Samut Songkhram is the smallest province in Thailand, a flat, watery land where the Mae Klong River meets the Gulf of Thailand, criss-crossed by canals and covered with coconut palms, orchards and salt pans. Its capital, also called Samut Songkhram or Mae Klong, is a busy market town about an hour and a half south-west of Bangkok, and it is home to one of the strangest sights in the country.
The Maeklong Railway Market runs along the railway line in the heart of the town. Vendors set out their vegetables, fish and fruit on the tracks themselves, under awnings that hang over the line. Several times a day, when a train approaches, a warning sounds, the awnings are pulled back, the goods closest to the rails are moved, and the train inches through the market, millimetres from the stalls. As soon as it has passed, everything goes back as it was. It is crowded, touristy and utterly fascinating.
A few kilometres upriver, Amphawa is famous for its floating market, held in the afternoons and evenings at weekends, when boats sell grilled seafood and sweets along the canal, and for the boat trips at night to see fireflies glittering in the trees along the river. King Rama II, a celebrated poet, was born in Amphawa, and a memorial park commemorates him. At the mouth of the river, Don Hoi Lot is a sandbank known for its razor clams, and the seafood restaurants nearby serve them fresh.
For riders, Samut Songkhram is a convenient fuel stop on the way to Kaeng Krachan and the forests of the west. The town has fuel stations, convenience stores and markets, and the local coconut sugar sweets make a good snack. The roads in the area are flat and generally straight, with heavy traffic on the main highways, especially Rama II Road from Bangkok. The smaller roads along the canals and through the orchards are quieter and more pleasant.