The short version
Samut Prakan is a large province and urban area where factories, old river settlements, new housing and the coast all belong to the same administrative label. The northern edge near the BTS is the easiest introduction. Farther south and east, life becomes more industrial, spacious and car dependent.
Pick the corridor
Pak Nam has the strongest town identity, with the river and civic centre close by. The Sukhumvit road corridor is more linear, mixing apartments, workshops and commercial strips. Industrial estates and port related traffic matter in the outer parts. A listing that says Samut Prakan tells you almost nothing until you know the road and the journey’s direction.
Getting around
The BTS Sukhumvit Line continues to Kheha, which is valuable for residents near the stations. Roads and buses remain essential beyond that corridor. The line makes central access possible, but not necessarily quick from a distant soi. Cars help with family and industrial journeys, while parking is less difficult than in central Bangkok.
My verdict
Samut Prakan works for residents who want lower intensity and have a south eastern routine. It is less suitable for a central Bangkok social life. I would choose Pak Nam or a station linked pocket, and accept that the province’s scale makes “nearby” a relative term.