Bang Saen - Seafood, Thai-style Beach Life, Markets and Hell Garden

Just an hour from Bangkok Bang Saen is THE place to go for fresh seafood and to observe local Thai tourists on their day out at the beach.

No beautiful white beaches here, and the sea is not very clean, but it's a very long stretch of seaside with lots of palm trees, beach chairs under umbrellas, plenty of shells and all kinds of entertainment for the kids like floating tubes, kites, and banana boats. Adults usually cover up and just eat their seafood under the umbrellas. When the tide is low you may see people collecting crabs or looking for coins with metal detectors.

Besides fresh seafood everywhere, there are lots of markets, like the local Nong Mon fresh market (day), Bang Saen Walking Street and the local version of the Chatuchak weekend market (both at the weekends in the evening).

I also found a small Hell garden in the Wat Wang Saen Suk showing the gruelling punishments in afterlife in (Buddhist) hell (with lots of English explanations), peaceful life in heaven, Thai proverbs and a whole set of Chinese gods.

Most activities in Bang Saen only take place at the weekends.