Bangkok Top Five Floating Market

Over 30 years ago, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market featured in a classic James Bond chase scene was already a tourist attraction. To get to the market from Bangkok you need to board a bus at the Southern Bus Terminal. The journey takes approximately two hours. Damnoen Saduak is the tourist spot of floating markets. It’s not the most traditional; it’s a tourist haven and is home to throngs of foreigners at weekends. My no.1 Bangkok Top Five Floating Market.

Opening Hours: 07:00 – 11:00 (every day)

How to get there: Take a bus from the Southern Bus Terminal (+66 (0)2 434 5557-8) to Samut Sangkhram Ratchaburi province, 80 km southwest of Bangkok. You can then walk along the passageway to the market, or take a boat to the market pier.

#2 Amphawa Floating Market

Amphawa is the second most popular floating market near Bangkok, not as large as Damnoen Saduak but more authentic, with visitors almost exclusively Thai. This floating market is a little further from Bangkok city center, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles), but it’s well worth the journey which takes approximately one and a half hours.

It caters a lot more for Thai natives than foreign nationals, with the emphasis on Thai favorites, such as arts and crafts postcards and quirky cute clothing.

Opening Hours: Saturday – Sunday

How to get there: One-way trips can be purchased for 90 baht from the minibus station near Victory Monument, just north of the Century Mall. The journey will take around 1 hour and 15 minutes without traffic. Departure times are roughly hourly but depend mostly on when the bus is filled.

Return trips may be purchased in Amphawa. Be aware that 1) tickets back to Bangkok will sell out 1-2 hours ahead of the official departure time, and 2) your ticket’s departure time is not likely to be your actual departure time, since there is frequent traffic in the afternoons and the bus from Bangkok may be delayed by up to an hour.

#3 Bang Khu Wiang

Perhaps the best choice to enjoy a traditional Thai floating market without the touristy push is Bang Khu Wiang. Monks arrive by boat in the early morning on their daily ‘tak baat’ (alms round), and a variety of farm – fresh produce is offered.

Opening Hours: 04:00 – 07:00 (every day)

How to get there: One option is to rent a boat from Chang Pier (in Bangkok) and ask to be taken to Noi-Khlong Om-Bang Khu Wiang Floating Market. A cheaper option is to catch a boat from Wat Chalo Pier for a 45-minute ride to Bang Kruai (5 baht), which runs every 15 minutes from 05:00 – 20:00.

From there it is a 10-minute boat ride to the market. If boats don’t suit you, no worries as taxis and tuk-tuks are available for hire at the market.

#4 Taling Chan Floating Market

This market is still not become as big as Damnoen Saduak Floating Market or the Amphawa Floating Market. Located 12 km outside Bangkok it is still easily accessible without having to get on a tour. With just enough boats to be called a floating market and the right amount of people, it is still enjoyable. If you are the type who doesn’t like crowded place this is the market for you.

Opening Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 8 am to 5 pm

How to get there: Taxi is the easiest way but you can get on the BTS to Wongwian Yai Station then ride a taxi for about 17mn, or ride the bus for an hour.

#5 Khlong Lat Mayom

It’s like a garden oasis, full of green trees, cool shade, and it is in a much more relaxed environment than the two mentioned above. For the atmosphere, natural beauty, and most importantly for the food, Khlong Lat Mayom, a floating market located on the outskirts of central Bangkok, is one of my favorite floating markets in Bangkok.

Just like the two other markets around Bangkok, the definition of ‘floating market’ is a bit stretched. The place is, in fact, more of a riverside market. The actual “floating” part of the market is very quiet, while the non-floating part is massive.

Opening Hours: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

How to get there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Bang Wa station on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. From Bang Wa, jump in a taxi, tell the driver Talad Nam Khlong Lat Mayom. It will take about 15 minutes to get to the market and cost about 80 THB.