Located in the province of Thailand, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is a must-visit destination for travelers looking to experience the vibrant culture and unique atmosphere of a traditional Thai market. This iconic market offers a glimpse into the country’s rich history and provides an opportunity to immerse oneself in the local way of life.
Getting Ready
It was not our first time to visit the Thailand – the Land of Smiles. The last time I was there was for a business trip, pre-pandemic around 2018. There’s always a unique feeling when you stroll down the city of Bangkok. So this time, my husband and I decided to see and experience the unique Floating Market.
This was the second day of the trip, had to wake up early for the hotel breakfast (we had A LOT since I know that I’ll be out the whole day for the countryside tour). At around 8:15AM, we are all set for the tour. I remember packing my things night before – sunglass, cap and face sun block. We all know that Thailand weather is similar to Philippines — so I’m already expecting Summer feeling for this country-side tour.
We booked this tour via Klook. Need to be at the meet-up area at 9:00 AM since we are just joining a group tour. Meet up place is Siam Paragon so we had to book a Grab ride which cost us around 140THB from our Hotel Baiyoke Sky. It was very easy to spot Klook staff at the meeting place – they wear blue colored shirts with Klook logo. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with smile. We had to wait a few more minutes before we finally escorted to the bus.
Okay, so the bus is excellent. We were given free bottled water and had the best tour guide.. Ms. Som!! She speaks English fluently so it was not difficult for us to understand her during the entire trip. The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is situated about 100 kilometers southwest of Bangkok, making it easily accessible for tourists staying in the capital city. The market is renowned for its bustling waterways, where vendors sell a wide variety of goods and fresh produce from their boats. It took us around 2 hours from Siam Paragon to the Floating Market. Traffic was not that bad since, I guess, it’s still early . we’ll I’m expecting more intense traffic later when we go back to Bangkok!
Okay, so when we arrived at the Floating Market Tour, we were organized into smaller groups. One group has 6 persons. While waiting for the boat, we were given native coconut snack – nice thumbs up.
Start of Floating Market Tour
Ms. Som, our tour guide was very excited for all of us to experience this floating market. So finally, our number was called and yes – we hurried to take the front seat of the boat! Was actually expecting manual paddle boat haha however, the boat was already a motorized boat. Okay fine .. so it was breeze for us to actually navigate the canals. Everyone inside the boat (by the way, all of us are Filipinos in the group) were all excited – mobile phones and cameras area all out to capture the unique charm of this traditional Thai market.
One of the highlights of visiting the floating market is taking a long-tail boat ride along the canals, which allows visitors to explore the market at a leisurely pace. The boat ride offers a unique perspective of the market, allowing travelers to witness the vibrant colors, hear the lively chatter of the vendors, and experience the hustle and bustle of the market up close.
All set, so off we go! It was a breeze navigating through the network of canals since we were using motor boat. Both sides of the canal, you will see vendors selling souvenirs and fresh products. You know you are in the floating market because good here are priced higher than the usual local Bangkok markets like those you see in Pratunam area. We were also surprise to see manual paddled boats there – well, should be more exciting to ride that but I could not imagine also how difficult it is to navigate with 6 people inside the boat.
As you navigate through the market, you’ll come across a wide range of products, including fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, handicrafts, and traditional Thai street food. This is the perfect opportunity to try some of the local delicacies, such as pad Thai, coconut ice cream, and mango sticky rice.
Shopping for Souvenirs
“Tao-rai”, this is “how much?” in Thai language.. this phrase was very while in Bangkok! Well, I was not really into souvenir shopping so I was not able to get something from the river tour. Although I was actually captivated by the paintings that were displayed in almost all of the vendor stalls there – you know it’s from Thailand if you see elaborate and unique patterns inspired by the beauty found in nature and also not to forget Buddha paintings. It was really a great experience – very unique experience seeing Thai paintings, decorative arts, crafts, ceramics and textiles while riding and navigating the canals of this floating market.
The boat man will stop on some of the stalls so we’ll get to see and haggle with the vendor. I remember our tour guide mentioned that good there are priced higher so we need to haggle and ask for 30-40% discount of the actual price. Okay, I’m not good at getting discounts – so I was not able to get anything from the local markets here.
While the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market can get crowded, especially during peak tourist seasons, the experience is well worth it. The market offers a unique glimpse into Thailand’s cultural heritage and provides an opportunity to interact with the friendly locals.
Off to Original Floating Market
By the way, there are already 2 floating markets – they have the new floating market (man-made and this was the first floating market when you start the tour) and the old or original floating market. You will see a sign “the Original Floating Market” . We were dropped-off at this point. Out of the boat and we were given around 45-minutes to rest and have lunch.
It was already almost noon so the timing is just right. When we got off the boat, we hurried to the restaurant area. Of course, we are still looking for my favorite – Phad Thai! There were vendors also selling souvenirs here – surprisingly price here was relatively lower than the prices at the river market. Okay, we saw this restaurant offering several types of Phad Thai. We ordered Chicken Phad Thai and I think Pork Phad Thai – order served after 20 minutes. After this light lunch, also ordered Thai ice cream (2 flavors – chocolate and coffee flavors. Ice cream perfect for the hot weather!
We stepped inside the bus again excited for the next stop of this country-side tour. It is market is relatively near the next stop – the railway market tour.
A Must Try Experience
This Floating market tour is a must! Should have experienced this earlier! Try this tour and get a glimpse of traditional Thai way of life and authentic shopping experience!
Whether you’re a food lover, a shopaholic, or simply looking to immerse yourself in the local culture, a visit to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is an experience not to be missed during your trip to Thailand.