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Samut Sakhon สมุทรสาคร
Province
Other transcription(s)
• Teochew	龍仔厝 lê̬ng giăn cu (Peng'im)
From top: Phan Thai Norasing Shrine; Salt farming in Samut Sakhon; Red Bridge; Mahachai seafood market; Mahachai–Tha Chalom ferry; Tha Chin River in Krathum Baen at dusk
FlagSeal
Nickname: Mahachai (Thai: มหาชัย)
Motto: เมืองประมง ดงโรงงาน ลานเกษตร เขตประวัติศาสตร์ ("City of fisheries. District of factories. Fields of farming. Historical area.")
Map of Thailand highlighting Samut Sakhon province
Country	Thailand
Capital	Samut Sakhon
Government
• Governor	Narit Niramaiwong (since April 2024)
Area
• Total	872 km (337 sq mi)
• Rank	Ranked 73rd
Population
• Total	584,703
• Rank	Ranked 44th
• Density	662/km (1,710/sq mi)
• Rank	Ranked 6th
Human Achievement Index
• HAI (2022)	0.6101 "low" Ranked 74th
GDP
• Total	baht 398 billion (US$13.1 billion) (2019)
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code	74xxx
Calling code	034
ISO 3166 code	TH-74
Website	www.samutsakhon.go.th

Samut Sakhon (Thai: สมุทรสาคร, pronounced [sā.mùt sǎː.kʰɔ̄ːn]) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand, located along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. In 2019, it had a population of 584,703, and an area of 872 km², making it the 33rd most populated province whilst being the 4th smallest. Neighboring provinces are (from the southwest clockwise) Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Bangkok. Samut Sakhon is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region.

Toponymy

The word samut originates from the Sanskrit word samudra meaning 'ocean', and the word sakhon from Sanskrit sagara meaning 'lake'.

Geography

Samut Sakhon is at the mouth of the Tha Chin River, a distributary of the Chao Phraya River, to the Gulf of Thailand. At the coast are many salt pans used for harvesting sea salt. The total forest area is 42 km (16 sq mi) or 4.9 percent of provincial area.

Climate

Samut Sakhon province has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification category Aw). Winters are dry and warm. Temperatures rise until May. The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm. Climatological data for the period 1981–2010: Maximum temperature is 39.7 °C (103.5 °F) in April and May and the lowest temperature is 12.0 °C (53.6 °F) in December. The highest average temperature is 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) in April and the minimum average temperature is 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in December. Mean annual rainfall is 1648 millimeters. The maximum daily rainfall is 248 millimeters in May. Mean rainy days average 130 days per year.

History

The oldest name of the area is Tha Chin ('Chinese pier'), probably referring to the fact that it was a trading port where Chinese junks arrived. In 1548 the city Sakhon Buri was established, and was renamed Mahachai in 1704 after the Khlong Mahachai which was dug then and connected with the Tha Chin River near the town. King Mongkut gave it its current name, but the old name Mahachai is still sometimes used by locals.

It was established by the Act Establishing Changwat Samut Prakan, Changwat Nonthaburi, Changwat Samut Sakhon, and Changwat Nakhon Nayok, Buddhist Era 2489 (1946), which came into force on 9 May 1946.

Economy and environment

Formerly an agricultural- and fisheries-based province, Samut Sakhon in 2020 has more than 6,000 factories, most of them small, employing fewer than 50 workers, and too small to warrant much attention from Thailand's Pollution Control Department (PCD). Small firms lack the budgets to install the environmental gear that would help protect the environment. As a result, Samut Sakhon is one of the most polluted provinces in the nation.

Soil and water samples from the industrial area of Mueang District were found to be contaminated with high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, copper, and nickel. High levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPS), byproducts of industrial processes, were present in eggs from free-range chickens. An egg tested by researchers was found to have 84 nanograms per kilogram of dioxins and furans, a level 33 times higher than the safety limit observed by the European Union.

The most polluted air in Thailand in 2018 was found to be in Samut Sakhon province. According to the PCD, the level of PM_2.5 in the provincial atmosphere in 2019 was unusually high, measuring as high as 195 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m). During the air pollution "season" of 2018–2019, PM_2.5 levels exceeded the PCD's safe threshold of 50 μg/m for 41 days.

Samut Sakhon is a leading sea salt producer. According to a survey in 2011, 12,572 rai of salt pans were managed by 242 families in Samut Sakhon.

Health

Samut Sakhon Hospital is the main hospital of Samut Sakhon province, operated by the Ministry of Public Health. The ministry also operates a general hospital, Krathum Baen Hospital in Krathum Baen district.

Ban Phaeo is served by Ban Phaeo General Hospital, the only hospital public organisation in Thailand.

