I knew little about Thailand before. Besides ladyboys, I couldn’t seem to recall anything that stood out. However, a Thai epic film, “The King and I,” completely overturned my stereotypical impression of Thailand.
The film immediately captivated me: The long-tailed boat fleet of the Ayutthaya dynasty slowly sailed across the Chao Phraya River, the oarsmen were neat and unified; the people rowed in small boats, and when two boats met, they exchanged goods with each other, ancient Siamese folk songs echoed through the jungle… The history of Thailand must be inseparable from the element of water, this nation has too much connection with water.
Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country in the tropics with many rivers. In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, especially during the rainy season when the roads were extremely muddy and difficult to travel, becoming a major problem for people to travel for a long time.
Siamese people, according to the local climate and terrain, gradually developed a water trading model: Villagers from nearby villages would each row their small boats to a designated place and conduct boat-to-boat transactions on a regular basis. I’ll give you a few heads of cabbage, you give me a few mangoes, and the transaction is complete.
In the 21st century, with the advent of airplanes, railways, highways, and ships, modern civilization has drastically changed human life, but this ancient way of trading has been well preserved. This is the sparkling pearl of Thai culture – the floating market.
In terms of terrain, Thailand is generally higher in the north and lower in the south. The north is dominated by mountainous areas, the south by plains, and rivers generally flow from north to south. For example, the Chao Phraya River, Thailand’s mother river, originates in the Shan Plateau in northwestern Thailand, passes through Ayutthaya, the ancient capital, and Bangkok, the current capital, before finally reaching the Gulf of Thailand.
Therefore, with Bangkok as the core, the surrounding rivers in Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya, Chonburi, etc., have formed a natural dense network of waterways in the river delta area. Therefore, the floating market, this Thai culture, was born in these waterways.
With Bangkok as the center, there are countless large and small floating markets scattered in the neighboring provinces. Some have been developed and are well known, becoming famous tourist destinations; others are unknown, still retaining their most authentic atmosphere.
Among them, the most famous are Pattaya Four Regions Floating Market, Bangkok Taling Chan Floating Market, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Amphawa Floating Market, Tha Kha Floating Market, etc. Each floating market has its own uniqueness. Next, please follow my footsteps to analyze several floating markets that travelers may go to experience, see what’s different about them, and how to choose to visit.
Keywords: Cultural Mosaic, Man-Made, Must-See for Group Tours
Address: 451/304 Moo 12, Sukhumvi Road | Nongprue, Banglamung, Pattaya 20150, Thailand
How to Get There: Join a group tour, hire a car from Pattaya city center, take a taxi.
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm daily
This is also known as the Four Regions Floating Market or the Durala Floating Market, located about 7 kilometers south of Pattaya Beach Walking Street on Sukhumvit Road. When it comes to Durala, do you understand it instantly? In “Durala’s Promotion,” the company’s collective trip to Thailand, the protagonist accidentally broke a vase and was chased by Thai muscle men through the entire market. Was that scene particularly funny? The scene was shot in the Four Regions Floating Market in Pattaya.
As one of the most famous tourist destinations in Thailand, Pattaya’s most special feature is that the market is divided into several areas. When you follow the signs and walk along the water trails, you will reach the distinctive areas of different regions of Southeast, Northwest, Northeast, and Southwest Thailand. The style of shops in different areas will also be slightly different. For example, the northern region will have a clear Lanna kingdom style of Chiang Mai.
If you pay close attention, you’ll find that the goods and food sold in each area are different. Although Thailand is not very large in size, the huge geographical differences between north and south, human history, have created huge differences in cuisine. For foodies, being able to choose so many different kinds of food at once is also a big attraction of the Four Regions Floating Market.
It should be noted that the Four Regions Floating Market is not a real “floating market”, because there was originally no waterway in this place, it was entirely built by hand-dug waterways. Therefore, this place should be understood more as a theme park, which is also why there are all Chinese tourists here, almost all Bangkok-Pattaya regular tour groups will come here, and, if you go by yourself, you need to pay for tickets!
Man-made theme park, not a traditional floating market, rich in content, suitable for the shortest time to check in the Thai food from all over the country, but not suitable for in-depth experience, self-guided tours require tickets.
