Samut Sakhon Province Guide: History, Towns and Local Products
Samut Sakhon sits where the Tha Chin River meets the Gulf of Thailand, a short drive from Bangkok. Its main town, Mahachai, is one of the country's great fishing ports, and much of the seafood eaten in the capital passes through its markets.
This guide looks at the port, the railway that linked it to Bangkok, the salt fields along the coast, its three districts and the fish and seafood it produces. If you run a small business here, you will see how to put your products in front of new buyers.
Samut Sakhon
Fish Markets and Salt Fields
A small coastal province just south-west of Bangkok, built around one of Thailand's busiest fishing ports and its shimmering salt fields.
By the SnapSellGo Thailand Desk · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Made in Samut Sakhon
What the province is known for. Local producers are joining SnapSellGo now.
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Why Samut Sakhon lives from the sea
Mahachai grew around its fishing fleet and its seafood markets, which today supply restaurants and factories across Thailand. The town is also a centre of seafood processing, and a large community of workers from Myanmar lives and works there.
In 1904 a private railway opened between Bangkok and Mahachai, later extended across the Tha Chin towards Mae Klong; the line still runs today. Along the coast, flat salt fields stretch towards Samut Songkhram, and at the river mouth stands Pom Wichian Chodok, a fort built in the 19th century to guard the Tha Chin.
Mahachai port
One of Thailand's great fishing ports.
Salt fields
Flat salt pans along the coast.
Maeklong railway
A line to Bangkok opened in 1904.
Pom Wichian Chodok
A 19th-century fort at the river mouth.
Samut Sakhon through the centuries
Samut Sakhon's story is the story of a port and the lines that connect it to Bangkok.
- 19th centuryPom Wichian Chodok is built to guard the mouth of the Tha Chin.
- 1904A private railway opens between Bangkok and Mahachai.
- 20th centuryMahachai becomes one of Thailand's main fishing ports.
- TodayBan Phaeo's snakeskin gourami is protected as a geographical indication.
Three districts on the Tha Chin estuary
Samut Sakhon has only 3 districts and about 580,000 registered residents, plus many workers from abroad. Here is what each is known for.
| District | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Mueang Samut Sakhon | Mahachai port, its fish markets and the railway station. |
| Krathum Baen | Factories and suburbs on the edge of Bangkok. |
| Ban Phaeo | Fish ponds, coconut groves and orchards. |
| Coast | Salt fields and mangroves along the Gulf. |
| Tha Chin river | Boats, ferries and riverside temples. |
Festivals and seasons worth planning around
Samut Sakhon's rhythm follows the tides and the salt season. Here is what to know.
What Samut Sakhon makes: local products and OTOP
OTOP ties each product to the sub-district that makes it, and Samut Sakhon's best known is the snakeskin gourami of Ban Phaeo, a fish dried and fried as a delicacy and protected as a geographical indication.
Mahachai's markets sell dried squid, shrimp paste and every kind of seafood, and the coast produces sea salt.
Looking to buy? The carousel above fills with real items from Samut Sakhon as local makers list them. Selling? SnapSellGo takes no cut of your sales.
Short on time? The train from Bangkok to Mahachai. Love markets? Mahachai's fish market at dawn. Into history? Pom Wichian Chodok at the river mouth. Buying local? Dried Ban Phaeo gourami.
Good to know before you go
What is Mahachai?
The main town of Samut Sakhon, at the mouth of the Tha Chin River, and one of Thailand's busiest fishing ports.
Can you reach Samut Sakhon by train?
Yes. The Maeklong railway runs from Wongwian Yai in Bangkok to Mahachai, a line first opened in 1904.
What is Ban Phaeo gourami?
A snakeskin gourami raised in Ban Phaeo district and dried as a delicacy. It is protected as a geographical indication.
Why are there salt fields in Samut Sakhon?
The flat coast and dry season make it ideal for evaporating seawater, a trade practised here for generations.
Sources: Wikipedia entries for Samut Sakhon province, Mahachai, the Maeklong Railway, Pom Wichian Chodok and Ban Phaeo district. Temple fairs and Buddhist holidays change date each year; the months given are a guide. Cover photo: Samut Sakhon salt field by Niwat Tantayanusorn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.