Category Archives: Floating Markets

Klong Suan 100 Year Market

(1) The old Klong Suan 100 Year Market in Samut Prakan Province sits alongside a canal that in the old days was the only way to travel between Bangkok and Chachoengsao. With the coming of highways the importance of markets like this one died out. However, the old shops have now been renovated and the market is now a popular place for Bangkok people to come and shop for souvenirs and to eat a variety of food. [MORE].

Wat Lampaya Floating Market

(2) In Nakhon Pathom Province you can find a popular riverside market called Wat Lampaya Floating Market. Most of the vendors are on land but there are a number of boats that are tied up. This is the way Thai people prefer to have their markets as there is more shade. When I was there the other year I didn’t see any other foreigners which helps to give a more authentic experience. It is also possible to join boat tours [MORE].

Bang Phli Floating Market

(3) The Bang Phli Floating Market in Samut Prakan Province is one of the oldest running markets in Thailand as it was established over 150 years ago. Like others it is more of a riverside market than a traditional floating market. However, the atmosphere of the old shops and rickety wooden bridges certainly make it worth a visit. For me the highlight here is the food but you can also join boat tours at the weekend.  [MORE].

Pattaya Floating Market

(4) When I first heard about the Pattaya Floating Market I thought that we would be getting another tacky and artificial tourist attraction built just to bring in the tourist dollars. However, I have been there twice now and the place is growing on me. The wooden buildings are built in different architectural styles and you will find that the shops in them are selling quality souvenirs and locally produced handicraft. You can also take a boat tour  [MORE].

Wat Takien Floating Market

(5) The Wat Takien Floating Market in Nonthaburi is another of those places where you are unlikely to find any other foreign tourists. It is open every day but it is definitely more active at the weekend. There are a number of boats tied up along the bank where you can sit and eat some freshly cooked food. It is also possible to hire a boat to take you on a tour of the local canals to see local life close up. [MORE].

(6) The most famous floating market for foreign tourists is Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi Province. If you want that picture perfect postcard shot I recommend this place. However, if you don’t want any foreigners in the picture that you must go there early. By 9 a.m. there is a traffic jam of tourist boats. Most people go here from Bangkok on tours that include the Rose Garden [MORE].

(7) A famous market that is actually in Bangkok is Taling Chan Floating Market. However, don’t go there expecting a canal full of boats with vendors selling fruit and other produce. This is more a riverside market that has a number of boats tied up alongside the pier. However, it is still a good place to go and soak up the atmosphere. The last time that I visited I also joined a boat tour from here [MORE].

(8) I think probably the best market I have been to is Tha Kha Floating Market in Samut Songkhram. Of all the so-called floating markets out there, this one has mant boat vendors selling to local people. It is much like Damnoen Saduak but there are hardly any foreign tourists here. This is because it is not so easy to get to and is not on many tour routes. I also joined a very cheap boat tour from here that was really enjoyable [MORE].

(9) One of my favourite markets for food is Don Wai Floating Market in Nakhon Pathom. Although they label it this way, I would much prefer to translate it as Riverside Market. You don’t have the boat vendors like what we imagine floating markets in Thailand should have. However, this doesn’t worry the Thai people. After all, it is too hot in the sun if there aren’t any shelters. From here you can also join a boat tour of the local river [MORE].

(10) I think the Thai favourite for a market is Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkram. I first went here about five years ago. It was popular and crowded back then, but mainly with Thai tourists. Hardly any foreigners. But that, of course has changed as word has spread on the Internet. I like the place. There is a mixture of riverside market and floating market like you can see in this picture. It is also a good place for a homestay. There are boat tours too [MORE].

(11) A short distance north of the famous Amphawa market is the Bang Noi Floating Market in Samut Songkhram Province. This is an old market that has been around for over one hundred years. Although it doesn’t get as busy as Amphawa, it still has a lot of charm with shops containing quality souvenirs and delicious food. It is a weekend market that is open from about 8 a.m. to late afternoon. You can also join boat tours here [MORE].

(12) Another old market, a little further north on the Maeklong river, is Bang Nok Kwaek Market in Samut Songkhram Province. Although it doesn’t have the hustle and bustle of its younger cousin at Amphawa, it certainly makes up for it with its old time charm and friendly shopkeepers. If you want to experience an old Thai riverside market without the crowds then its worth spending an hour or so here. Boat tours are also available [MORE].

(13) To the north of Bangkok there are two new purpose built floating markets in Ayutthaya Province. This first one is Ayothaya Floating Market.  It is conveniently next door to the Elephant Camp so you can do an elephant ride if you like before visiting the market. It is free to enter and wander around. There are shops with handicraft and souvenirs as well as lots of food. You can join boat rides and also watch scheduled shows [MORE].

(14) The second purpose built floating market in Ayutthaya Province is Ayutthaya Klong Sa Bua Floating Market. This one is only open at the weekends and is more of a kind of “dinner theatre” than a traditional market. You first buy food that you want from vendors on boats and along the bank and then sit down to watch one of the scheduled shows. Each one is different. This market has an entrance fee [MORE].

(15) Another relatively new floating market near Bangkok is Bang Nampheung Floating Market in Samut Prakan Province. It is built along a canal that flows into the Chao Phraya River. It is a good place to buy food and local handicraft. You can also rent out boats to go for a paddle on the canal. It is a weekend market that closes by mid-afternoon. Best to go early to avoid the crowds [MORE].

