Samut Songkhram, Thailand's smallest province, also is a small wonder. The coastal province along the Gulf of Thailand is about a two-hour drive from Bangkok. It has only three districts -- Muang, Amphawa and Bang Khonthi. Yet it is packed with historical and cultural attractions, especially along the Mae Klong River that flows through the heart of the province and ends in the sea.
The seated Buddha image is housed in the old ubosot (ordination hall) of Wat Bang Kung in Bang Khonthi district. Built during the Ayutthaya period, the temple was abandoned leading to large banyan and fig trees growing on every part of the ubosot. The temple was renovated in 1967, but the trees can't be removed without destroying the building. Roots of those trees somehow make the hall look uniquely beautiful. Thus the old ordination hall is known as one of the unseen attractions in the province. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
"The province is also known as the birthplace of King Rama II," said Chansak Phantongdee, our guide.
During the reign of King Ekatat, the last monarch of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, a beautiful daughter of the wealthy Na Bangchang family of Amphawa named Nak got married to Luang Yukonbat Ratchaburi, who later became King Rama I of the present Rattanakosin era. Their first son named Chim later became King Rama II.
Today you can visit the King Rama II Memorial Park, which is located in Amphawa district where he was born. You can learn about the history of the king as well as the province and other well-known people who were born in Amphawa. You will have a chance to explore a traditional Thai-style house in the park.
Located not far from the memorial park, the famous Amphawa Floating Market is where you can try local food. You may opt for the Amphawa Chaipattananurak Project, an agricultural demonstration farm run by the Chaipattana Foundation. The project is accessed through Chan Chala café that sits on the riverbank of the Amphawa Canal in the area of the floating market.
At the farm, you will be able to learn how locals produce sugar from coconut sap and sample the sweetness. You can ask project staff to organise workshops that can last 30 minutes or up to half-a-day. Choices of classes are plenty, such as how to make coconut ice cream, coconut soap, traditional desserts or to make key chains. The workshops are fun and can be organised for a small group of people or up to 100 participants.
If you have more time, visit old temples along the Mae Klong River. Among them are Wat Bang Kung, Wat Bang Khae Noi and Wat Bang Khae Yai. Each temple has its own unique character that you should not miss.
One of the hidden gems can be found in Wat Bang Khae Yai.
"The temple was built during the Ayutthaya period and renovated during the reign of King Rama II," said our guide. The words Bang Khae may remind you of one of the districts in Bangkok, but is unrelated. According to our guide, the temple got its name from Bang Khae Canal where the temple is located nearby. The waterway also connects to the Mae Klong.
Apart from the old structures of ordination hall and pagoda, the temple houses a museum. The highlight of the museum is the rare mural painted on a large wooden partition that used to be part of a residence of the ruler of Samut Songkhram (Chao Phraya Wongsa Surasak). He governed the province during the period of King Rama II and was the one who renovated the temple. He donated his traditional Thai style house to the temple to be monk's quarters.
"People believe that the mural depicts a story of the greatest Songkhram Kao Tap (or the Nine Army battles) between Siamese and Burmese troops that happened during the period of King Rama I in 1795, but later experts argue that the painting displays the way of life of people in Samut Songkhram," said the guide, adding that it was because most of the painting depicts stories of local communities and the residence and picture of the ruler of Samut Songkhram.
The smallest province still has many things waiting for you to discover. A night's stay might be a good option for weekenders and family travellers so that you can also have a chance to cruise along Amphawa Canal at night to observe fireflies.
