...Even without seeing the name of this photo album, I'm pretty sure everyone knows what the provincial motto is...

... "Samut Prakan Province," one of the peripheral provinces surrounding the celestial capital of Bangkok, boasts numerous fascinating and renowned tourist destinations. ... Due to its proximity to Bangkok, the capital city, and the intriguing stories associated with each location, as well as the diverse appeal of its tourist attractions... In this album, I will visit a total of four tourist destinations... The route is arranged according to the map illustration below.

1. Erawan Elephant Museum

2.Naval Museum

3.Dinosaur Museum (Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm)

4. The Great Stupa of the Ocean

...The first place to visit is the Erawan Elephant Museum, where you can admire the beauty of art that combines ideas and creativity. Then drive straight along the route to the Naval Museum to learn about the history of the Royal Thai Navy and naval battles... and continue on the same route to the Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm to visit the Dinosaur Museum, a small museum located in the same area. Before ending the day with a boat ride across the river from the Pak Nam area to admire the beauty and history of the Phra Samut Chedi in the middle of the water...

...One day driving and taking a ferry across the river, we are ready to go on a trip.

...The Erawan Elephant Museum is located on Sukhumvit Road (Old Road), passing Bang Phli Intersection before reaching Pak Nam Intersection... When driving, turn left and make a U-turn under the expressway. There will be a parking lot for tourists... with staff on hand to assist and provide convenience to those who park their cars.

...The museum will provide a shuttle service to take tourists to the front entrance gate for the convenience and time saving of museum visitors.

... ...The ticket booth will be on the front when you walk in... The museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The ticket booth closes at 7:30 PM.

...The interior of the venue is not very spacious. In the center, there is an area for people to pay their respects. ... There is a small garden on the right-hand side where people can sit and relax.

...For those who have already paid for the entrance ticket, you can receive flowers, incense and candles without having to pay extra. .. But if you want to make merit, you can do so...

...After paying respects, there is another step that will bring both peace of mind and smiles to visitors, which is "floating lotus flowers". The lotus flower receiving point is the same as the incense and candle receiving point.

...The rough meaning of the museum's flower arrangement for tourists is to fulfill their lives... Briefly, "Flowers are a symbol of abundance and auspiciousness... Therefore, water represents peace, coolness, and abundance, while flowers represent prosperity and abundance..."

...After the lotus flower ceremony, it is time to visit the museum itself...

...The Erawan Elephant Museum, with its elephant-shaped building, stands at a height of 43.60 meters, equivalent to a 14-17 story building. ...Therefore, it is not surprising that we can see the large Erawan elephant from the outside while driving along the road..... The museum is divided into 3 exhibition zones according to the floors, which are derived from the characteristics of the Traiphum.

1. The basement floor - the basement floor will be an exhibition hall. It is a place to display exhibitions and antiquities, such as Buddha statues, various deities. And this floor is not allowed to take pictures.

2. The second floor - the human world floor is the most beautiful floor with various arts through the hands of craftsmen.

3. Third Floor - Heaven Floor This floor can be accessed by taking a spiral staircase to the top floor.

...After taking pictures on the second floor for a while, I walked up the spiral staircase ... I can only say that I was a little dizzy because it was a circle all the way ...

...until reaching the 3rd floor, the topmost heaven... Upon reaching this floor, one will be met with the magnificence that lies ahead... This floor houses a collection of ancient Buddha statues. It also showcases artwork on the elephant's belly that tells the story of the solar system.

...The upper floor of the museum building may be a bit cramped in proportion to the size of the building, but it is equipped with air conditioning to keep it cool, which helps to reduce the feeling of stuffiness quite a bit...

...From the image in this comment, the middle image shows a glass cabinet housing the Buddha statues on both the left and right sides. The top image clearly shows the solar system drawn as described above.

...From the Erawan Elephant Museum, drive straight ahead for about 10 kilometers. The total driving time should not exceed 20 minutes. You will reach the "Naval Museum" on the left side of the road, on the same side as you were driving.

...An easy observation point is that when you look inside, you will see a large airplane parked inside... Then turn at the entrance gate, exchange your card saying that you are visiting the museum, and you can drive to find a parking space inside. ..

...After parking the car, we walked to the exhibition hall, which is divided into two buildings. In Building 1, there are two floors of exhibits, but today only the lower floor is open. Upon arrival, we first paid our respects to Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse (Father of the Royal Thai Navy).

...then listened to various bits of information from the security guard who provided the information...

...Inside the room, which is not very large, there is a display of various tools and equipment that were used in the past and are now out of service. They are displayed to provide information to visitors.

...as in the picture above is a decommissioned marine compass...

...The day I came to visit was a Sunday, but when I arrived, there weren't many people around. I only saw about 4-5 people during the almost 50 minutes I was walking around here... It was a bit disheartening.

...Perhaps because most people don't know they can visit, or maybe they're not that interested... So if your house is nearby or you have the chance to pass by, it's worth stopping by... Because the atmosphere inside the exhibition is so peaceful... It will be encouraging for the staff who are there to provide information...

...From Building 1, walk to Building 2, which is adjacent. This building has three floors of exhibition zones.

...and there are also model ships from various periods, such as the ships used in the royal ceremony of the Royal Barge Procession and various ceremonial ships for viewing in large numbers...

...As shown in the picture, it is a "noon gun"... During the reign of King Rama V, the firing of the noon gun was a way to announce noon by creating a loud sound, so that people would know the time and foreign traders in Thailand could set their time accordingly... Until later, when electricity and radio were available, the firing of the noon gun was discontinued.

