Samut Sakhon

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Samut Sakhon (also called Mahachai , formerly Tha Chin and Sakhon Buri , also Mueang Sakhon; in Thai สมุทรสาคร ) is the capital of Samut Sakhon Province in the southwestern part of the central region of Thailand . Samut Sakhon is also the capital of the district ( Amphoe ) Mueang Samut Sakhon.

geography

Samut Sakhon is located at the mouth of the Mae Nam Tha Chin (Tha Chin River), which flows into the Gulf of Thailand . The distance to the capital Bangkok is about 25 kilometers.

Economy and Transport

Samut Sakhon lives from fishing in particular , most of the goods go to the nearby capital. A major employer is the production of Bangkok Cabinet Co. (BCN Co.), which mainly produces furniture in association with Index Shopping Mall .

Many salt production facilities can be found on the coast of Samut Sakhon.

Samut Sakhon is connected to Thonburi in Bangkok and Samut Songkhram via the Thonburi – Samut Songkhram railway, with the Tha Chin having to be crossed with a passenger ferry on this connection .

history

The city was founded in 1548. Samut Sakhon used to be an important hub for goods from China . 1828/29 was on the order of King Rama III. a fortification was erected to be defended by men who were moved here from Pak Lat . Phraya Choduek Rachasetthi (Thoeng Chin) had the fortification built at the mouth of the Maha Chai Canal. It was called Fort Wichienchodok and cost more than 3,800 baht at the time. In the 1830s and 1840s there were around 500 houses here that were built in two to three rows along the canal and whose residents lived from fishing. At that time, Samut Sakhon was so close to the coast that fresh water was not available and it had to be obtained by collecting rainwater. In addition, during the dry season (October to April), the Chinese brought water in large clay jugs from Bangkok. Almost all the buildings in the village were made of bamboo about 2 meters above the ground with roofs made of mangroves. As a Maha Chai, the place was an outpost in the first half of the 19th century where newcomers were interviewed and their information was reported to Bangkok.

In April 1842, there were problems between three groups of Chinese who had formed secret societies , each consisting of about 1,000 men. The leaders of these groups were called Khim, Ia and Phiao (Piaw). The Siamese government sent soldiers under the command of Phra Sombat Wanit to arrest the leaders. In fact, Khim and Phiao were initially thrown into dungeon, but Ia was able to flee. He and his people then robbed the houses in the Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom area. They could only be overwhelmed after a major police operation.

In 1844, King Rama III sent Soldiers to Krok Krak to curb opium trade and consumption. Many Chinese were arrested or fled. The missionary Goddard notes that in mid-April the place was almost deserted.

The city has been called Samut Sakhon since King Mongkut (Rama IV) .

Attractions

  • Wat Yai Chom Phrasat - Buddhist temple complex ( Wat ) on the bank of Maenam Tha Chin with ornate wood carvings; also accessible on the water.
  • Fishing port - in the morning the fishermen come with their catch.

Personalities

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Terwiel (1989), p. 56
  2. ↑ a b Terwiel (1989), p. 78
  3. ↑ Terwiel (1989), p. 66
  4. ↑ after Terwiel (1989), p. 82

literature

Coordinates: 13 ° 33 '  N , 100 ° 17'  E