PLACE: Bang Poo Seaside Resort
LOCATION: Near the 37 kms marker on Sukhumwit Road
OPENING HOURS: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
ADMISSION: free

Just beyond the 37 k.m. marker on Sukhumwit Road is the entrance way to Bang Poo Seaside Resort. It is the army's rahabilitation and relaxation center but members of the public can also enter and enjoy its beautiful scenery. On the site are some gardens, a restaurant and a pier. Between the end of the year and April, large numbers of seagulls flock to the area and the pier is a popular place to watch and feed them. There is also a nature walk which you can go on. Early evening is the best time to visit when it is cooler and you also get a beautiful sunset as you look out across the Gulf of Thailand.

** Running south-east of the pier is a nature walk which runs alongside the sea for about 3 kilometres. This is an ideal place for bird spotters. It is about a 45 minute walk along the path to a small inlet where there is a fishing village. To save making the return trip back along the same path, walk through the small village to Sukhumwit Road and catch a songtaew bus back to the Seaside Resort.

(Above left): The entrance way to Sukta Pier. To the right of the picture is a spirit house which is for the guardian spirits of the land. Offerings are made to it every day. (Above right): People having a picnic in the gardens at the entrance to the pier. In the background is a restaurant.
(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. The photographs on this page were taken by Nattawud Daoruang.