You will take a day trip from Bangkok to discover two of Thailand’s best-known and most visited markets: the railway market and the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Throughout the tour, you will get closer to two very representative forms of Thai commercial life, combining local scenes, tradition, and a lively atmosphere.
The first stop will be the railway market, located in Mae Klong, a town situated about 70 kilometers from Bangkok. This old market is characterized by being crossed by a railway line, which forced vendors to adapt their stalls so they can quickly dismantle them when the train approaches and set them up again once it has passed.
During the visit, you will be able to observe how this particular system works, provided the train is running normally. The passage of the train will depend on the railway operations of the day, so if it runs without incidents, you will be able to experience one of the best-known and most surprising scenes of Thai markets.
Afterwards, you will continue toward the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, considered the most famous and touristic floating market in the country. There, you will learn about a tradition linked to the time when rivers and canals were one of the most important forms of transport and trade in Thailand, especially since the Ayutthaya period, when these markets developed around the canals of the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Siam.
Over time, and with the growth of roads and railways, floating markets lost their everyday role, but some preserved their importance as cultural and tourist spaces. At the end, you will return with a more complete view of these commercial traditions, having discovered two very different settings that reflect the history, adaptation, and lively character of Thai markets.