Transportation

Samut Sakhon is along the Maeklong Railway, operated by the State Railway of Thailand and is served by Mahachai railway station on the east bank of the Tha Chin River and Ban Laem railway station on the west bank.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows a Chinese junk in front of the coast, with a factory and a smoking chimney in the background. Both refer to the old trading tradition as well as the local industries.

The provincial flag is horizontally divided pink/light blue/pink (1:3:1) the provincial seal in the middle.

The provincial brand is a picture of a white factory, a fishing boat, a fish and blue water and a green leaf.

The provincial tree is commonly called blackboard tree or devil's tree (Alstonia scholaris).

The provincial aquatic animal is the short mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma) what with Samut Sakhon is the first province to have short mackerel fishing boat and has the largest amount of this species of fish caught in Thailand.

The provincial slogan is "Fishing city, factory town, agricultural ground, historic site".

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into three districts (amphoes). The districts are further subdivided into 40 subdistricts (tambons) and 290 villages (mubans).

1. Mueang Samut Sakhon
2. Krathum Baen
3. Ban Phaeo

Local government

As of 19 December 2019 there are: one Samut Sakhon Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and fifteen municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. The capital Samut Sakhon and Om Noi have city (thesaban nakhon) status. Two have town (thesaban mueang) status and eleven are subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon).

The non-municipal areas are administered by 22 Subdistrict Administrative
Organizations (SAO) (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Human achievement index 2022

Health	Education	Employment	Income
31	59	11	7
Housing	Family	Transport	Participation
77	9	3	72
Province Samut Sakhon, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6101 is "low", occupies place 74 in the ranking.

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.

Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings

References

1. Advancing Human Development through the ASEAN Community, Thailand Human Development Report 2014, table 0:Basic Data (PDF) (Report). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Thailand. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-974-680-368-7. Retrieved 17 January 2016, Data has been supplied by Land Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, at Wayback Machine.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
2. ^ "สถิติทางการทะเบียน" [Registration statistics]. bora.dopa.go.th. Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA). December 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2020. Download จำนวนประชากร ปี พ.ศ.2562 - Download population year 2019
3. ^ "ข้อมูลสถิติดัชนีความก้าวหน้าของคน ปี 2565 (PDF)" [Human Achievement Index Databook year 2022 (PDF)]. Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) (in Thai). Retrieved 12 March 2024, page 75{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
4. "Gross Regional and Provincial Product, 2019 Edition". <>. Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). July 2019. ISSN 1686-0799. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
5. ^ "ตารางที่ 2 พี้นที่ป่าไม้ แยกรายจังหวัด พ.ศ.2562" [Table 2 Forest area Separate province year 2019]. Royal Forest Department (in Thai). 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2021, information, Forest statistics Year 2019{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
6. ^ "Geographic information". Samut Sakhon province. samutsakhon.go.th. 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
7. "Climatological data for the period 1981–2010". Thai Meteorological Department. 2011. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 24 November 2019, Data are from nearest weather station Bangkok (32 km){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
8. "About Samut Sakhon". Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
9. "History". Samut Sakhon province. 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
10. พระราชบัญญัติจัดตั้งจังหวัดสมุทรปราการ จังหวัดนนทบุรี จังหวัดสมุทรสาคร และจังหวัดนครนายก พุทธศักราช ๒๔๘๙ [Act Establishing Changwat Samut Prakan, Changwat Nonthaburi, Changwat Samut Sakhon and Changwat Nakhon Nayok, Buddhist Era 2489 (1946)] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 63 (29 Kor): 315–317. 9 May 1946. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
11. ^ Kongrut, Anchalee (9 February 2020). "Pollution taints seaside community's prosperity". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
12. "World most polluted cities 2018 (PM2.5)". AirVisual. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
13. Wattanavanitvut, Phongthai (10 September 2016). "Salt industry prepares for a shake-up". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
14. "About Us". Samut Sakhon province. 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
15. "Governance". Samut Sakhon province. samutsakhon.go.th. 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
16. "พระราชกฤษฎีกา จัดตั้งเทศบาลนครสมุทรสาคร จังหวัดสมุทรสาคร พ.ศ.๒๕๔๒" [Royal Decree Establish of Thesaban Nakhon Samut Sakhon, Samut Sakhon Province B.E.2542] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 116 (110 Kor): 2–5. 10 November 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
17. "เปลี่ยนแปลงฐานะ เทศบาลเมืองอ้อมน้อย อำเภอกระทุ่มแขน จังหวัดสมุทรสาคร เป็นเทศบาลนครอ้อมน้อย" [Announcement from the Ministry of interior Re: Change of Thesaban Mueang Om Noi, Amphoe Krathum Baen, Changwat Samut Sakhon Is Thesaban Nakhon Om Noi] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 127 (Special Section 149 Ngor): 45. 27 December 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
18. "พระราชกฤษฎีกา จัดตั้งเทศบาลนเมืองกระทุ่มแบน จังหวัดสมุทรสาคร พ.ศ.๒๕๓๘" [Royal Decree Establish of Thesaban Mueang Krathum Baen, Samut Sakhon Province B.E.2538] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 112 (40 Kor): 62–65. 24 September 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
19. "ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง จัดตั้งองค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลคลองมะเดื่อ อำเภอกระทุ่มแบน จังหวัดสมุทสาคร เป็นเทศบาเมืองคลองมะเดื่อ" [Notification of the Ministry of Interior Re: Establishment of Khlong Maduea Subdistrict Administrative Organization Amphoe Krathum Baen Changwat Samut Sakhon is Thesaban Mueang Khlong Maduea] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 136 (Special 309 Ngor): 23. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
20. "ตราสัญลัทษณ์" [Emblem]. khokkrabue.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. The emblem mentions: เทศบาลตำบลคอกกระบือ - Khok Krabue subdistrict municipality.
21. ^ "พระราชบัญญัติ เปลี่ยนแปลงฐานะของสุขาภิบาลเป็นเทศบาล พ.ศ.๒๕๔๒" [Royal Decree: Change Sanitation district to Municipality Act B.E. 2542 (1999)] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 116 (9 Kor): 1–4. 24 February 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Sanitation districts Lak Ha, Bang Pla, Kaset Phatthana and Ban Phaeo are upgraded to subdistrict municipality, effectively 25 May 1999
22. "ตราสัญลัทษณ์" [Emblem]. khaerai.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. The emblem mentions: ทต.แคราย - Khae Rai subdistrict municipality.
23. "ประวัติความเป็นมา" [History]. suanluang.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Established Suan Luang SAO, Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon province is Suan Luang subdistrict municipality on 18 January 2008.
24. "Number of local government organizations: Summary elevating local authorities". dla.go.th. Department of Local Administration (DLA). 20 September 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2020. No.4.47 Established Don Kai Di Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO), Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon province is Don Kai Di subdistrict municipality, effectively 30 September 2011.
25. Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), List of 5,324 SAO's information as of date 20 December 2019, 22 SAO's (no.4196-4218) were established in 1995 (9), in 1996 (1) and in 1997 (12).
26. "รายชื่อชุมชนในเขตเทศบาลนครสมุทรสาคร" [List of communities in the Samut Sakhon Municipality]. sakhoncity.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 32 communities in 3 groups.
27. "ชุมชน" [Communities]. omnoi.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 28 communities.
28. "ชุมชน" [Communities]. ktb.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 9 communities.
29. "ข้อมูลชุมชน" [Community information]. klongmadua.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 11 communities.
30. "สภาพทั่วไป" [General condition]. suanluang.go.th (in Thai). 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 14 communities.