Another one of those riverside markets in Bangkok that isn’t visited much by foreign tourists is Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market. It is in the same district as the more famous Taling Chan Floating Market. I had never been there before and when I visited last Sunday I was expecting to find a quiet market. I guess the first sign for me that Lat Mayom is a popular place for locals to visit at the weekend were the numerous car parks. In 2007 it deservedly won the Thailand Tourism Award for Community Based Tourism.

It is probably best to go early as it got very crowded as the morning progressed. Like other markets, it is only open at the weekends and public holidays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. I was there shortly after 9 a.m. and even though some stalls were still being set up, it was easier for me to park and then explore the market. When you arrive you will soon discover that there is more than one area. There are numerous stalls around the car park, in an orchard and also along the canal bank.

Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market was set up in November 2004 after the local community saw the success over at Taling Chan. However, this one prides itself on being more of a green market. It is famous for organic vegetables as well as freshly-cooked food and home-made desserts. You will find vendors selling food on both the land and on boats along the canal. The stalls in the orchard area sell mainly local products and souvenirs under the OTOP banner.

The highlight of any floating market for me is the opportunity to eat some delicious food. Lat Mayom certainly didn’t disappoint. There were plenty of large eating areas that were served by vendors on both the land and on boats. It is always best to come here hungry so that you can snack as much as you like. There are so many temptations here. My favourite was Kuay Tiaw Kua Gai bought from a boat vendor. This is a wide noodle cooked in a pan with chicken and egg.

A visit to a floating market wouldn’t be complete without a trip on a boat. This is the best way to explore the local communities that use these canals as their life-line. If you want to just explore the immediate area then you can go on a small flat bottom boat for only 10 Baht each. There are no seats, just a cushion. You can also join a longer tour on a bigger long-tailed boat. This is what I did. The 90 minute boat tour costs only 50 Baht per person. They will leave as soon as they have at least 15 people.

We travelled quite far on our trip. We ended up in a small community where we disembarked so that we could explore on foot. We were first taken to an old house alongside the canal where we were told some of the local history. We then walked a bit further to visit Sawangchan Homestay. Here we were able to buy some food and refreshments being sold by the local people. It is a good idea to help support them. From here we continued on until we reached the canal again for our return journey to Lat Mayom.

Map showing location of Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market:

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Klong Lat Mayom Floating Market is located on the Bang Lamad Road (off Bang Khae-Bang Bua Thong Outer Ring Highway) in Taling Chan, Thonburi, Bangkok

By Bus: Take No. 146 to Kanchanaphisek Road and alight at the offices of Samakom Chao Pak Tai (Association of People from the South).
Then take a 15-minute songthaew (Rod Fai-Wat Pu Theun route) to Bang Ramat Road.

By Car: If you’re driving, take Kanchanaphisek Road and turn onto Bang Ramat Road when you see the sign for Natibunditiyasapa (the place where Thai law students sit examinations for admission to the Bar). I also saw plenty of meter taxis here if you don’t have your own transport.

A good excursion to do at the weekend is to visit one of the many floating markets that are within easy reach of Bangkok. The one that I visited last weekend is called Wat Takien Floating Market which is in Nonthaburi Province, to the Northwest of Central Bangkok. From Samut Prakan it only took us about 40 minutes to drive there along the Kanchanapisek Outer Ring Road. But, if you are coming from Bangkok, you can get there via the Rama V Bridge.

The floating market at Wat Takien is relatively new. There used to be a much older one nearby called Bang Ku Wiang Floating Market. However, that has long since closed due to the modernization of transportation during the last century. Once the roads and highways were built, people went from getting around by boat to travelling by car which is obviously quicker and more convenient. However, there is a growing trend these days to revive some of the old markets. That is why the local community opened this market at Wat Takien.

Many of these markets open early in the morning. However, even though we arrived there after 9 a.m., many of the stalls were still being set up. So we explored the temple first. In front of the chapel there is a giant tiger’s head which has a doorway which takes you underneath the building. Inside there are a number of different shrines. Buddhists here were walking around these shrines in a clockwise direction while chanting. They were doing this to bring themselves good luck. The exit was through the head of a giant dragon.

The market is open every day from about 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. However, it is a lot more active at the weekend. Probably best to aim to be there by about 10 a.m. But don’t have breakfast before you leave home. Like most markets, the highlight for our trip was the food. You could just snack all day long. You can buy food from one of the boat vendors or from one of the stalls set up in the grounds of the temple. I had a very tasty crispy and red pork on rice. For dessert I had deep fried bananas and a coconut pudding. All prices were very good.

For me, a trip to a floating market is not satisfactory unless there is also a chance to go on a boat trip along the canals. Only by exploring this way do you get to see the daily life of local  Thai people, which probably hasn’t changed much in a hundred years. Even today, most of the houses that we passed are cut off from the road and people have to use boats to get around. Even the postman and garbage collector has to use boats.Some of the houses we passed were more modern but many, like this one, looked like they have been around for years.

I don’t think that many people go on these boat trips. We saw the boats there but we had a hard time trying to find someone who would take us out. I don’t think Thai people like going out in the heat of the day. We eventually found this guy who took us out for an hour long trip for a low 200 baht. If this was Bangkok we would have probably been charged 800 baht at least. For the whole time that we were at this market, we didn’t see any other foreigners at all. So, the vendors and local people were really friendly and happy to see us there. It is not a major floating market, but it is a good escape from the other tourist traps.

Map for Wat Takien Floating Market:

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