Thailand is known for it’s amazing markets and the Bangkok floating market was top of my list! I had heard a lot of mixed reviews from friends & fellow bloggers so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. So on our second day in Bangkok, Joe and I decided to check it out for ourselves.
We booked our tour to the Damnoen Saduak floating market through an agent just off of Khao San Road for 300฿ each the night before and were picked up at our guesthouse a little after 6:30AM. We purposefully picked a tour that left a bit on the earlier side, as we had heard that the markets get more crowded as the day goes on. The market is just a little less than a two hour drive from Bangkok.
See also: A Love Letter to Bangkok
Apparently, the floating markets used to primarily sell fruits to locals living in the suburbs of Bangkok. However, the secret of these beautiful markets got out and tourist started to visit, leading to a rapid decline in the authenticity. You can see this for yourself, with many of the vendors pedaling colorful chopsticks and tacky I <3 Thailand shirts, but if you look hard enough you can still find the bits of the old market that remain.
When we arrived at the markets we were immediately ushered onto paddle boats that took us down the river to some of the farther out stalls. We saw some beautiful crafts and the amount of tasty food options was overwhelming.
My favorite part of the market was the chaos. We had to navigate these tiny canals, trying to avoid a long-tail traffic jams, while flagging down boats to order bits of fresh mango.
After our boat tour, we were given free time to explore the markets on land. You can navigate the markets on foot entirely if you want, but I thought it was exciting to get on the river and be in the middle of the action. Walking along the river did give us a better angle for pictures and allowed us to pursue some beautiful souvenirs.
We were then loaded onto a motorized long-tail and given a tour of the beautiful houses on the back canals of the market. The houses were absolutely stunning and it was nice to see how the people live and breathe the river in their daily life.
Tips for the Bangkok Floating Market-
- If booking a tour, try to get one that leaves early as the markets get more and more crowded as the day goes on. You don’t want to spend your whole time waiting for a boat.
- Barter hard. Better yet, save your money to spend on souvenirs elsewhere in Bangkok, as the prices at the floating market are triple what you’ll find at MBK or Khao San Road.
- Definitely try the food! Some of the best mango sticky rice I had in Thailand came from the nice lady in the second picture.
- You can also ride a public bus or a private taxi to the markets if you want to DIY it. Johnny at OneStep4Ward has a good guide for this.
Watch the video of our tour of the Bangkok floating market below:
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Wow, it *does* look chaotic! Thailand has been on my bucket list for a while, so I’ll definitely stop by the floating market if / when I’m there!
Vicky @ A Backpack Full of Adventures recently posted…The Top 7 Best Day Trips Within Reach of London
Definitely do! Bangkok has amazing shopping experiences that are so worth checking out 🙂
Kassie- The Fly Away Life recently posted…Discovering Bangkok’s Floating Market
This market looks like the most beautiful and fun kind of chaos. It’s good to know that the prices for souvenirs are so high. Truly unique.
It was such a beautiful market! Definitely more of a tourist attraction but still loads of fun and very interesting.
I’m so sad we missed this while there in August! Looks so beautiful. There are so many awesome places near Bangkok, it’s hard to pick what to do!
Guess it’s just a good excuse to go back, right?
I also did this when I visited Bangkok and I found it too touristy. The people were a bit rude when you didn’t buy anything and that made me hesitant to taste anything. I did like the boat ride to the further down stalls and boats at the end of the area. I do think everyone should go and experience it for themselves. You can’t go to Thailand and not visit a (floating) market!
These floating markets in Thailand definitely sound romantic. I’m glad you looked beyond the typical tourist fare and tried the food as well. Never had mango sticky rice but it sounds like something a Caribbean girl like myself would appreciate.
Wow! I would love to check them out sometime. They look so colorful and chaotic at the same time. Your Video was really fun to watch.
Aww thanks! Glad you enjoyed. It was fun to make 🙂
It looks like so much fun! When we visited it was during the trouble with the red shirts (2010) and we found the vendors to be quite pushy. I think it was because they were struggled with reduced tourist numbers, but it was nice to still be able to experience the market. I’d love to go back and see it at full operation.
Vicki Louise recently posted…Travel Photo Tuesday (Ep.50) feat. @clsitchyfeet
We went to the exact same market and your pictures make me want to rush back again! Bangkok is such an incredible city and love that this is just a drive away!
Katie recently posted…BACKPACKING ASIA – 40 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING ASIA
The markets will still be such an authentic part of Thailand. I say this, but also agree that seeing all the tacky souvenirs takes some of the cultural magic away from them. I too thought they were chaotic and that part of them makes it truly a part of this crazy city. I loved Bangkok and hope to head back someday.
I’m so happy to hear you love Bangkok! It gets such a bad rep with a lot of travelers but it stole my heart from the moment I stepped foot in it.
My friend just got back from Bangkok and was showing me exact pictures of this. How cool, I wish we had stuff like this in America. I can’t imagine just floating down the river buying produce!