Inside the old ordination hall of Wat Bang Kung, you can see old murals believed to be painted during the temple's early days. Although the colour fades, it shows the technique of monochromatic painting based on red colours. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
The ordination hall of Wat Bang Khae Noi in Amphawa is totally made of wood. It took 10 years and 65 million baht to complete the construction. The hall is large enough to accommodate up to a hundred people or more, but the wooden floor is made of only seven planks of takhian (white thingan) tree. Each wooden board is quite large. The length is 15m. The width is 115cm and the thickness is 10.5cms. The walls are decorated with crafted wooden images telling the story of Lord Buddha. If you look closer at the Bodhi tree behind the principal Buddha statue, you will know that each leaf is also crafted from wood. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
The mural on a wooden partition at Wat Bang Khae Yai in Amphawa district is the secret treasure of Samut Songkhram. The painting was created by using the old technique of si phun, the traditional method to extract colours from natural materials that were mixed with natural glue such as the sap of beal trees or buffalo skin. The painting shows stories about local way of life such as communities of Mon and Pakakayo tribes, house of the ruler, the Three Pagodas and four ships sailing in the sea. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
Apart from old Buddhist temples, Samut Songkhram also houses long-established churches like the Nativity of Our Lady Cathedral. Located in Bang Khonthi district, the Gothic-style church was built in 1890 by Father Paolo Salmone, a French missionary, and completed in 1896. One of the sculptures which is as old as the church is The Baptism of Christ. The sculpture consists of two figures. One is Jesus who is being baptised by John the Baptist. The sculpture is located on the right corner of the church if you face the altar. Before we left the church, our guide pointed to the doors which are decorated with tin motifs depicting the story of the Christ. The craftwork is beautiful and full of details. You can even notice the lines of a forehead, hair or beard of people in each picture. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
Learning how to make khanom wong thong is one activity you can try when visiting the Amphawa Chaipattananurak project. The sweets are made of glutinous flour mixed with fresh coconut flakes, banana, sugar, coconut water and a little salt. All ingredients are mixed together to form a dough. We took a small piece of dough to make a small ball. Then we were told to press the middle of the ball until it became a hole. We gradually make the ball into a ring for being deep-fried. After it turned brown, we took them out of the pan and dropped them piece by piece into a bowl of melted coconut sugar. The sugar gradually coated the snack on both sides. The dessert then looked like a little doughnut. For me, I preferred the version without sugar-coating because the taste of the freshly fried snack was already sweet thanks to the ripe banana and coconut water. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
Making a cold herbal drink called nam muang cheun Chan Chala is a fun activity to help cool you down during the tour in the Amphawa Chaipattananurak project. Our trip was hosted by Krung Thai Card whose aim was to promote Thai arts and culture through tourism activities. The sweet and sour purple drink is made of tea of butterfly pea flowers, mixed with lemongrass tea, lime juice and syrup. It is also topped with mint leaves. The drink and its name were created by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 2008 when she visited the site. The aim was to encourage the site to support local farmers by buying local produce. The name of the drink means the refreshing purple drink (served at) Chan Chala, a riverside coffee shop. The shop allows visitors to buy food and snacks from local vendors and eat them inside the wooden shophouse. Photo courtesy of Krung Thai Card
Another popular activity in the Amphawa Chaipattananurak project is to learn how farmers produce namtan puek, or hardened sugar made from coconut sap, at the Tao Tan station. The name means a stove for simmering coconut sap into sugar. The place has a traditional stove made of brick and powered by wood. The stove has three burners. About 40 litres of sugar sap is boiled in a big wok and is simmered on the stove for 90 minutes. After lifting the wok from the stove, a cook beats the sugar for 20 minutes as it cools down. Then it is time to package the coconut sugar in plastic boxes or small banana leaf bowls. In addition to namtan puek, other products produced from sugar sap are syrup, cider vinegar and candy. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
Samut Songkhram is also famous for fresh seafood. Choices of seafood restaurants are plenty. Dishes you should try are the meal made of chakhram (sea blite) leaves. The plant grows well in salty areas and its leaves have mild saltiness. The leaves are used for cooking various dishes such as kaeng som (a sweet-sour-spicy soup with shrimp), yum (spicy salad dish with shrimp and minced pork) and served with nam prik (spicy chilli dip). Seen in the picture is parboiled chakhram leaves topped with coconut cream. It is served with nam prik kapi (spicy shrimp paste dip). Another dish you should try is deep fried sun-dried mackerel. The taste is a little salty. It goes well with hot rice. Karnjana Karnjanatawe
TRAVEL INFO
- The Amphawa Chaipattananurak Project is open daily from 8.30am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and until 7pm on Friday. During the weekend, the project is open until 9pm. Workshops can be arranged if booked in advance. Fees start at 1,400 baht per class. It also provides a package of three workshops for a group of up to five visitors. The fee is 2,000 baht.
- For more details, visit the project's website at amphawanurak.com/en or call 034-752-245.
- The Nativity of Our Lady Cathedral is open daily for public visits from 9am to 4pm. For more details, visit the church's Facebook page at facebook/BangNokkwaeck.
- For more information about travelling and accommodation in Samut Songkhram, visit the Tourism Authority of Thailand website at tourismthailand.org.
