Thread by @RichardBarrow

Good morning from Samut Prakan! Today I’m taking the staff from my local food shop @OKKitchenThai on a day-trip around Phra Samut District. You can come too by following this live THREAD of the trip.

#SamutPrakan #BKKdaytrip #Thailand

[2] Our first stop is Phra Samut Chedi. This is the symbol of Samut Province. When it was first built, it used to be on an island on the Chao Phraya River but it’s now on the west bank.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/KRTBGP5XL… #SamutPrakan #Thailand

[3] Inside one of the buildings at Phra Samut Chedi there is a building with interesting murals on the wall that depict contemporary life from 200 years ago #SamutPrakan #Thailand

[4] From Phra Samut Chedi you can cross a pedestrian bridge to an island called Pom Phi Sua Samut. There is a fortress here on an islet in the Chao Phraya River opposite Samut Prakan City Hall.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/Fnvraqfv4… #SamutPrakan #Thailand

[5] King Rama V ordered ten rear loading guns from W G Armstrong & Co in England in 1892. They were called the “disappearing” guns because they only came out of the pit to fire and then the recoil forced the gun back where it came from. Three of them were put in this fort.

[6] Our next stop is at Phra Chulachomklao Fortress at the estuary of the Chao Phraya River. The large Armstrong guns here were only fired once in anger against French ships in 1893. The guns and fort are still in good condition.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/wmhdjZ125… #Thailand

[7] This is HTMS Maeklong which was a Royal Thai Navy escort vessel and training ship. Today it is permanently moored at Phra Chulachomklao Fortress in Samut Prakan. It is free to climb aboard the ship and explore inside. #Thailand

[8] Next we drove to Wat Khun Samut Chin. In the past we had to take a boat taxi as there were no roads in this area. But I had spotted on Google satellite a new road and more importantly a new bridge. We parked on the bridge.

[9] There was a long queue for the Tuk Tuk to the temple surrounded by the sea and so we decided to walk. Really it’s only a 20 minute walk. Now that there is a new road and bridge, motorcycles can go all the way to the temple.

[10] This is Wat Khun Samut Chin. Due to land erosion, the temple is now surrounded by the sea at high tide. They’ve now built a wall around the temple grounds which helps keep it dry. In the past, it used to be flooded during storms. #Thailand

[11] Every time I come to Wat Khun Samut Chin they seem to be building something new. This time there’s a new wooden ordination hall with some beautiful carvings.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/LUwa2hdXt… #Thailand

[12] Our lunch today at Wat Khun Samut Chin. I had fried with crab. #ThaiFood #Thailand

[13] At Wat Khun Samut Chin they have these Tuk Tuks taking people between the new bridge where we parked our car to the temple for 20 Baht. We decided to walk and enjoy the scenery. But it was spoilt a bit by having to keep jumping out of the way of motorcycles and Tuk Tuks.

[14] Our last major stop is Ban Sakhla which is an isolated community in Samut Prakan. It’s surrounded by shrimp and crab farms. There’s a paved road to the town now, but most people still get around by boat. Many of the houses are built on stilts.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/jJRmrp9pd…

[15] When I first came to Ban Sakhla the highlight was the leaning pagoda and the walk through the town on stilts. Now the temple has grown in size and is very popular with Thais to come and make merit. There is also a good weekend market. #Thailand #SamutPrakan

[16] On the way back home, we stopped at Seayou Cafe & Bar on Khlong Sapphasamit in Phra Samut Chedi. This is a new “Instagram/selfie” location for the young generation. Very popular with Thai tourists at the weekend.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/RswDHSagc… #SamutPrakan #Thailand

[17] That’s a wrap of my one-day tour of Phra Samut Chedi District in Samut Prakan Province. I hope I have given you inspiration to come and visit yourself.

* This trip will feature in my upcoming free e-book of 10 Bangkok Day Trips, that I’m researching at the moment. #Thailand