Samut Prakan

Samut Prakan, also known as Pak Nam, is 29 km south of Bangkok, near where the Chao Phraya River flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The town dates from the Ayutthaya period and has plenty of historical and cultural sites.

Several BMTA bus and van lines run through Samut Prakan. Metered taxis work the same way as in Bangkok.

• 🌍 Ancient City (เมืองโบราณ), 296/1 Sukhumvit Rd (from Bangkok, take the BTS to the final stop at Kheha; then a taxi for 60 B or the no. 36 pickup songthaew.), ☏ +66 2 323-4094. 09:00-18:00 daily. Ancient City, also known as Ancient Siam, has scaled replicas of buildings from all over Thailand and is interesting to cycle around. Bicycles for rent for 150 B per day. Golf carts and e-bikes are charged by the hour. Adults 700 THB, children 350 THB (much cheaper if booked online via Klook or similar). (updated Mar 2024)
• 🌍 Crocodile Farm & Zoo (ฟาร์มจระเข้สมุทรปราการ), 555 Moo 7, Taiban Rd (BTS Bang Na and then a taxi), ☏ +66 2 703-4891. 08:00-18:00 daily. This is the largest crocodile farm in the world but also features crocodile wrestling and acrobat elephant shows. There is an education and research centre for the preservation of wildlife, and also a dinosaur museum. Adults 300 baht, children 200 baht. 

• 🌍 Erawan Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์ช้างเอราวัณ), Sukhumvit Rd to Samut Prakan (Chang Erawan BTS station), ☏ +66 2 371-3135. 09:00-20:00 daily. The most noticeable landmark in this area is the three-headed elephant. The three storeys inside the elephant contain antiquities and priceless collection of ancient religious objects of Kun Lek Viriyapant who is the museum owner. Its body is made from bronze with a pink pedestal rounded base decorated with millions of small tiles. The body is about 29 m high, and the total height is about 44 m. The design of all three floors represents three worlds. The lower floor is the underwater world, the upper floor is the earth, Kao Prasumain, and the top is the second heaven. 09:00-17:00 adults 400 baht, children 200 baht; 17:00-20:00 adults 200 baht, children 100 baht. 
  No photography or video recording for commercial purposes unless you have permission from the Public Relations Department of the museum.
• 🌍 Si Nakhon Khuean Khan Park and Botanical Garden (สวนสาธารณะและสวนพฤกษชาติศรีนครเขื่อนขันธ์) (Bang Kachao Sub-District, Phra Pradaeng District), ☏ +66 24 610972. Daily, 06:00-20:00. This place is a park, recreation area, and fitness facility for everybody. In addition, everybody can study the ecology of plants and animals locally and in the neighborhood. The garden is a combination of a park with a beautiful landscape which includes water plants, local plants that can grow in brackish water and traditional orchards. These parks and gardens is a green area that the government designated as the "lung of Bangkok". It has a wooden bridge along a garden for observing nature. There is also a seven meter tower overlooking the scenic surroundings and there is a bike service to rent bikes to ride around the park. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 Wat Khun Samut Chin (บ้านขุน สมุทรจีน) (take the daily public boat from Pak Nam Market at 09:00, the boat returns at 15:00). The temple in the sea that can only be reached by boat. Years ago, this temple sat in the middle of a local village with a school and a clinic surrounded by farms. It was an area where Chinese cargo was unloaded from Chinese junks. The area has since been inundated by the Gulf of Thailand, but monks still live in the temple. (updated Mar 2022)
• 🌍 Naval Museum (Royal Thai Naval Academy BTS station). Monday-Friday 9:00-15:00. Right across from the Royal Thai Naval Academy, the Naval Museum is dedicated to chronicling the history of the Royal Thai Navy and its accomplishments. You can expect to come across decommissioned tanks, submarines, planes, and many model ships. The museum guides are all active-duty officers in the Royal Thai Navy. Free admission. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Samut Prakan Learning Park and Tower (BTS Pak Nam then walk or take a taxi). This 180-metre-tall structure allows you to view and observe the whole province. You can also see exhibits dedicated to the history of the province. The building was opened to the public in 2022, and admission was free until October 2023. (updated Jan 2024)

• 🌍 Bang Pu Seaside (สถานตากอากาศบางปู) (Sukhumvit Rd km37, Bang Pu Mai Sub-District, Muang District), ☏ +66 23 239983. Daily, 08:00-18:00. Bang Pu Seaside or Bang Pu is a tourist attraction and a famous place to rest along the Gulf of Thailand. Bang Pu Seaside encompasses 639 rai and is in a natural environmental. Bang Pu has trekking routes and bird watching throughout the year for more than 200 species of birds. A special attraction is the ten thousand seagulls that migrate from Siberia in early winter around mid-October to November annually. Suk Ta Bridge stretches out into the sea about 500 m and makes a great spot for bird watching and watching the sunset. Bang Pu is excellent for watching brackish water fish such as Tiger blowfish, needlefish, and mudskipper because it is at the junction of the Chao Praya River and the Gulf of Thailand. At the end of the bridge is Suk Jai Pavilion which has a restaurant where tourists can taste fresh seafood. In addition, there is a dance patio for dancing activities for seniors every Saturday at 16:00. (updated May 2015)

• 🌍 Pak Nam Market, Downtown Samut Prakan. A large wet market with lots of very fresh seafood. (updated Feb 2017)

• 🌍 Bang Namphueng Floating Market (ตลาดน้ำบางน้ำผึ้ง), Moo 6, Bang Kobua, Phra Pradaeng. Sa Su 08:00-14:00. Focused on food and fruit although various trinkets are sold, too. Most visitors are Thais wishing to a break amidst the greenery. (updated Feb 2017)

Many visitors use the province to stay the night close to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

• 🌍 Siam Mandarina Hotel (โรงแรม สยาม แมนดาริน่า), 99 Moo 6, King Kaeo Rd (bus 553 from Suvarnabhumi Airport), ☏ +66 2 738-8191. 1,200-2,000 baht. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Nawarat Resort, 19/49 Moo 7, Bang Na-Trat Rd, ☏ +66 2 7503040(-2). About 15 min drive from the airport. 900 baht. 
• 🌍 Plai Garden (พลาย การ์เด้นท์ บูติค เกสท์เฮ้าส์), 88 Soi King Keaw 43, ☏ +66 2 181-2255. 900-1,000 baht. 
• 🌍 Sananwan Palace, 18/11 Moo 11, Sukapibarn Road 5, Bangpli Yai, ☏ +66 2 7521658. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Family-owned budget accommodation with swimming pool, gym and 24-hour restaurant. Rooms have TV and high speed internet. A/C optional. About 20 minutes drive from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. 350-750 baht. (updated Nov 2016)