The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is Thailand’s most famous floating market. It lies about 100 km southwest of Bangkok in the province Ratchaburi.
The floating market has a long history. In the past, Thailand had a poorly developed road network and so King Rama IV commissioned the 35 km long Damnoen Saduak Canal. It connects the Tha Chin River in Samut Sakhon province with the Mae Klong in the Samut Songkharm Province.
The canal was completed in 1868. The fertile soil on the banks offered the best condition for a rich harvest. They farmers sold their products directly on the canal and thus the floating market evolved over time.
The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market also formed a backdrop for a hot pursuit in James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”.
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More InformationAs early as 1991 we visited this really beautiful Floating Market. In those days the vendors mainly offer fruit, vegetables, and fish. The local people came for shopping and the tourists played a subordinate role.
This picture has changed. Today it is almost exclusively a floating souvenir market and the tourists are so numerous that it often comes to a jam of boats in the canals.
After we have made some shots, we buy a bite to eat and look for a quiet corner.
If you experience the market for the first time, it may still be interesting to take a look, but it has lost its originality. What a pity!
The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is open daily 7:00 am to 13:30 am.
Anyone who wants to experience the market in more tranquility should get there early, because from 9:00 am numberless tourists arrive at the market.
Text, photos and video: Copyright © myVideoMedia
Love your post on the floating market. Our first trip to Thailand was 30 years ago when we were living in Singapore. We did lots of traveling all through Southeast Asia. Sometimes we were the only tourists is places that are now huge tourist attractions. I was in Singapore last year and the changes are staggering. Marina Bay is all on reclaimed land that did not exist when we lived there. There was no subway system when first arrived. One line opened before we left. Now it is a complete underground system!
Thank you very much.
It is really amazing to see the quick change, especially in Southeast Asia. Singapore is really a great example.
We were in Singapore in 1994 and the Stamford Hotel was the highest building. I think today I would not recognize the city anymore 🙂