Keywords: Bangkok Suburbs, Local Market, Average Size
Address: 324 Chakphra Rd, Bangkok, Thailand
How to Get There: 1. Bus No. 79, take it at Siam Center or Central World; 2. Take a boat from Tha Chang Pier, which is located in the northwest corner of the Grand Palace; 3. Take a taxi or hire a car.
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays
There is a joke in Thailand that if you are wandering around the Grand Palace, you are likely to be approached by a local tour guide who will try to chat you up in broken Chinese: “The Grand Palace is closed today, let me take you by boat to visit other temples and floating markets.”
Of course, the Grand Palace is open every day, but saying that Bangkok has floating markets is not a lie. The Taling Chan Floating Market (Ta Ling Chan Floating Market), located in the suburbs of Bangkok, on the western tributary of the Chao Phraya River, is one such example.
This was originally a fruit market in the suburbs of Bangkok, commonly known as a local vegetable market. Later, on weekends, more and more tourists began to visit. Over time, the market began to sell food and other daily necessities besides fruits.
Compared to the Four Regions Market, this is more localized, with fewer hordes of domestic tourists, more locals, so the prices are relatively fair. However, the market is not very large, and the food selection is less than other floating markets, most of the things are sold on the shore. Because it is more geared towards local people, there are not many shopkeepers who speak English, you can only communicate using simple English numbers and general body language.
If you are in the Bangkok city center and don’t want to leave the city, the Taling Chan Floating Market might be a good choice. Take a boat from the Chao Phraya River pier to see the scenery along the way to the suburbs and see the local people’s living environment, it’s also fun.
One of the closest choices from Bangkok, more local people but not very large, smaller water area, take a boat from the Grand Palace to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Keywords: Local Morning Market, Simple Shopkeepers, Inconvenient Transportation
Address: Moo 2 | Tha Kha, Amphawa 75110, Thailand
How to Get There: Hire a car, take a MINIVAN from Bangkok to Amphawa and get off halfway before taking a taxi.
Opening Hours: Weekends, 6am – noon
Traveling west from Bangkok, Ratchaburi is Thailand’s smallest province, but it is a truly watery province.
The Tha Kha Floating Market (Tha Kha Floating Market) is a relatively obscure floating market for Chinese tourists, located in the depths of the Ratchaburi waterway network, about 10 kilometers from Amphawa. Due to the relatively inconvenient transportation, it is quieter here, with fewer foreign tourists, it is almost a market for local people.
The villagers near the market still rely mainly on agriculture, so the goods you can see here are mainly fruits and vegetables, spices, woven baskets, and some snack stalls on the shore. The category of goods is not so much, but the shopkeepers are all simple local villagers, no need to worry about things like being cheated, it’s like coming to a simple small rural area. People from Thai cities also come here on weekends to relax, you can also choose to take a boat tour of the narrow canal waterways here, which is another kind of fun.
A very local floating market, simple folk customs, strong rural atmosphere, open on weekends and special dates, but the transportation is not very convenient.
Keywords: Large Scale, Unique, Commercialized
Address: Damnoen Saduak 70130, Thailand
How to Get There: Join a group tour, hire a car, take a Minivan from the Thonburi (Thonburi) long-distance bus station in southern Bangkok.
Opening Hours: Every morning, 6am – 12pm
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is located about 90 kilometers west of Bangkok. It is probably the most lively and most frequently appearing floating market in Thailand, and it is also the filming location of 007 and “City Hunter”.
This is a real “floating market”, the core waterway of the market is very narrow, the vendors wearing straw hats slowly row their small boats, shuttle back and forth in the narrow waterway, leisurely trading. The most important thing is that here you can see the real boat to boat parallel, boat to boat trading scene.
Along the river bank, there are also many shops selling various clothes or souvenirs. Damnoen Saduak has done a good job of preserving the former appearance of the floating market. At the same time, you can also take a boat to visit the nearby fruit orchard, or go to see the coconut sugar making process. However, with high popularity, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is now also quite commercialized and very crowded. Most importantly, shopkeepers may have a tendency to cheat, so non-local tourists need to be vigilant when visiting.
Large in scale and open every day, the most famous floating market, a wide variety of goods, the feeling of water trading is well preserved, but you need to get up early to go there, and there is a tendency to cheat, you need to pay special attention.
