line over the globe, and 6,411 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Nakhon Pathom?
On 64 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Nakhon Pathom not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 277.6°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Nakhon Pathom at 286.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 286.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.