The Maeklong Railway Market and the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

markets of Maeklong and Damnoen Saduak.

You will be picked up at the hotel by a guide and driver who will take you to Maeklong, which lies about 70 km south of Bangkok. On the way, you will pass several salt farms, as the stretch you drive along is less than 10 km from the coast.

After just over an hour’s drive, you arrive in Maeklong, where will discover a bustling market scene, where a wide range of products are sold including fresh fruit, vegetables, spices, meat, fish and souvenirs. The most fascinating thing about the market is that it partly straddles a set of railway tracks. When a train slowly approaches, you will be directed behind the red lines to ensure that you are standing a safe distance from the train. The market vendors have developed an effective method of folding their awnings and shop fronts back quickly and in a coordinated way to make room for the train – and it’s fun to watch. If time permits, you walk down to Maeklong Station itself, where the train stops until it departs in the opposite direction. A few steps from the train station and away from the tourists, you will find small charming stalls, where you can buy an iced coffee, Thai tea or the traditional Thai dessert ‘khanom krok’.

Back in the car, after a 30-minute drive you will arrive at the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market. The market takes you back in time to when water transport was the primary mode of transport in the area.

On arrival, board a traditional long-tail boat that will take you through the canals. You will sail past local wooden houses standing on stilts and into the Damnoen Saduak market itself. Wooden stalls with souvenirs and paintings are set up along the canals, and vendors sail around with everything from flowers to colourful fruit and coconut ice cream. Soak up the atmosphere, which is both chaotic and charming at the same time. Perhaps you will fall for something that you just have to take back home.

After a 30-minute boat ride, you disembark and continue on foot across the bridge to the other side of the market. This is where you will find the old part of the Damnoen Saduak market, which is known as Lao Tuk Luck. It is quiet and very charming, and you will find old, traditional wooden houses that will take you back more than a century.

Finally, you can stroll through the market and observe the traders in action, and learn about the local approach to buying and selling.

On the way back to Bangkok, you will stop off at a palm sugar farm and learn all about how palm sugar is made.

You will then be driven back to the hotel.

Duration: about 6 hours

This excursion is also open to guests other than TourCompass’ own guests.

We recommend that you book the excursion when booking the tour.