Laem Singh is a small seaside town sitting at the mouth of the Chanthaburi river on the Gulf of Thailand.

Consisting of little more than a handful of fishing boats, small concrete buildings and a stretch of long undeveloped beach, the town was the gateway to Chanthaburi in the days of boat travel a century.

The shallow river is one reason why Chanthaburi has remained relatively small -- only boats of the shallowest draught were able to navigate the waters upriver. At that time the French had a small garrison at Laem Singh which served as an officer's residence and a small prison.

Today the immaculate red building, known as Chanthaburi Customs House, sits in the centre of Laem Singh on the road running beside the beach.