Samut Songkhram at a Glance
Samut Songkhram or Mueang Mae Klong is a small province of 416
square kilometers and located only 72 km southwest of Bangkok.
There are more than 300 natural and dug-out canals It is a province
of fertile land, plants and food grains, vegetables and fruits, as well
as a vast variety of seafood and other products such as coconuts,
palm sugar, lychees, fish, shellfish and shrimp which are a source of
income of local people.
That’s why the people in Samut Songkhram province recognize the
importance of water for earning and living especially the people who
live in Phraek Nam Daeng subdistrict, which is on the seashore. It has
a plentiful fishing ring zone and also its inner plateau area has a black
fertile soil. Phraek Nam Daeng has three water zones: freshwater,
seawater, and brackish water. The water flowing naturally from these
natural sources creates a balanced nature. The people who live in
each zone of water have a different lifestyle and occupation.
Construction and Destruction
No one can dispute that water is our real need since we have realized
that human beings cannot survive without water.
So far, many communities have to rely on natural water resources.
Floodgates were constructed under the authority of the Royal
Irrigation Department after the government constructed Thon Buri-Pak
Tho road. The road separated the zones of fresh water and seawater
and also separated the zones of rice fields, snakeskin gourami (salid)
fish ponds, salt farms and shrimp farms. The balance of water flowing
in the natural water system was destroyed by the floodgates.