questions about floating maket

[momtaz]

Hello guys,

I was searching about floating markets and found 5 places around Bangkok,

Would like to ask:

which one is the best?

how to get there?

how much the entry ticket?

are there tour packages with group to go there?

is it open every day? or only weekends?

any additional relevant information will be highly appreciated,

Thanks in advance.

 

[Denim]

If you have to pay an entrance fee to a floating market it is not a genuine one.

 

Floating markets as made famous by the tourist organization are to be honest ....a thing of the past. There are still many about but they are nothing like the ones that existed 40 years ago when they first became a tourist novelty.

 

However , any good tour operator will be able to offer you a one day trip to one. If you don't have your own transport these are not such a bad deal as to get to one otherwise by hired taxi ( they can be a long way from central Bangkok ) can be quite expensive as public transport to them can be very time consuming and confusing unless you can speak Thai well.

[asanee]

there are more likely to be around 30, depending on what you name close to BKK.

IF they aim farang, then they are open daily and will be thronged with the usual Chinese tourbsues

IF they aim local Thai, then its weekend only, mostly quite low key and may have ceased at all without any notice on www.

MOst are very hard to get there by local transport, certainly if you have no idea how that works and speekee the Thai. Plus that the hours often do not match very well with that.

Google for a site like bangkok-daytrips which has some descriptions of lesser known such places.

What is ''best''-how can anyone tell you if you dont tell anything about what you thinks is best? Just to make that selfie and run away asap?

However, the 2 in west BKK, quite close together, both only sat+sun (mostly mornings till around 15/16.00), just beyond Pinklao are probably easiest (not best) for a quick visit and general impression.

For a weekend out go to Amphawan, and expect to stay overnite due to its hours-thats evenings.

[allane]

I concur with both of the above posters.

- any place that has an admission fee is not a floating market, it is a tourist trap

- I was first introduced to the Damnoen Saduak F.M. in 1995. It is about half an hour northwest of Ampawa, just inside Ratchburi province; about a 3 hr. trip from central Bangkok. The market opens at about 8 a.m., every day. Be there then, or a bit earlier, to avoid the crowds from tour buses arriving at 9 or 10 a.m. If you have no car, the only practical way to see it is by going to Damnoen Saduak the night before.Take a bus from Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal.) Stay at the Little Bird (Noknoi) Hotel, just a few minutes walk from the market.

A caveat here; my last visit was about ten years ago.

Edited October 30, 2016 by allane

[JRinPDX]

5 hours ago, allane said:

I concur with both of the above posters.

- any place that has an admission fee is not a floating market, it is a tourist trap

- I was first introduced to the Damnoen Saduak F.M. in 1995. It is about half an hour northwest of Ampawa, just inside Ratchburi province; about a 3 hr. trip from central Bangkok. The market opens at about 8 a.m., every day. Be there then, or a bit earlier, to avoid the crowds from tour buses arriving at 9 or 10 a.m. If you have no car, the only practical way to see it is by going to Damnoen Saduak the night before.Take a bus from Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal.) Stay at the Little Bird (Noknoi) Hotel, just a few minutes walk from the market.

A caveat here; my last visit was about ten years ago.

I agree.  I went to  Damnoen Saduak about 5 years ago and totally enjoyed the trip.  While in the province, it's worth a visit to the JEATH museum; although a bit sobering. 

 

[AlQaholic]

I don't have any knowledge of floating markets around Bkk, But I would like to recommend a very nice "floating" market that is very popular with Thai people, it is located in Bang-Kla on highway 304 between ChaChoengSao and Panom Sarakam. It has been featured several times on Thai TV and expanded a lot after the first featuring on TV. It is only busy during the weekends and one should come early to avoid the crowds. Even though it has expanded it still preserves a bit of the original feel.

 

From beginning it was a traditional floating market with the longboats stopping at the shore, then they made a floating pontoon bridge with seating for eating which now have further expanded and the longboats are kind of permanently installed, but the food and shopping is still very good! There is a tour boat, you can sit and eat, take pictures and the boat will go around the BangPakong river in and around ChaChoengSao, highly recommend the boat trip, very nice, relaxing and cool.

I go there around once a month (it's on my way anyway) and rarely do I see any other "farang" and definitely no Chinese or Russian tourists.

Google it.

[craigt3365]

http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2012/11/new-floating-market-debuts/

 

http://theworldandhistuktuk.co.uk/bang-nampheung-a-floating-market-amidst-bangkoks-lungs/

[Grubster]

1 hour ago, AlQaholic said:

I don't have any knowledge of floating markets around Bkk, But I would like to recommend a very nice "floating" market that is very popular with Thai people, it is located in Bang-Kla on highway 304 between ChaChoengSao and Panom Sarakam. It has been featured several times on Thai TV and expanded a lot after the first featuring on TV. It is only busy during the weekends and one should come early to avoid the crowds. Even though it has expanded it still preserves a bit of the original feel.

