Samut Prakan Province

Samut Prakan is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand, established by the Act establishing Changwat Samut Prakan, Changwat Nonthaburi, Changwat Samut Sakhon and Changwat Nakhon Nayok in March 1946. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east. Suvarnabhumi Airport is located in the Bang Phli district.
Geography......Samut Prakan lies at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River on the Gulf of Thailand. Thus the province is also sometimes called Pak Nam (ปากน้ำ), the Thai word for the mouth of a river. The part of the province on the west side of the river consists mostly of rice paddies and shrimp farms as well as mangrove forests, while the eastern part is the urban centre, including industrial factories. It is part of the Bangkok metropolis. The urbanization on both sides of the provincial boundary is identical. The province has a coastline of approximately 47.2 kilometres.
History......The province was created during the Ayutthaya period, with its administrative centre at Prapadaeng. It was the sea port of Siam, and was secured with forts, town moats, and town walls. King Rama II started the building of the new centre at Samut Prakan in 1819, after his predecessor King Taksin had abandoned the town fortifications. Altogether six forts were built on both sides of the Chao Phraya River, and on an island in the river the pagoda, Phra Samut Chedi, was erected. These were involved in the Paknam incident of 13 July 1893, which ended the Franco-Siamese War with a French naval blockade of Bangkok. Of the original six forts only two still exist today, Phi Sua Samut and Phra Chulachomklao.
The Pak Nam Incident......The Paknam Incident was a military engagement fought during the Franco-Siamese War in July 1893. While sailing off Paknam through Siam's Chao Phraya River, three French ships were fired on by a Siamese fort and force of gunboats. In the ensuing battle, France won and proceeded to blockade Bangkok which ended the war.
Attractions......Samut Prakan benefits from the easy access to Bangkok with excellent toll ways and a skytrain link. The iconic Bhumibol Bridge, named after the late king, opened to traffic in 2006. Bangkrachao, an area in the bend of the Chao Phraya River so close to the city is untouched by the commercial development nearby. Other places of interest not already mentioned are Lak Mueang Shrine in Phra Pradeang District, The Ancient City, Wat Song Tham and Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo.