Today is the official opening of the 179.55 meter high ‘Samut Prakan Learning Park and Tower’. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm. Entry to the museum and observation deck is 60 Baht. Samut Prakan citizens, students, seniors, and children under 110cms are free.
[THREAD]
🎥 First look inside the Paknam Observation Tower in Samut Prakan that has just opened to the public. This is the observation deck on the 23rd floor. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[3] Photos from the 23rd Floor of the ‘Samut Prakan Learning Park and Tower’ that opened for to the public for the first time today. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[4] Photos from the 23rd Floor of the ‘Samut Prakan Learning Park and Tower’ that opened for to the public for the first time today. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[5] Apart from the 360° views from the 23rd floor, the most interesting area of the Samut Prakan Tower is the “Learning Park” section which is a series of six exhibitions that tell the story of the province from past to present. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[6] To visit the museum in the tower you have to join a guided tour. The downside to this is that they don’t really give you enough time to read all of the exhibits which are in Thai, English and Chinese. There are also interactive ones which need longer. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[7] In the gardens surrounding ‘Samut Prakan Learning Park and Tower’ there are some giant dinosaurs. There’s also a replica of the Paknam steam locomotive that used to run from here to Bangkok in 1893. Incidentally, this park used to be a prison. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[8] ‘Samut Prakan Learning Park and Tower’ is free to enter from now until 31st October as it is a soft opening. After that, it will be 60 Baht both for Thais and foreigners. #SamutPrakan#Thailand
[9] Some views from the Paknam Observation Tower at sunset. It’s not clear yet whether you’ll be allowed to stay for sunset as it officially closes at 5:00pm. But today was the opening ceremony and so I was able to stay late.
[10] Paknam has been my home for 28 years. This observation tower is only a five minute walk away from my home. So if you come to visit you might bump into me! Please do come over and say hello. It’s always good to meet people.
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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.
[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.
[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
I’ve arrived safely in Lop Buri, home of the monkeys. The train from #Bangkok only costs 50 Baht for 3rd Class with fan. I now have four and a half hours to explore the city before going back. This should be more than enough time as everything is within 10-15 minutes walking.
[2] My first stop was Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat which is opposite Lop Buri railway station. The prang was built in 1157 when the town was ruled by the Khmer. It was later restored during the reign of King Narai. Entry is 50 Baht or you can take photos from outside like I did.
[3] About 200 meters north of the railway station is Phra Prang Sam Yot which is where most of the monkeys hang out. Be careful as they will snatch things from you. This is a former Hindu shrine built from laterite and sandstone. If you want to go in, it is 50 Baht. #Thailand
Good morning from the Chao Phraya River in #Bangkok. This is a live THREAD of my day-trip by boat to Koh Kret in Nonthaburi. This is a special tour that is organized by the Chao Phraya Express. Cost is only 150 Baht. The next one is on 28 August 2022. #Thailand#BKKdaytrip
[2] I love doing these boats trips on the Chao Phraya. Every now and then they do different kinds of trips. The other day was a three temple boat tour. A couple of weeks ago I joined them for the boat tour to Ayutthaya.
Follow me on Twitter for news about their next trips.
[3] This is the famous ‘Leaning Pagoda’ on Koh Kret. This is an island on the Chao Phraya River created when they dug a shortcut canal to make the journey to Ayutthaya quicker. This was back in the days when Ayutthaya was the capital. It took us about one hour and 15 minutes.
Good morning from the Chao Phraya River. Today I’m on a boat trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya which will take about 3 hours. The boat has air-con downstairs but I’m on the upper deck as there are better views.
[2] This is the new parliament building on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. #Thailand
[3] This is the old city hall in Nonthaburi. Regular boat services from Bangkok only go as far as here, though you can rent a boat to take you to Koh Kret. Today I’m on a special boat trip that will go all the way to Ayutthaya. #Thailand
This is the Paknam Observation Tower. The outside has been completed for several years now. But we are still waiting for them to finish the inside. However I heard that it is nearing completion and it should be opened to the public this year. THREAD.
These are some photos of the Paknam Observation Tower taken over the years. The foundation stone ceremony was in 2012. The first photo was taken in 2013. The last in 2016. It was scheduled to open in 2017. Note the Skytrain with no rails.
Tickets for the day excursion to the beach cost only 120 Baht in 3rd Class fan or double if you want air-con in 2nd Class. I prefer with open windows as easier to take photos. However, this time I’ve booked an inward facing seat as it gives more leg room for this 5 hour journey.
Breakfast on the train today is my usual. Stir-fried basil with minced pork. The cost with a fried egg was 30 Baht. Not the most generous of portions but good value for the price. Anyway, there will be more food opportunities later.