Mueang Samut Sakhon (, ) is the capital district (amphoe mueang) of Samut Sakhon province, central Thailand.

History Mueang Tha Chin dates back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom and was once administered by the Ministry of Defence. During his reign, King Maha Chakkraphat ordered the establishment of Mueang Sakhon Buri. Later, King Mongkut (Rama IV) renamed the city Samut Sakhon. In 1897, it was formally designated as Mueang Samut Sakhon District.

Despite the official name, locals still commonly refer to Mueang Samut Sakhon as Mahachai.

In addition to Mahachai, the city is also known by the Teochew name Lang-Ka-Su (; pinyin: Lóng zǐ cuò), which literally means "home of dragon descendants". This name has been recorded in Chinese historical texts for over a thousand years, suggesting that Samut Sakhon has long been home to Chinese settlers and people of Chinese descent. Its strategic location at the mouth of the Tha Chin River made it a prime site for maritime trade. To this day, Lang-Ka-Su remains a widely recognized informal name for the area.

In September 2013, the wreck of an ancient Arab trading ship was discovered at a shrimp farm in Phanthai Norasing Subdistrict, Mueang Samut Sakhon District. The ship was named the "Phanom-Surin Ship" after the couple who owned the land. It is considered the oldest shipwreck archaeological site ever found in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

The ship is believed to date back to the 9th century, corresponding to the Dvaravati period, and serves as compelling evidence that the Tha Chin River was once a key maritime route linking the Dvaravati Kingdom with the wider world.

Geography The general topography of the district is a coastal lowland about 1 meter above sea level. There are no islands, mountains or minerals. The main watercourse of Samut Sakhon, Tha Chin River flows into the Gulf of Thailand at Bang Ya Phraek subdistrict. Neighbouring districts are (from the west clockwise): Mueang Samut Songkhram of Samut Songkhram province; Ban Phaeo and Krathum Baen of Samut Sakhon province; and Bang Bon and Bang Khun Thian of Bangkok. To the south is the Bay of Bangkok.

Environment Samut Sakhon province has more than 6,000 small- and medium-sized factories, many of them in this district. 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.

Administration Provincial government The district is divided into 18 subdistricts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 116 villages (mubans). No. Subdistricts Thai Villages Pop. 1. Mahachai มหาชัย - 40,986 2. Tha Chalom ท่าฉลอม - 7,570 3. Krokkrak โกรกกราก - 4,665 4. Ban Bo บ้านบ่อ 9 8,514 5. Bang Tho Rat บางโทรัด 10 8,500 6. Ka Long กาหลง 8 4,501 7. Na Khok นาโคก 6 3,639 8. Tha Chin ท่าจีน 7 10,984 9. Na Di นาดี 9 28,338 10. Tha Sai ท่าทราย 8 32,566 11. Khok Krabue คอกกระบือ 6 10,492 12. Bang Nam Chuet บางน้ำจืด 6 15,694 13. Phanthai Norasing พันท้ายนรสิงห์ 8 42,851 14. Khok Kham โคกขาม 10 24,918 15. Ban Ko บ้านเกาะ 8 19,715 16. Bang Krachao บางกระเจ้า 9 11,448 17. Bang Ya Phraek บางหญ้าแพรก 6 26,216 18. Chai Mongkhon ชัยมงคล 6 4,101 Total 116 305,698

Local government As of December 2024 there are: seven municipalities (thesaban), of which Samut Sakhon itself has city status (thesaban nakhon) and covers the combined area of Mahachai, Tha Chalom and Krokkrak subdistricts. Phanthai Norasing is a town municipality (thesaban mueang) and covers the whole subdistrict. Bang Pla is a subdistrict municipality (thesaban tambon) which covers only village 4 of subdistrict Ban Ko. Four subdistricts completely form a subdistrict municipality: Bang Ya Phraek, Na Di, Tha Chin and Khok Krabue. The non-municipal areas are administered by ten subdistrict administrative organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon - o bo toh).

Samut Sakhoncity mun. Pop. 03740102 Mahachai 40,986 Tha Chalom 7,570 Krokkrak 4,665 Total population 53,221 Town municipality Pop. LAO code website Phanthai Norasing 42,851 04740113 Subdistrict municipality Pop. LAO code website Bang Pla 7,650 05740103 Bang Ya Phraek 26,216 05740104 Na Di 28,338 05740105 Tha Chin 10,984 05740106 Khok Krabue 10,492 05740114 Subdistrict adm.org-SAO Pop. LAO code website Ka Long 4,501 06740107 Khok Kham 24,918 06740108 Chai Mongkhon 4,101 06740109 Tha Sai 32,566 06740110 Bang Tho Rat 8,500 06740111 Ban Bo 8,514 06740112 Na Khok 3,639 06740115 Bang Krachao 11,448 06740116 Bang Nam Chuet 15,694 06740117 Ban Ko 12,065 06740118

Healthcare Hospitals There are in the district: Samut Sakhon Hospital with 600 beds, Ekachai Hospital with 142 beds, Mahachai 3 Hospital with 180 beds, Jesada Vechakarn Hospital with 10 beds and Metropolitan Hospital Tha Chalom.

Health promoting hospitals There are total twenty-three health-promoting hospitals in the district, of which; one in every subdistrict, but Ban Bo, Ban Nam Chuet, Khok Kham, Ban Ko, Ban Krachao and Bang Ya Phraek each have two and Phantai Norasing has three.

Religion There are seventy Theravada Buddhist temples in the district. One in Krokkrak, two in Tha Chalom, Na Di, Khok Krabue and Bang Nam Chuet, three in Ka Long, four in Ban Bo, Na Khok, Tha Sai, Khok Kham, Bang Ya Phraek and Chai Mongkhon, five in Mahachai, Tha Chin and Bang Krachao, six in Phanthai Norasing and Ban Ko and seven in Bang Tho Rat.

Transportation The district is the intersection of highway 35 eastbound (Bangkok route), highway 35 westbound (Pak Tho district, Ratchaburi province), Ekkachai road (no. 3242) (Chom Thong district, Bangkok). There is Maeklong Railway a Wongwian Yai - Mahachai train service, starting from Wongwian Yai station, Bangkok, to Mahachai station (distance ) every day from 05.30-20.00 hrs, and a Tha Chalom - Mae Klong train service, starting from Ban Laem station, Tha Chalom subdistrict, to Maeklong station, Samut Songkhram (distance ).

References