The Naval Museum
is located at Bang Nang Keng, Pak Nam, Samut Prakan, opposite
the Naval Academy on Sukhumvit Road, 10 kilometres from Bang Na
intersection. The museum chronicles the history of the Royal
Thai Navy and the important Naval battles, exhibits miniature
ships such as the Royal Barges which were used in the Royal
Barge Processions of King Rama V period, the warship “H.M.S.
Phra Ruang”, Rau Barge, H.M.S. Matchanu - the first submarine of
the Royal Thai Navy. It is open everyday except public
holidays from 9.00 a.m.-15.30 p.m. For more information, call0
2394 1997 or 0 2475 38080 or visit http://www.navy.mi.th/navalmuseum/index_eng.htm
How to get there: Public Bus
No.508, No.511, No.525 and No.536
It was built in 1950 as Thailand’s
first crocodile farm. It is now the world’s largest crocodile
farm. It is situated at Tambon Tai Ban, 3 kilometres from Samut
Prakan town. The farm has over 40,000 crocodiles of different
kinds in various pits. Daily shows feature catching crocodiles
bare-handed. Shows take place every hour from 08.00-17.00.,
except at noon; additional shows at 12.00 and 17.00 on
holidays. Feeding time is between 16.30 - 17.30.
Another star attraction for visitors is the elephant show of
which performances are held daily every hour from 09.30
-16.30. Furthermore, you can see tigers, chimpanzees, and
other animals such as gibbons, turtles, boa constrictors,
pythons, birds, camels, hippopotamuses, and of various species
of fishes.
There is even a Dinosaur Museum
which has on display life-size models and skeletons of more than
13 kinds of dinosaurs and also features a multivision slide
presentation on man and prehistoric animals. The farm is open
daily from 07.00 - 18.00. Admission is 300 baht. For group tours
and academic institutions that require a tour guide, please
contact Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo in advance at 555
Thai Ban Road, Amphoe Mueang, Samut Prakan 10280 or tel. 0-
2703-4891, 0-2703-5144-8. Click
www.crocodilefarm.com
for more information.
Getting there is also possible by taking the air-conditioned
buses Line Nos. 7, 8, and 11, to the end of the Line or by non
air-conditioned buses Line Nos. 25 and 102, to Samut Prakan and
taking another ride on a local truck (Song Thaeo) Line No. S. 1
and S. 80.
Mueang Boran
or the Ancient City is
the world’s biggest open-air museum. It occupies an area of 500
rais (200 acres). Construction began in the latter part of 1963.
It is located at Tambon Bang Pu Mai, at Km. 33.5 of the old
Sukhumvit Road, 8 kilometres from Samut Prakan town. This unique
attraction is the center of scaled-down and actual-size replicas
of important historical sites of various provinces such as
Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, Wat Mahathat Sukhothai, Phraphuttabat
Saraburi, Phrathat Mueang Nakhon, Phrathat Chaiya, etc..
Furthermore, there are rare traditional folk arts and cultures,
some of which are hardl to come by nowadays. For those who wish
to learn about Thailand, they will not be disappointed here.
Getting there: by
car, take the Samrong - Samut Prakan Road to Samut Prakan
T-junction and turn left going along the old Sukhumvit road
(road to Bang Pu), then at approximatley Km. 33 turn into an
entry road to Mueang Boran and drive on for 8 kilometres, Mueang
Boran will be on the left. To get there by bus, take the
air-conditioned bus Line No. 11 (Pin Klao - Pak Nam) to the end
of the Line and take the local mini-bus Line No. 36 to Mueang
Boran. It is open daily from 8.00 a.m.-5.00 p.m. Admission is 50
baht. Fees for taking a car in is 50 Baht and 100 baht for vans.
For more informaiton call 0-2323-9253 or 0-2224-1058-7,
0-2226-1936-7 or click
www.ancientcity.com
This three-headed elephant,
Airavata was born of Khun Lek Viriyapant's ideas and
imagination. It was inspired by his wish to preserve his
collection of antiques as a contribution to Thai cultural
heritage. Many of these were priceless objects of art they were
also held as sacred objects for people of ancient cultures.
According to ancient traditions they were believed to bring
blessing and prosperity to the land and its people, and
therefore must not be lost to outsiders. It had been
Mr.Viriyapant's concern to find a way that would keep these
objects safe and that would also be suitable to their
traditional functions.
One day he had a visit from a Westerner
who, during the course of the conversation, suggested the idea
of constructing the most important building in the town in the
form of an apple which according to Western traditions of
belief, played a crucial part in the shaping of human destiny.
This suggestion was warmly welcomed by Mr.Viriyapant. He
nevertheless thought it more appropriate to adhere to Eastern
traditions and thus decided on the heavenly elephant Airavata of
Hindu mythology. In addition, he wanted this three-headed
elephant to be more than just the vehicle of the god Indra.
The elephant would be a symbol of
the centre of the universe and, as such, the building would
function symbolically as the spiritual heart of the land where
sacred objects of the land were housed and revered. He then
designed the building and gave the design to Khun Pagpean
Viriyapant, his eldest son, to begin construction. Already
during the construction, the building attracted people who came
to worship. Thus it fulfilled Khun Lek Viriyapant's wish to
preserve sacred objects for the country. Although both Khun Lek
and Khun Pagpean passed away before the construction was
completed, their heirs continued their wish to create a place
where ceremonies and festivals of Thai traditions might be held,
and that would also serve as museum to keep the memory of Khun
Lek Viriyapant's life and work alive for future generations.
Getting to The Erawan Museum :
Bus No: 25,142,365 / Air-conditioned bus No: 102,507,511,536 Admissions : Adult Baht 150 / Children Baht 50 Office : The Ancient City 99/9 M.1 Muang Samut Prakan,
Samut Prakan Province 10270 Tel: 0 2371 3135-6 Fax: 0 2371 3136
Open Everyday 9.00 a.m.-6.00 p.m.
This templeis 6
kilometres from town. It is located in Soi Sukhaphiban 58,
Tambon Thai Ban, on Sukhumvit road, its entrance is opposite
Sawangkhaniwat Recuperation Centre. The new temple was built by
Phra Acharn Lee Thammawaro) of the Dharmayuthi sect on May 8,
1962. It is one of the important temples for practicing
mediation. Worth visiting and seeing in this temple is Phra
Thutangkha Chedi, a group of 13 chedi as a representative of the
13 duties of the monks on their religious trips. There is also
Vihara Wisutthithamrangsi in which Acharn Lee’s remains are
enshrined.
This second level royal monastery
is located at Tambon Pak Nam. The temple, of which the former
name is Wat Takothong, was built in the late Ayutthaya period.
The main building was renovated in the reign of King Rama III.
The upper part of the front of the temple, above the entrance,
is decorated with Chinese porcelain and ceramics. Inside the
temple, there is a mural painting, depicting the first book of
the Buddhist scripture dealing with the life of Lord Buddha.
Later, another building was built to enshrine the 4 traces of
Lord Buddha’s Footprints. The hall for sermons is Thai style
structure made totally from teak and upper part of the front of
the building, above the entrance, is lavishly decorated with
exquisite and beautifully carved wood well worth preserving.