Keywords: Weekend Market, Cultural and Creative Gathering, Morning Alms-giving
Address: Prachaset rd., Amphawa, Samut Songkhram
How to Get There: Hire a car, join a group tour, take a Minivan from the Thonburi (Thonburi) long-distance bus station in southern Bangkok.
Opening Hours: Weekends, afternoon to evening
Amphawa Floating Market is located about 85 kilometers southwest of Bangkok, in Ratchaburi, Thailand. It is the second most famous floating market in Thailand after Damnoen Saduak. Compared to Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa is less commercialized, and many Thai locals also come here to visit and play, it can be said that it is the backyard of Bangkok. The only regret is that it is only open on weekends, weekdays will be relatively quiet, for foreign travelers, you need to pay extra attention.
Unlike many other morning markets, Amphawa gradually livens up after noon and reaches its peak in the evening as a weekend floating market. Compared with other floating markets, Amphawa has the following interesting places, worth exploring for tourists.
1. Creative Market
In addition to the traditional water products and food sales, Amphawa has a large number of restaurants, cafes, and creative handicraft shops along the banks, combining traditional culture with modern creativity very well. Tourists can explore the interesting little shops, or rest in a beverage shop when they are tired, or sit on the bank and enjoy a Ratchaburi River grilled shrimp. There are all kinds of snack stalls along the river embankment and nearby streets, which are also suitable for foodies to explore.
2. Ratchaburi River Cruise
The cruise ships that come and go in Amphawa are like buses, tourists can choose any cruise ship and sit down, and then take about an hour’s cruise, the price is very reasonable.
Along the cruise, you can see the daily life of the town: the locals lazily enjoy life in the riverside water houses, or local children jump into the river to swim without any scruples, they will surely greet you happily when the cruise passes by. This is also what impressed me most about my trip to Amphawa.
3. Charming Night Scene
There are many good guesthouses and hotels in Amphawa town and nearby, which vary in price, which is also a unique advantage of Amphawa over other floating markets, providing convenience for tourists who want to stay overnight in Amphawa and experience this charming town further.
As dusk descends and the sun sets, the shops along the bank light up one after another, this unique afternoon floating market only enters its most lively period at this time, and it is also the most beautiful moment of Amphawa. As the sky darkens, you can take a cruise to find fireflies in the depths of the canal, looking towards the trees on the bank, the flickering fireflies are lying on the tips of the leaves and branches, at this moment, leaving the noise of the city behind, only the quiet sound of frogs and insects and the beautiful night sky remain.
4. Morning Alms-giving
After staying overnight in Amphawa, you can experience the unique local water alms-giving ceremony early the next morning. Unlike many other floating markets, Amphawa has temples nearby.
Thailand, as a Buddhist country, people are extremely respectful of monks, all eligible boys even have to go to the temple to practice for a period of time. Long-term acceptance of Buddha’s baptism has made most Thai people optimistic and tolerant. Characteristic guesthouses and hotels on the banks of Amphawa River, will prepare offerings for the next day in advance, tourists can also buy a copy to show their sincerity, get up early to personally participate in this special experience. Every morning, monks row their small boats slowly to the town, local residents are already waiting on the bank, when the monks arrive, they will devoutly offer various offerings, very visually appealing.
5. Maeklong Railway Market
On Douyin, Ins, and Xiaohongshu, there is a well-known local Thai Internet celebrity check-in destination – Maeklong Railway Market. It is only ten minutes away from Amphawa, so it is a reasonable choice to combine the two places together.
Maeklong Railway Market is known as the most dangerous market in the world, and it is also a unique scene in Thailand. One second, it looks like a peaceful and ordinary living market, the next second, all the vendors will quickly move their goods away with the sound of the train’s whistle, and everything will return to normal after the train has passed by almost side by side.
Amphawa is an afternoon market, no need to rush early, you can take a boat to tour the Ratchaburi River, look for fireflies, if you stay overnight, you can experience the alms-giving of monks, it is more active than other floating markets, but it is only lively on weekends.
In addition to the above mentioned floating markets, there are many other known and unknown floating markets in central Thailand. They have been integrated into the blood of Thai people’s daily life, passed down for hundreds of years, and will continue to be passed down as a unique cultural symbol of the ancient Siam country.
As tourists, if you don’t have time to experience all the places, then choose the most suitable one! Whether you are in a group, independent travel, backpacker, or one day, two days, one month, there will always be one that suits you.
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