# Mueang Samut Songkhram district

Mueang Samut Songkhram (Thai: เมืองสมุทรสงคราม, pronounced) is the capital district (amphoe mueang) of Samut Songkhram province, central Thailand.

## History

The district was established in 1897, then named Lom Thuan and controlled by Monthon Ratchaburi. In 1900 the district office was moved to a temple area in Ban Prok. The district was named accordingly in 1917. The office was moved again to Mae Klong camp, Mae Klong Subdistrict, and at the same time the name changed to Mae Klong in 1925. In accordance with governmental policy that the capital district name should be the same as the provincial name, Mae Klong district was renamed "Mueang Samut Songkhram" in 1938. Since 1964 the district office is in Tambon Mae Klong.
Thai local people still call Mueang Samut Songkhram by its old name Mae Klong.

## Geography

The district is on the shore of the Bay of Bangkok, at the mouth of the Mae Klong River.
Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise) Ban Laem Phetchaburi province, Amphawa, and Bang Khonthi of Samut Songkhram, and Ban Phaeo and Mueang Samut Sakhon of Samut Sakhon province.
Off the coast are the sandbanks of Don Hoi Lot famous for its endemic shell population of Solen regularis. The site has been listed as a Ramsar wetland since 2001.

## Administration
### Central government

The district is divided into 11 subdistricts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 87 villages (mubans).
| No. | Subdistricts | Thai | Villages | Pop. |
| 1. | Mae Klong | แม่กลอง | - | 25,623 |
| 2. | Bang Khan Taek | บางขันแตก | 12 | 8,593 |
| 3. | Lat Yai | ลาดใหญ่ | 12 | 18,602 |
| 4. | Ban Prok | บ้านปรก | 11 | 8,635 |
| 5. | Bang Kaew | บางแก้ว | 10 | 9,495 |
| 6. | Thai Hat | ท้ายหาด | 6 | 5,158 |
| 7. | Laem Yai | แหลมใหญ่ | 8 | 7,645 |
| 8. | Khlong Khoen | คลองเขิน | 9 | 5,452 |
| 9. | Khlong Khon | คลองโคน | 7 | 4,296 |
| 10. | Nang Takhian | นางตะเคียน | 7 | 6,143 |
| 11. | Bang Chakreng | บางจะเกร็ง | 5 | 4,386 |
| | | Total | 87 | 104,028 |

### Local government

As of December 2023 there are: two municipalities (thesaban), of which Samut Songkhram itself has town status (thesaban mueang) and covers subdistrict Mae Klong and Bang Chakreng is a subdistrict municipality (thesaban tambon). There are further nine subdistrict administrative organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon - o bo to).
| Town municipality | Pop. | website |
| Mueang Samut Songkhram | 25,623 | smsk-city.go.th |
| Subdistrict municipality | Pop. | website |
| Bang Chakreng | 4,389 | |
| Subdistrict adm.org-SAO | Pop. | website |
| Lat Yai | 18,602 | ladyai.go.th |
| Bang Kaew | 9,495 | bangkaewsamutsongkhram.go.th |
| Ban Prok | 8,635 | banprok.go.th |
| Ban Khan Taek | 8,593 | bangkhunteak.go.th |
| Laem Yai | 7,645 | leamyai.go.th |
| Nang Takhian | 6,143 | nangthakean.go.th |
| Khlong Khoen | 5,452 | khlongkhoen.go.th |
| Thai Hat | 5,158 | thaihad.go.th |
| Khlong Khon | 4,296 | klongkone.go.th |

## Healthcare
### Hospital

There is general hospital in Samut Songkhram with 282 beds.

### Health promoting hospitals

There are total nineteen health-promoting hospitals in the district, of which; one in Ban Prok and Thai Hat, two in Ban Khan Taek, Ban Kaew, Laem Yai, Khlong Khoen, Khlong Khon, Nang Takhian and Bang Chakreng, three in Lat Yai.

## Religion

There are forty-three Theravada Buddhist temples in the district. One in Laem Yai, two in Bang Kaew, Thai Hat and Bang Chakreng, three in Nang Takhian, four in Khlong Khoen, five in Lat yai, six in Mae Klong, Ban Prok and Khlong Khon and ten in Bang Khan Taek.

## Economy

Some people are fishermen or work in the twelve fish and seafood processing factories:
* Three in Mae Klong subdistrict
* Two in Ban Khan Taek subdistrict
* Four in Bang Kaew subdistrict
* Three in Bang Chakreng subdistrict