Kamphaeng Phet province is located south of Sukhothai province, and is 358 km away from Bangkok. Kamphaeng Phet was formerly also known as Nakhon Chom. Settlements along the Ping River were present in the 11th century. The region for a while was an outpost of the Khmer Empire, and later in the 13th century became part of the Sukhothai Kingdom. Kamphaeng Phet was not mentioned on the early Sukhothai inscription stones (while other cities were), indicating that it was initially not incorporated into the Kingdom or not of great importance. However it was recognized as a town of significance during the reign of King Li Thai.
The Kamphaeng Phet historical park has been established at the Old City site, and the area is now being cared for by the Fine Arts Department.