A traveller's reflection: 2016 Umphang Trip Day 06: Tak

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Saturday, 10 September 2016

2016 Umphang Trip Day 06: Tak - Samut Prakan

“If you don’t build your dreams, someone will hire you to help build theirs…”

(A photographer at work, looking for the best angle)

Day 06: 6 September 2016 (Tuesday)
Route: Tak – Samut Prakan
Distance: 445 km
Hotel: Hotel 444 Resort

We had breakfast of toasts and coffee at the resort’s canteen.

(A highway motel with ample parking space)

(Coffee break at Amazon Cafe)

Today we planned to drive to Samut Prakan to visit the Siam Ancient City and stay a night there. By 8:00 am we started driving towards south and stopped for an early lunch at Restaurant Aminah in Suphan Buri.

(A typical feature of Chai Nat)

(On the way to Suphan Buri)

(An accident on the road)

(Entering the city of Bangkok)

(Avoiding the busy city centre)

With Garmin assist we tried to avoid driving through Bangkok but at one point, had to take the Super Highway to avoid the massive after office-hour traffic jam in South Bangkok. The toll fare was B60. We arrived in Samut Prakan around 5:00 pm and checked in Hotel 444 at B570/night.

(Finding our way to Samut Prakan)

(The only hotel in the area)

As it was still early, we decided to visit the tourist attraction of Ancient Siam which is a short distance from our hotel, and enjoyed the half-price tickets from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm. The ticket cost us B350/person and to drive our own car cost us B200. Normally it would take 3 hours to cover the whole attractions of Ancient Siam. It took us two hours to cover less than half the attractions.

(The Ancient City, conservation of Thai's heritage)

(The entrance to the Ancient City)

(The Manohara garden)

(The Stupa of Pra Maha That, Surat Thani)

(Stilted house, the Scripture Repository)

(The Pavilion of the Enlightened)

(The dragons of Bodhisattva Avalokitesavara)

(The Royal water procession)

Ancient Siam is a park spread over 200 acres in the shape of Thailand. Ancient Siam is dubbed as the world's largest outdoor museum. Situated close to the Crocodile Farm in Samut Prakan, the Ancient City features 116 structures of Thailand's famous monuments and architectural attractions. The grounds of Ancient Siam correspond roughly to the shape of the Kingdom, with each of the monuments lying at their correct places geographically. Some of the buildings are life-size replicas of existing or former sites, while others are scaled down.