...According to the explanation of the original security guard, it is also said that this is the origin of the word "far from the midday gun"...

...This image depicts the "first lighthouse of Thailand." According to the Hydrographic Department of the Royal Thai Navy, it is called the "Sandspit Lighthouse at the Mouth of the Chao Phraya River." However, most people generally refer to it as the "Sandspit Light." This light was in use until December 1, 1929, when it was decommissioned due to its dilapidated condition. It had been in operation for a total of 55 years and 22 days from the day it was first used...

...And the last piece on the 1st floor that I took a picture of was this "torpedo"...

...According to the information provided by the officials, it is a torpedo that Thailand imported from Denmark. This is because the mechanism and assembly evolution are of better quality... As for the firing range of this torpedo, it is a light 8 kilometers in a straight trajectory... Unlike today, where evolution has progressed, modern torpedoes can be steered according to the mechanism's instructions...

...From this floor, you can walk up to the 2nd floor, where the exhibition of various royal barges is located.

This floor will be a replica of a large and beautiful royal barge, the work of craftsmen during the reign of King Rama VI (King Vajiravudh). The Fine Arts Department has entrusted the Naval Museum with its care and preservation, and has also arranged for it to be open to the public.

...The details of the various royal barges will be very extensive. .. As for the exhibition area on this floor, there will be a fence for safety reasons. .. But we can take pictures comfortably.

...From the 2nd floor, we move on to the 3rd floor (Special Exhibition), which showcases significant naval battles and wars throughout history, such as the Battle of Ko Chang, the Korean War, the Greater East Asia War, the Battle of Ban Charak, the Heroic Deeds at Don Noi, and more.

...by creating a model diagram to provide an overall picture, with various information displayed on the walls...

...The layout of the third floor will be a corridor that can be walked on both the left and right sides, but the central area will be left open so that you can look down and see the royal ceremonial boat on the second floor.

...as in this picture, it will be a set of Thai diving suits, including weapons, military equipment, and other equipment arranged along the walkway.

...Each section will be cordoned off for safety and order.

...and finally, the Naval Museum in this picture...

...Like me, I don't know much about history, especially naval battles. I'm completely in the dark. But today I came to see it and learned something new to take back with me... Most importantly, admission is free here...

...And finally, the museum that I traveled to, but not the last of the day, would be the "Dinosaur Museum". It's not hard to find. From the Naval Museum, just drive straight along the road heading towards the "Crocodile Farm". There will be signs all the way. The reason I came here is because the Dinosaur Museum is located inside the crocodile farm.

...Upon arrival, park your car and purchase tickets to enter the crocodile farm. The dinosaur museum is located inside on the left-hand side after the ticket booth at the front.

...The front is beautifully landscaped with two large dinosaurs ...

... then enter the dinosaur exhibition room. There will be simulated skeletons and information about dinosaurs according to the types displayed. However, there are only a few of them.

...The room space is very small. And it made me a little disappointed with several things in the dinosaur museum...

...what's good is that it's a source of knowledge and information for children or anyone who is interested... And the matter of the space being smaller than expected because I thought it would be big and an open building.

...However, what disappointed me was the interior display of the room. The interior was very dark, with only small, dim lights. Plus, the air inside was very stuffy and not well-ventilated. And most importantly, it smelled very musty, probably because of the small space and lack of ventilation. ... For example, when I went there, a family with a father, mother, and child happened to come in. After entering, while I was taking pictures, before I even took 3 pictures, ... the family walked out immediately because both the mother and child said it smelled bad. ... I would like the museum to improve this if possible...

...After being inside for less than 10 minutes, I had to leave due to the air and humidity inside... and then I went back to the parking lot (which I didn't visit the crocodile farm inside because I saw the sky starting to get cloudy) so I hurried to the final destination of the day "The Middle of the Sea Pagoda".

...The route from the crocodile farm to the "Phra Samut Chedi" is a long way around by car. Therefore, I used the method of driving and then taking a ferry across the river, starting from the crocodile farm car park. Follow the small road until you reach a three-way intersection, then turn right onto Th. Thaiban, which leads to Pak Nam. Drive straight until you reach a roundabout, then turn left again and follow the road... On the left-hand side, you will see a sign for the ferry pier. You can find a parking space nearby.

...and finally arrived at the "Phra Samut Chedi"... or as it was called in the past, the "Phra Samut Chedi in the middle of the water".

...Although time has passed, the pagoda is no longer in the middle of the water as it was in the past, but this may be an advantage as it makes travel more convenient for those who come to visit and worship the sacred things at this Phra Samut Chedi...

...within the spacious area, lush with the green of the grass, and the location of the temple, the pagoda, when facing the Chao Phraya River, it is easy to find the beauty within the Phra Samut Chedi.

...They had been walking and taking pictures for a while when the rain started to fall, after building up for quite some time. And then it finally poured down...

...For those who want to visit the "Phra Samut Chedi", you can visit every day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM...

...In summary, for a brief history, I would like to conclude this article with a rough outline...

...It was another day to get out and explore near the capital city, driving around and stopping at various places, some for longer, some for shorter, depending on the nature of each attraction. I gained knowledge, saw new things, and learned about different stories that I rarely pay attention to in my daily life...

... ending with 3 museums and 1 religious site in Pak Nam, Samut Prakan Province... There were both impressive things and things that I think need to be improved to encourage more Thai people to travel in Thailand... For this album, I would like to thank everyone who stopped by to see it... Hello.