Introduction

Samut Songkhram is the smallest province in Thailand by area. It is just barely outside of the Metropolitan Bangkok Area, but much of it is rural. The Mae Khlong River cuts through the center of the province and feeds into lots of smaller canals. Much of the province is comprised of coconut plantations irrigated by these canals. Along the coast, ponds take in seawater to be evaporated and Samut Songkhram is a major producer of sea salt in Thailand.

The province is best known for its floating markets, and for the famous Mae Khlong Railway Market. It makes a great day trip from Bangkok and an even better overnight excursion.

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See life in a fishing village at Khlong Khon

Twenty minutes outside the city, the village of Khlong Khon has done some innovative things around tourism. You can tour the mangrove forests by boat and see the hundreds of crab-eating macaque monkeys that live there. There are also oyster farms, tidal flats full of cockles, and a fun activity they call retro wakeboarding. See our guide to Khlong Khon wakeboarding for more information.

Visit a floating market 

Samut Songkhram is most famous for its floating markets. The best-known is Amphawa which takes place from Friday to Sunday every week. Damnoen Saduak is technically in Ratchaburi Province but it’s not far away, and it’s open every day. Amphawa is very touristy but not so bad. Damnoen Saduak is a tourist trap that we avoid. If you really want to see a great floating market, Tha Kha Floating Market is the hidden gem of Samut Songkhram Province but is only open Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Check out the Mae Khlong Railway Market

This is definitely not an “unseen” attraction like it once was. It’s actually quite crowded here now when the train passes through, but we still found it worth a quick look. Check out our Mae Khlong Railway Market guide to see how to get the most out of a visit.