This province covers an area of 5,351 square kilometres. The provincial capital is 82 kilometres east of Bangkok. The province is renowned for its fruit, particularly its delicious mangoes.

Major Attractions

Legend says that there were three bronze cast Buddha images floating down from Prachin Buri, and they appeared at Sampathuan District of Chachoengsao. The villagers, after realising the situation, tied the three images with rope and tried to pull them out of the water but did not succeed. The three images continued floating downstream. The large one later appeared at Ban Laem of Samut Songkhram where the people of Ban Laem enshrined him at Wat Ban Laem. The small one appeared enshrined at Wat Bang Phli of Samut Prakan. The medium-sized one, Luang Phor Sothon, appeared in front of Wat Sothon. The people pulled it out of the water, but they did not succeed the first time. Then, a man with will-power built a small shrine for a ceremony to pay homage to Phra Phuttha Sothon; the people invited him and enshrined the image at Wat Sothon as can be currently seen. There are two annual fairs celebrating Luang Phor Sothon; one falls on the middle of the 12th lunar month and the other on the middle of the 5th lunar month.