A day in Samut Prakan Province with Siam Society
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Leader: Khun Somlak Charoenpot, Advisor to the Council of the Siam Society
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Samut Prakan, also known as Pak Nam, is situated at the end or mouth of Chao Phraya River at the head of the Gulf of Thailand. Pak Nam, laterally "river mouth", served as a gateway to the world for Siam for many centuries, the place where nearly all foreign visitors caught their first glimpse of Siamese heartland for the voyage to both Ayutthaya and Bangkok. As early as 1690, Engelbert Kaempfer, heading for Ayutthaya aboard a ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company, saw "Some batteries planted with cannons on both sides of the river."
In the past centuries many visitors to Ayutthaya and Bangkok stopped at Pak Nam and visited this site. Of all the Westerners who sailed up the Chao Phraya River, undoubtedly the best known to the world at large was a 31 year old Englishwoman named Anna Leonowens, who with her son crossed the bar at Pak Nam aboard a small Thai steamer late in the afternoon of 15 March 1862.
Today, Pak Nam or Samut Prakan occupies an area of 1,004 square kilometers, and is located only 25 kilometers from Bangkok. Samut Prakan province is administratively divided into five districts. This small province has attracted many industrial enterprises which have changed its character, although some seaside resort areas such as Bang Pu remain very popular. The coastal area formerly covered with mangrove forests now supports shrimp farms drained by tidal currents.
In the vicinity of the original site of Pak Nam and along the river banks there are some venerable temples, some with very beautiful mural paintings, old forts, antique buildings and a fine park. The Siam Society is therefore arranging a study trip for members to visit some sites of interest in this province. The group will leave the Siam Society by bus on Saturday, 13 March 2010 at 8:00 a.m. and we expect to return to the Society on the same day at 7:30 p.m.
Booking
Your contribution of Bt. 1,750 per person (Bt. 2,250 for non-members) will cover transportation, lunch, a donation to the Siam Society, and all arrangements to make the trip possible. Please pay by cash or cheque (payable to ‘The Siam Society’). If you pay by credit card, please add 3% to the basic cost; this is because of the banks’ surcharge on credit card payments.
The Siam Society reserves the right to change the programme as necessary. Seats are limited. Please book your place as soon as possible.
For further information and bookings please contact Khun Prasert (ext. 504) or Khun Ekkarin (ext. 506) on 0 2661 6470-7, fax 0 2258 3491 or e-mail: info@siam-society.org. Office hours: 9:00am.–5:00pm. Tuesday–Saturday (except holidays).