 

From beginning it was a traditional floating market with the longboats stopping at the shore, then they made a floating pontoon bridge with seating for eating which now have further expanded and the longboats are kind of permanently installed, but the food and shopping is still very good! There is a tour boat, you can sit and eat, take pictures and the boat will go around the BangPakong river in and around ChaChoengSao, highly recommend the boat trip, very nice, relaxing and cool.

I go there around once a month (it's on my way anyway) and rarely do I see any other "farang" and definitely no Chinese or Russian tourists.

Google it.

This sounds nice is it all about food and clothing or is their some antique type collectables and traditional artwork there also? I like sampling the prepared foods, but clothing is a total bust for me. 

[AlQaholic]

48 minutes ago, Grubster said:

This sounds nice is it all about food and clothing or is their some antique type collectables and traditional artwork there also? I like sampling the prepared foods, but clothing is a total bust for me. 

No clothing whatsoever or maybe a little bit. Most sell handmade local things, nice for souvenirs I would think, wooden crafted stuff, baskets...all kinds of handmade stuff. cheap stuff and expensive stuff, trees and flowers. A bit of everything. I don't think I have seen any real artwork, antiques or collectibles.

Edited October 30, 2016 by AlQaholic

[Grubster]

1 minute ago, AlQaholic said:

No clothing whatsoever or maybe a little bit. Most sell handmade local things, nice for souvenirs I would think, wooden crafted stuff, baskets...all kinds of handmade stuff. cheap stuff and expensive stuff, trees and flowers. A bit of everything.

Oh yeah thats what I'm talking about, I bought a purse made from banana plants that was locally made and it was really nice. My daughter said it was the topic of conversation back home and maybe the coolest gift she had received. Then my Thai lady bought a purse made in our village from used 3 in 1 coffee sachets, We sent that and blew her mind again. I sent a set of old Thai bullet coins for my son in law and that was a smashing success. I love looking for cool stuff like that but usually it cost a bit extra as the Mrs find clothing she undoubtedly needs. Anyway Thanks for the tip, I will check it out. Oh I forgot to mention I did a dumb thing buying a tiger tooth for my grandson not thinking and am afraid to send it now.

                      

[chicowoodduck]

The only one that does not rip me off is the one ai do in my own bathtub....?

[jesimps]

Anyone who parts with a substantial fee to gain entrance to a market in the middle of a filthy pond, to pay way over the odds for tat has to be a mug.

 

[Asiang]

I visited few and they all suxx, will never go again !

 

 

 

 

 

[bark]

2 hours ago, Asiang said:

I visited few and they all suxx, will never go again !

 

 

 

 

 

Crowds and Hot

[tonray]

I have been to most of them. the only one I will go back to is the Don Wai market. Very nice and great riverboat cruise available...yes a floating market on a real body of water and not a man made stagnant pond.

 

http://www.touronthai.com/en/nakhonpathom/donwai-floating-market.php

[bandito]

I came here to live in 1976 and there was only 1 floating market, the original one. I think it was Damnoen Saduak? Never been there as the market was from 0400 til 0600 in the morning and you had the make your own way to go there. Bit early for me.

[bandito]

The floating markets from now are nothing else as tourist traps, as most other, so called, must see atractions are. That is the price of being a tourist country. One of the best examples is Spain, which was a dirt poor country in 1954, when I first visited there. Is a rich country now.

[mike324]

11 hours ago, tonray said:

I have been to most of them. the only one I will go back to is the Don Wai market. Very nice and great riverboat cruise available...yes a floating market on a real body of water and not a man made stagnant pond.

 

http://www.touronthai.com/en/nakhonpathom/donwai-floating-market.php

 

I agree, Don Wai is nice and river cruise was something like 50-60 baht and you can bring food on the boat. But Don Wai is a bit small. I would recommend Amphawa, its only 1 hour drive from Bangkok on a Sunday. There is plenty to do - loads of different food, river cruise, temple, and the famous train going over the market stalls. If you are more adventurous, you can even take a train there.

[momtaz]

Thank you so much guys for the shared experiences, ideas and comments,

In fact, I been once to such market few years back, I and 3 friends, we paid fees for boat and riding elephant, the package was quite high, each ticket was 50 USD or more, can't remember exactly, but was quite high price,

for this time, I have a couple friends visiting, and wanted to suggest them the best one with less risks to be into the trap again as we had,

Many thanks again, appreciate your contribution indeed,

[sandyf]

Of the ones I have seen around the south of BKK I think Amphawa is about the best, they also do boat trips out on to the river. At this time of year they have evening boat trips to look at fireflies but to be honest you do not see very much.

The one previously mentioned at Bang Khla is also quite good.

The man made one at Pattaya now has an entrance fee of 200 baht for foreigners.