(Above left and right): Between October and February, large flocks of seagulls migrate to this area. The pier is a popular place to watch and feed the birds.
More photos: Restaurant at the end of the pier | Seagulls at sunset
The pier is also a historical landmark. On December 8th at 2:00 a.m., less than two hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour, Japanese forces began landing in Thailand. The 5th Division, 25th Army, landed at the cities of Pattani and Songkhla and on the island of Ko Samui in southern Thailand. The Guards Division, 25th Army, landed small elements at Samut Prakarn at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River south of Bangkok. The bulk of the Guards Division entered the country overland from Cambodia at the town of Aranyaprathet.
A small group of brave local forces rushed to form a defensive position just two kilometres north-west of this landmark. This group consisted of police, the army youth corps and civilian volunteers all from Samut Prakarn. Just before the two sides clashed, a last minute accord was reached between the Thai government and Japanese which permitted Japanese military forces to pass through Thai territory unmolested.