Business Resumes.....It's been three days without activity as I recover from a stomach bug and see out the foul weather that hit Bangkok the day before but today is dry and sunny. I check in the locker for trips I planned earlier and brought out the one that read, 'head for the coast'. This trip is hardly ambitious simply to put us in a spot where we could find a seafood restaurant to take dinner later and you never know include a sunset too.
More Trains.....Of course, we build something in before that and that for me means trains as we head for Lat Krabang station on the SRT Eastern Line. This is a new station for me and has a connection with the elevated ARL (Airport Rail Link). As for trains, I hit one then miss one and yes, hit-and-miss is often the case. However, Lat Krabang does't entirely address my needs. So often have I mentioned Lak Krabang as being the terminal for freight to and from Thailand's deep sea ports but to see them I need to be at least one station further east near to where the line for the Lak Krabang container yard connects to the Eastern Line. In the end, I settle for Hua Takhe where it's easier to park. Here I wait, not knowing when or even if a freight train would pass. It would be a while before the next passenger service arrives but finally my patience and that of my uncomplaining partner, pays off as a container train passes by, slowly maneuvering into position to enter the container yard. Then as if by magic the Commuter service arrives at the same time and that should be that except that as we depart the station another container train passes heading east. Yeah! Hit and miss right? It's now mid-afternoon and the weather continues fine as we moved closer to the coast entering Chachoengsao province and into marshland given over to seafood farming. Here we reach our first alternative attraction.
Wat Hong Thong.....Wat Hong Thong is not old. It was established by a monk from Chonburi who managed to create something rather different. Temples built on the shoreline are not that common and here this one is built out from the scoreline accessed by walkways. The attraction here is the location; the Chachoengsao coastline being the furthest east in the provinces on the Chao Phraya Delta. Further east is the Bang Pakong River, one of the four major rivers that empty into the Gulf of Thailand, presently handing huge volumes of water from northern floods. Beyong that is the Chonburi coastline and mountains beyond. The main feature of the delta coastine is the mangrove; there are no beaches here, and as far as the eye can see to the west, that's all you can see. It's that panorama that can be witnessed here at Wat Hong Thong and two of its buildings provide viewing platforms. The golden chedi on top of the square hall is ideal for ocean views but the more impressive 12 story tower is just amazing. Taking the lift to the top for just 30 baht is a must.
Having arrived at Wat Hong Thong I'm certainly not in the mood to leave in a hurry, the cool ocean breeze mixed with the sunshine, just captivating. We humans spend so much time sitting as home consuming power when we could sit out all day for free. At some point though I have to leave and concentrate on what I came to the coast for, in the process abandoning a contender for another visit for the future.
Khlong Ta Kok Viewpoint.....We headewest along the Sukhumvit Road reaching Khlong Ta Kok although the GPS lacks enough information for acurate navigation. Instead, we find our way to the Suvarnabhumi Canal spillway which crosses over the Sukhumvit Road and discharges huge volumes of water into the Gulf. It takes a bit of adjusting to find the access point for the viewpoint by which time I miss the sunset. However, precisely as I hoped we locate a seafood restaurant and that proves most satisfactory offering good value. Khorbfa La Tawan is run as a co-operative for the benefit of the community and mighty glad we are to find this little gem. The story is that I've been seeking an alternative to Bang Pu further along the coast which I knew from previous visits. Both venues are similar in that as well has having a restaurant with views, they have visitors during the winter: Birds, lots of them. They provide a habitat for large flocks of migratory seagulls that migrate from Siberia annually in the early winter. But there the similarity ends; Khorbfa La Tawan is less well-known and quieter which suits me fine.
So the day ends with an amazing seafood meal washed down with a cold beer. My final thought was, if this is the new normal than can I have a lot more of it please?

Source: Visit