The word Pak Nam Pho is believed to be a distorted name from the word Pak Nam Phlo (ปากน้ำโผล่, "estuary emerges") due to it is the confluence of the Ping and the Nan Rivers to form the Chao Phraya River, the main artery of the central region of Thailand.

[1] Another old name of Pak Nam Pho, given by the visiting King Rama V, is Ban Yon Tawan (บ้านย้อนตะวัน), meaning "a settlement that faces the morning sun".

In that era, even if Pak Nam Pho was a downtown, but it was full of wild animals such as deer and tiger.

[2] Pak Nam Pho is home to many ethnic Chinese immigrants, including Teochew, Hainan, Hoklo, Cantonese and Hakka.

Pak Nam Pho is also the place where the grand Chinese New Year celebrations are held, with a period of up to 12 consecutive days and nights.