SAMUT SAKHON

At the mouth of the Tha Chin River, Samut Sakhon is a busy fishing centre, providing fresh catches for nearby Bangkok. Wichian Chodok Fort was built to withstand possible invasion, and its collection of old cannons now stand in front of the city pillar.Culture addicts not wishing to drive to Damnoen Saduak can try the Khlong Pho Hak Floating Market, which can be reached by long-tail boat. The Chao Mae Kuan Im shrine at Wat Chong Lom is famous due to its nine-metre fountain, pouring water into the right hand of a sculpture of the Mahayana Buddha, Goddess of Mercy.

MAHACHAI

A busy fishing village 100 km southwest of Bangkok, located at the junction of two rivers about two km upstream from the Gulf of Thailand. Mahachai is easily reached by an old metre-gauge railway from Wong Wien Yai station on the Thon Buri side of Bangkok.A busy town, Mahachai is a good place to observe the lifestyle of traditional fishermen, boat-buildrs, and market people and enjoy some extremely fresh seafood.

A short concrete esplanade along the edge of the river backs onto Wichien Choduk Fortress. The fortress was built in 1838 under orders from King Rama III as the first line of defence for the nearby town of Sakhon Buri. The wall and many of the old canons are still in place but now protect a public park where locals picnic on the weekends.