Watersports at Lake Taco
By Richard Barrow 
Wednesday 13th May, 2009 | 398 words | Category: Samut Prakan | 5 feedbacks »
For people who are in Bangkok and feel like trying out some water sports, then it is recommended that you check out Beung Tako, otherwise known as Lake Taco in Samut Prakan. It is very close to the Bang Na-Trad Highway and so it is easy to go there by expressway or Sukhumwit Road from Bangkok. I was there the other weekend, and despite it being tucked away down a quiet soi, there were quite a few people on the lake. This included a number of foreigners though I got the impression that many of them probably live and work in Thailand.
If you want to go waterskiing then normally you have to also rent a boat and a driver. On a small lake, you are then probably restricted to only one or two boats. At Lake Taco they use a cable system which pulls you round a circuit that includes ramps and other obstacles. This means that at least a dozen people can play at one time. Then, as and when ropes become available, more people can join in. I guess it may seem to be boring to be pulled by a cable, but this system is certainly more efficient.
They also have wakeboarding at Lake Taco. This is a cross between waterskiing, snowboarding and surfing. It does look like great fun though I don't think it is as easy as it looks. Quite a few people ended up face down in the water after only a few seconds. But, some people made it look so simple as they flew up the ramps and did tricks in mid air. If you lose hold of the rope then you just swim back to the bank and go and try again. Or take a break at the restaurant.
At Lake Taco they have boards for all different levels. If you don't think that you can stand up then you could always kneel down. Though to me it looks pretty uncomfortable. However, this kid seems to be having a lot of fun. The cost is only 300 baht for two hours or 500 baht for four hours. There are discounts for annual membership. Prices are the same for Thai people. The basic boards are free or you can rent a wakeboard for about 200 baht. I have posted more pictures and a map at Paknam.com and also on our Samut Prakan Forums.
Do you have any questions about Thailand? Maybe you are planning a holiday or just want to learn more about Thai culture. Have all of your questions answered for free at ThailandQA.com. These forums are part of the family friendly Paknam Web Network.
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5 comments
To get there, for most people living in Bangkok, the easiest route is to go down Sukhumvit Road till you reach Soi 103 (Udomsuk). Carry on up the soi until you reach Sri Nakharin Road then take the flyover that connects to Chalerm Prakiart. Keep going until you pass the main entrance to Rama 9 Park (about 6km from Sukhumvit Rd) and you will soon see Soi 43. There is a large signpost for the centre, so it's hard to miss. Plenty of free parking and it's set in a huge park.
I think it's still 40 baht a year to become a member of the centre and maybe a few baht more for hiring a boat or windsurf.
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