There are many extraordinary provinces around Thailand and Samut Songkhram is one of them. While the province may seem small and perceive as a second-rate tourism spot, it is actually a gem that is hidden from the majority of tourists! Another plus side is that it is not so far from Bangkok, so you can have a one-day trip here!
General information about Samut Songkhram, Thailand
Samut Songkhram is located almost exactly in the middle of Thailand. It is also quite small with only 416.7 square kilometers in total area and the second smallest population in the entire country. The province is like a hidden gem from most tourists. In reality, the province has a lot of natural resources with a mountain to see.
The culture is phenomenal, and the community is really great! Fun fact about this province is that it used to be a part of Ratchaburi province, specifically Mae Klong or Suan Nok. The separation happens during the transition of an era from Ayutthaya to Thonburi.
To get to Samut Songkhram Thailand
As the place is not so far from Bangkok, you could easily travel here by any mean of transportation. You can grab a taxi or drive a car here yourself. You could also take a bus from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal.
However, there are minibuses there as well. The last option you may choose to take is by taking a train. There are quite a few departure schedules from Bangkok, so you might want to check the schedule first to plan your trip. I hope you have a great time exploring all the attractions here!
Famous Tourist attractions in Samut Songkhram, Thailand
This province has quite a few famous places that you might want to check them out. Some of them you might already heard about as it is quite popular, but some you may not heard of it at all. I suggest you read through what I am going to say to find out more about them. In the end, you might find something that you would like to see personally by yourself! The first attraction of this province is the floating market. In Samut Songkhram, you can find a bunch of floating market around the province.
Amphawa Floating Market
However, there is only one that considered to be the most famous which is called Amphawa Floating Market. The market is open from the afternoon until night time only on the weekends. This place is filled with shops and there are merchants sitting on various boats trying to sell you food like grilled seafood, ancient Thai desserts, and a lot more.
So, you can buy some food and eat them while you are observing the beauty of old houses here. You can also buy some souvenirs and see the way of life of the people on both sides of the market.
Wat Petch Samut Wora Wiharn
Next, Wat Petch Samut Wora Wiharn is a temple that belongs to Samut Songkharm since forever. It is an old temple that was built during the period of Ayutthaya in the year 1764. There is a Buddha statue with alms collecting pose called Luang Pho Ban Lham that is well respected by all Thais. You can see people from all around the country come here to pay respect to the statue almost every day. It is a place that you must see if you are here at Samut Songkhram.
King Rama II Memorial Park
Lastly, King Rama II Memorial Park not so far from Amphawa Floating Market which has an area of 17600 square meters with a design that resembles the atmosphere when the King was alive. To clarify, King Rama II is the second King of Thailand and as of the time in this writing, Thailand has its 10th King in reign. There are five Thai houses that shows the arts of living, eating, and the culture of people during Rattanakosin era (more than 100 years), including Thai musical instruments, Hua Khon, and etc.
Local Tells
Samut Songkhram is a province with a hell lot of unique places that are highly recommended by the locals! These places would include the key features that Thailand is famous for. Whether it is a community or temple, this province got you covered! If you are ready to know these places, read on!
Maeklong Railway Market
The first place that is recommended by the local is Maeklong Railway Market or as known as Talad Rom Hoop. This is a one-of-a-kind market that you cannot find anywhere in Thailand!
The market itself is situated beside the railway in which all of the merchants will open their shop alongside the track. The unique feature of this place is that the umbrella or fabric that goes beyond the track which means that when the train comes, these things will be retracted to avoid the train.
So, when the signal is sound, the merchant there will gather everything off the train track with haste! When the train has passed, everything will return back to normal as before. This kind of thing produces a charm that you should come to visit! Also, do not forget to check the schedule for enter and exit times or else you might miss this unique opportunity.
Klong Khon
If you want to know more about the community that exists in Thailand, Klong Khon is a good place to start. It is a small community with local homestays that you can stay in or you can also choose to come here and go back within one day. There are also many types of homestays such as a homestay in the middle of the sea and a homestay surrounded by tropical forests.
You will be able to enjoy fresh seafood from the sea and many other activities such as planting a mangrove forest, observe a ton of long-tail macaque in the mangrove forest and more that this place is offering.
The highlight of this place is an activity in which you collect cockles by using a sliding wooden plank on mud that is also a little thing that represents the way of life of the locals here. One more thing that you cannot miss by any chance is mud skiing. Yes, you read that correctly. The locals will use a boat to drag a wooden plank for you to stand and after that, they will drag you across the mud which is kind of fun!
Wat Bang Koong
This is an ancient temple which was built during the period of Ayutthaya around 250 years ago. The special thing about this temple is an old building that is covered entirely with enormous tree roots from Bodhi trees and banyan trees.
These tree roots help keeping the structure of the building in shape throughout these years. Inside of the temple, there is a big holy Buddha statue from the late Ayutthaya period. With the holiness of this place, there are lots of people from many parts of the country that come to pay respect, including the locals.
Souvenir
For souvenir, Mae Klong’s mackerel is very delicious and even more so in the winter. It has a lot of meat and tastes great!
Linchi Kom or Lychee Pun Kom is another great souvenir as it has sweet and little astringent tastes with ridiculously good smell! The texture is also thick, dried, and crunchy! If you have a chance to visit Samut Songkhram, then you must not miss your chance to eat these two things!
Other interesting information about Samut Songkhram, Thailand
The motto for this province is “The City of Hoi Lot, Great Lychee, King Rama II Memorial Park, the Mae Klong River, and Luang Pho Ban Lham”.
To get around the province
There are a bunch of tuktuks and motorcycle taxis you can utilize. Occasionally, you might find pedal tricycles as well. You could also hire or take the two bench pickup truck for easy access of most attractions.
For accommodation
Samut Songkhram consists of mostly budget hotels which may start from 500 baht per night. However, you could also find some mid-range hotels, but there are not that many of them here. I hope you have a great trip!
Suggested Cities around Samut Songkhram,
Ratchaburi – Thailand’s Prosperous Civilization and Land of the King
Bangkok – The Capital City of Thailand
Saraburi – A Town with Significant Importance of Thailand in the Ancient Times
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