Samut Sakhon Travel Guide: Mahachai Market, Salt Pans

Samut Sakhon is the province Bangkokians know by the word "Mahachai", the old name of the town and the name of one of the country's biggest seafood markets. Wikivoyage places the town at the mouth of the Tha Chin River, 2 km from the sea and 36 km from Bangkok. English Wikipedia lists it as the fourth smallest province, at 866 square kilometres.

This guide draws on the provincial website, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) pages, Wikipedia, Wikivoyage, Thai Holiday Guide, the hotel sites we could check, and the 12Go page we opened on 16 October 2026. Checked 19 Oct 2026. Where sources disagree we show both values, and what we could not verify is called unconfirmed.

Deeper guides

The detailed pages are in Thai, with hours, tables of conflicting sources and lists of what is unconfirmed (checked 19 Oct 2026). The English page so far is the Samut Sakhon where-to-stay guide.

• Mahachai Market, Tha Chalom, the ferry and Wat Krok Krak (in Thai)
• Old temples, Wichian Chodok Fort and the city pillar shrine (in Thai)
• Phanthai Norasing shrine, Wat Khok Kham, the Red Bridge and Phra Klang Nam (in Thai)
• Salt pans, Don Kai Di benjarong and Ban Rang Chan (in Thai)
• Getting to Samut Sakhon: Maeklong train, ferry and day plans (in Thai)

Where the sources disagree

No official source gives opening hours for the markets, temples and fort, so all of those hours are unconfirmed. Check on the day.

What Samut Sakhon is like

English Wikipedia says the province is part of the Bangkok metropolitan area and neighbours Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok. Its coast has many salt pans: 12,572 rai in 2011, run by 242 families, and the province is a leading producer of sea salt. TAT describes fishing and large-scale salt farming as the main industries.

Getting to Samut Sakhon

Most visitors come for the day. Wikivoyage gives driving routes of about 29 to 35 km, for example along Rama II Road (Highway 35) or Ekkachai Road.

The 12Go page showed those 7 taxi trips for Sunday 18 October and 2 passengers, from Than Car Service and Kim Transfers Thailand. Its summary also showed a 15 km distance that conflicts with Wikivoyage's 36 km, so we do not confirm it. These are what the page showed that day, not guaranteed prices.

Seafood markets and the ferry

TAT calls Mahachai Market one of the biggest fresh seafood markets in the country,. It lists 05:00 to 19:00 daily and Wikivoyage 05:00 to 18:00, so go early. The provincial website says that around October high tides flood it, from the riverside to the main road, to about knee height; vendors move their goods and people still shop. We have no information for this year.

TAT calls Talat Talay Thai the largest seafood market in the country, on Rama II Road. TAT says it opens from midnight; Wikivoyage says 04:00 to 18:00.

Across the river is Tha Chalom, a large fishing village that also processes seafood, per TAT. The ferry joins the two sections of the Maeklong line across the river. We did not check the operator or fare. An editorial site gives the best buying time as 07:00 to 09:00 and the ferry fare as 3 baht, both unconfirmed. The provincial website says Tha Chalom held Siam's first sanitary district, founded 9 March 1905.

Temples, shrines and the fort

Wat Krok Krak. TAT says the construction date is not certain. The highlight is Luang Pho Pu, a laterite Buddha that wears sunglasses. Wikivoyage gives 06:00 to 18:00.

Wat Chong Lom (Wat Suthiwat Wararam). A royal temple at Tha Chalom with a statue of King Rama V. TAT lists it daily 08:00 to 16:30.

Wichian Chodok Fort and the city pillar shrine. TAT says the fort was built in 1828 (B.E. 2371) under Rama III to guard the river mouth and is open daily 08:00 to 17:00. TAT says the nearby shrine was completed in 1987 (B.E. 2530), and has the largest city pillar in the country. Thai Holiday Guide says 1982 (B.E. 2525), a conflict.

Phanthai Norasing and Khok Kham

TAT tells of Phanthai Norasing, helmsman of the royal barge, whose boat hit a branch on a bend of the Khok Kham canal. He insisted on the death penalty the law required, and the king had a shrine built in his honour. The provincial website says the remains of a teak boat 19.47 m long, about 300 years old, are kept there.

Wat Khok Kham has an old ordination hall and a restored Ayutthaya-style chedi. TAT says boats can be hired for a 2 to 3 hour canal trip; we found no official price. For Phra Klang Nam, a shrine in the river, TAT lists 07:00 to 18:00 and about 15 minutes by boat, but the provincial text says the access to the chapel is broken and a new bridge is being built, though you can still see it by boat. That text is undated, so ask the boat operator first. Which king and which execution site is correct (Thai Wikipedia gives three places) is unconfirmed.

Salt pans and the gulf

TAT says the salt pans are much photographed and run on into Samut Songkhram along the Thonburi-Pak Tho road. Wikivoyage mentions a salt school, 08:00 to 17:00, which we did not check. There is no official calendar for the season, so phone the school.

The Ao Mahachai Mangrove Forest Study Centre covers over 6 sq km, daily 08:30 to 17:30 per TAT. Wikivoyage says Bryde's whales can be seen all year, best from September to December, and the 700 m Red Bridge may show dolphins or whales from November to March, though very rarely. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Where to stay

We could check three hotels on their own websites: Phetara Hotel Mahachai (by a canal at Khok Kham), Sakhonburi Cozy Hotel (central Mahachai) and Thongchen Residence (an apartment building on Ekkachai Road). We do not know prices or availability. See the Samut Sakhon where-to-stay guide. Staying in Bangkok and coming for the day is also reasonable.

Nearby destinations

• Samut Songkhram: the next province, with Amphawa
• Ratchaburi: to the west
• Nakhon Pathom: to the north
• Bangkok: the starting point, 36 km away
• Thailand overview

FAQ

Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.