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I have told you a number of times that I like exploring areas of Thailand by using Google Earth. In particular I like exploring my home province in order to find new tourist attractions. There has been one place I spotted a while back now that got me really curious. You can see it in the above screenshot. At the bottom of the picture is the pier at Bang Pu. The road going from left to right is Sukhumwit Road. What is curious is the large green patch of land with a straight road going to what looks like a temple surrounded by some water. I asked so many people but no-one could identify this place. Finally, this afternoon I decided I should go and solve this puzzle.

From the road the entrance gave no indication of what lay beyond. I crossed a bridge but my way was blocked by a barrier which was padlocked. A sign in Thai said something like “Keep Out. Trespassers will be Prosecuted!” The place was deserted. From where I was standing I could just see a building in the distance but it was not clear enough to identify what it was. So, I ducked under the barrier and walked up the road towards the building. About ten minutes later I reached a small lake (in the picture the white road circles it). Beyond was the sala, which is a Thai style pavilion. I knew from the Google Map that it was surrounded by a moat. On the righthandside I could see a white bridge. On closer inspection I could see a black stone which had a carving of a person and an inscription in Thai and Chinese. It then dawned on me that this must be a kind of mausoleum. It must have been a wealthy local businessman. Puzzle solved!

For the past few weeks I have been using Google Earth to produce a photo tour of Samut Prakan. I have marked many of the tourist attractions in my province and also added many photos. You need to download and install Google Earth first and then download this kmz file. Have fun exploring my city from the comfort of your home. See if you can find my home!