Discovery Bangkok

[Phano]

Hi

We (wife and 18 month old daughter) are new in Bangkok and would like to do a bit of touring preferably the outskirts of Bangkok. A day trip or overnight stay would suffice.

Any suggestions and or recommendations?

Thanx in advance.

[The Skipper]

Nothing beats a quik trip to Angkor Wat.

Be there in less than 1 hour, VISA at the airport.

Nice hotels and easy to hire a driver/guide+babysitter too.

[jdinasia]

hmmm replying to the question ........

Lots of places for daytripping or overnighters from BKK ... a good start is to see what is on offer from tour agencies.

Just on the outskirts of BKK in Samut Prakarn is a Crocodile farm and the Ancient City and Bang Puu recreation area (good seafood place cheap built above the water ... great for sunset dining .. did I mention cheap?

Around BKK is HuaHin and Kanchanaburi and Bang Saen all within easy drives ... not to mention BangPaIn and Ayutthaya and Bang Sai.

There are mountain areas and sea locations within a couple of hours etc etc.

I highly reccomend buying the LP Thailand guide. We keep one in our car and one in the bookshelf at home just for spontaneous trips!

Edited July 5, 2006 by jdinasia

[Phano]

Thanx for the quick responses.

What is an LP? Sounds like a must have to have fun. At this point I would not like to go through a travel agent, preffering a DIY approach instead.

[lopburi3]

It is a very large travel guide with the most complete information for just about every city in Thailand. You can find at most bookstores. It will be called "lonely planet" travel survival kit Thailand.

[leisurely]

We live near Samut Prakan and I would say avoid the crocodile farm. We were there a couple of weeks ago and it has become even smellier The crocodiles looked thin and the rest of the animals are pitiful. I would go to the ancient city (Muang Boran) and the Erewan museum. Both near each other and reasonably priced.

[leisurely]

Just thought of another. Khao Keow open zoo is the best in Thailand in my opinion. The animals are in reasonable nick and when we were last there about a year ago, a playground was being built that would be suitable for a toddler.

[Rinrada]

Some thing to see /do in Sam Prak......(my local area)

Agree with earlier posting...forget the Crok Dump....

Samut Prakan Province is at the far end of the Chao Phraya River, where it empties out into the Gulf of Thailand.

The borders to the north and west join the Metropolitan of Bangkok.

To the south is the sea and the east Chachoeng Sao Province. Samut Prakan was built between 1620-1628 in the Ayuttaya era. T

he original site for the city was on the west side of the river at Phra Pradaeng.

In 1819, King Rama II commanded to have Samut Prakan re-located across the river at the small fishing village of Paknam.

At the same time he built forts along both sides of the river in order to defend the approach to Bangkok.

Today, the city is still commonly known as Paknam despite the change of name and status 180 years ago.......and we live here...

Samut Prakan

There are many interesting places to visit in Samut Prakan City and Province.

We have listed some of the main ones here. If you would like some more information, then please don't hesitate to e-mail us. We also welcome visitors to our school, though please contact us first to arrange a suitable date and time.

Phra Samut Chedi.

The popular name for this pagoda is 'Phra Chedi Klang Nam', which is somewhat confusing as it says the chedi, or pagoda, is in the middle of the river. Today, the chedi is on the west bank, but when it was first built it was indeed on an island in the middle of the river. Over the years the river has silted up causing the island to become part of the west bank. In one of the temple buildings there is an interesting mural showing the history of the province.

There is an annual temple fair here for nine days and nine nights in the 11th lunar month. (more information and pictures).

Ancient City.

One of the main tourist attractions in Samut Prakan is the Ancient City or Muang Boran as it is called in Thai. This is a historical park covering some 200 acres. The park contains replicas of just about all the historically important structures in Thailand. Some are life-size, whilst others have been scaled down. One of the most interesting aspects of the park is that it is shaped like the map of Thailand, so that all of the buildings can be found in their proper geographical location. (more information and pictures)

Bang Pu Seaside Resort. ...Lots of Seagulls and nice places to eat...Mai Peng

Located along the coast is the popular seaside resort of Bang Pu. Swimming is not recommended here as it is mainly mudflats and mangrove trees. However, there is a famous pier where you can eat your evening meal in comfort. From October to February every year, large flocks of seagulls pass through, which is always very popular with the locals. (more information and pictures)

Crocodile Farm. Deleted....

Phra Chulachomklao Fortress.

The fort, which had its baptism of fire with the French Navy just over 100 years ago, is now open as a museum.

The seven Armstrong guns have only seen action one time.

However, they are still in good working order. Below a statue of King Rama V there is an interesting museum about the conflict with France. Also, on show to the public is HTMS Maeklong, a warship commissioned from the Japanese shipyards, pre-World War II. (more information and pictures)

Erawan Elephant Museum. ...Excellent ..Great Place.....

One of the latest landmarks in Samut Prakan is the giant three-headed elephant on Sukhumwit Road. This 17 storey structure is believed to be the largest elephant in the world. The museum is expected to open in late 2000 and will contain antiquities. (more information and pictures)

Naval Museum.

The museum contains information about the naval history which Samut Prakan province played an important part. In the museum grounds are a seaplane, submarine, tanks and various guns. Inside there are many model ships. The museum is open Mondays to Fridays, 09.00 to 16.00. Closed Saturdays and public holidays. On Children's Day in January there are special exhibits and shows for the kids in the museum grounds and in the Navy Academy opposite. Admission is free. The museum is on Sukhumwit Road just north of the City Hall. (more information and pictures)

Temples.

There are more than 100 temples in Samut Prakan province. Phra Samut Chedi has already been mentioned. Others include Wat Klang Worawihan, Wat Asokaram, Wat Songtham Worawihan, Wat Prodkatechatharm and Wat Bang Pli Yai.

Forts.

Dozens of forts were built all along the waterfront. However, today little evidence remains of their existence apart from a few cannons on show. Only two forts today are open to the public

Samut Prakan was built as a frontier town to protect the approach to Bangkok further up-river.

Its importance grew due to its stragic position at the river mouth. Walls were built along the river and a dozen or so forts were built at various locations. Many of these are now in a very dilapidated state or have been built over. However, a few remain in a good state and along the river bank on both sides are cannons left over from this period

http://www.paknam.com/index.html

[The Skipper]

hmmm replying to the question ........

Lots of places for daytripping or overnighters from BKK ... a good start is to see what is on offer from tour agencies.

Just on the outskirts of BKK in Samut Prakarn is a Crocodile farm and the Ancient City and Bang Puu recreation area (good seafood place cheap built above the water ... great for sunset dining .. did I mention cheap?

Around BKK is HuaHin and Kanchanaburi and Bang Saen all within easy drives ... not to mention BangPaIn and Ayutthaya and Bang Sai.

There are mountain areas and sea locations within a couple of hours etc etc.

I highly reccomend buying the LP Thailand guide. We keep one in our car and one in the bookshelf at home just for spontaneous trips!

Hmmm, Angkor Wat or Crocodile Farm in Samut Prakan?

Tough choice.

.