Samut Sakhon (, , is a city in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

; it is the capital of Samut Sakhon province. It is also part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region.

Toponymy

Samut Sakhon was formerly called Tha Chin (Chinese Pier) probably because, in the old days, it had been a trading port for a vast number of Chinese junks. In 1548, a city named Sakhon Buri was established at the mouth of the Tha Chin River. A center for recruiting troops from various seaside towns. The name of the city was changed to Mahachai when Khlong (canal) Mahachai was dug in 1704 to connect the Tha Chin River to the city. Later, the city was renamed Samut Sakhon by King Rama IV but it is still popularly called Mahachai by its residents.

Geography

The general topography of the city is a coastal lowland about 1 meter above sea level. There are no islands, mountains or minerals. The Tha Chin River and Mahachai Canal flow into the

Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand (), historically known as the Gulf of Siam (), is a shallow inlet adjacent to the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. ...

at Bang Ya Phraek subdistrict. The general condition is an urban community with houses, industrial plants and a dense population.
Neighboring subdistricts are (from the north clockwise): Tha Sai, Khok Kham, Bang Ya Phraek and Tha Chin of Mueang Samut Sakhon district of Samut Sakhon province.

Administration

Provincial government

The combined administration of Mahachai, Tha Chalom and Krokkrak subdistricts (''

tambon ''Tambon'' (, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province ('' changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' of Bangkok, whi ...

s'') is responsible for an area that covers , as of December 2024: 53,221 people and 19,235 households.

Local government

As of December 2024 there is ฺSamut Sakhon city municipality ('' thesaban nakhon'') which covers the combined area of Mahachai, Tha Chalom and Krokkrak subdistricts. There are 32 communities (''chumchon''), although not directly chosen by the local citizens, which provides advice and recommendations to the local administrative organization.

Education

There are the following schools: * Mahachai municipal school - Mahachai * Wat Chettharam municipal school - Mahachai * Wat Chong Lom municipal school - Mahachai * Wat Tuk Maha Chayaram municipal school - Mahachai * Wat Suwannaram municipal school - Tha Chalom * Wat Krokkrak municipal school - Krokkrak

Healthcare

There is no health promoting hospital in Samut Sakhon city. But there are in Mahachai subdistrict: Samut Sakhon Hospital with 600 beds, Ekachai Hospital with 142 beds, Mahachai 3 Hospital with 180 beds, Jesada Vechakarn Hospital with 10 beds and in Tha Chalom subdistricht: Metropolitan Hospital Tha Chalom

Temples

The following active temples, where Theravada Buddhism is practised by local residents:

Transportation

The city is the intersection of

highway 35 The following highways are numbered 35: The Karakoram Highway (Urdu language, Urdu: شاہراہ قراقرم, ''Śāhirāh-i Qarāquram''), also known as the KKH, National Highway 35 (Urdu language, Urdu: قومی شاہراہ ۳۵), N-35, and ...

eastbound (Bangkok route), highway 35 westbound ( Pak Tho district, Ratchaburi province), Ekkachai road (no. 3242) ( Chom Thong district, Bangkok).
There is Maeklong Railway a Wongwian Yai - Mahachai train service, starting from Wongwian Yai station, Bangkok, to Mahachai station (distance ) every day from 05.30-20.00 hrs, and a Tha Chalom - Mae Klong train service, starting from Ban Laem station, Tha Chalom subdistrict, to Maeklong station, Samut Songkhram (distance ).

References

External links

* {{Metropolitan cities of Thailand Cities and towns in Thailand Populated places in Samut Sakhon province