External links

• Samut Sakhon travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Samut Sakhon provincial map, coat of arms, and postal stamp

v t e Places adjacent to Samut Sakhon province
Nakhon Pathom province Ratchaburi province Samut Sakhon province Bangkok Samut Songkhram province Bight of Bangkok

v t e Provinces of Thailand
Capital: Bangkok (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon)
Northern	Chiang Mai Chiang Rai Lampang Lamphun Mae Hong Son Nan Phayao Phrae Uttaradit
Northeastern (Isan)	Amnat Charoen Bueng Kan Buriram Chaiyaphum Kalasin Khon Kaen Loei Maha Sarakham Mukdahan Nakhon Phanom Nakhon Ratchasima Nong Bua Lamphu Nong Khai Roi Et Sakon Nakhon Sisaket Surin Ubon Ratchathani Udon Thani Yasothon
Western	Kanchanaburi Phetchaburi Prachuap Khiri Khan Ratchaburi Tak
Central	Ang Thong Chai Nat Kamphaeng Phet Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Lopburi Nakhon Nayok Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Sawan Nonthaburi Pathum Thani Phetchabun Phichit Phitsanulok Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Samut Prakan Samut Sakhon Samut Songkhram Saraburi Sing Buri Sukhothai Suphan Buri Uthai Thani
Eastern	Chachoengsao Chanthaburi Chonburi Prachinburi Rayong Sa Kaeo Trat
Southern	Chumphon Krabi Nakhon Si Thammarat Narathiwat Pattani Phang Nga Phatthalung Phuket Ranong Satun Songkhla Surat Thani Trang Yala

13°32′50″N 100°16′25″E / 13.54722°N 100.27361°E / 13.54722; 100.27361

• Samut Sakhon province
• Provinces of Thailand
• Gulf of Thailand