Explore Damnoen Floating Market — The oldest floating market of Thailand

Damnernsaduak is believed to be one of a well-known and an attractuve travelling sites. Historically, Damnoenssaduak was actually the name of the canal dug in the reign of King Rama IV by the military men and the people of Rajburi, Samutsakorn and Samutsongkram Province directed by Phayasrisuriyawong, the minister of Defence. In those days without rivers and canals, transportation was almost motionless; King Rama IV with his great concern over the country’s future economic growth, he finally had the canal dug to connect the Taachin River in Samutsakorn Province and Maklong River in Samutsongkram Province together.

Bangkok city may be too popular with tourists. However, not everyone knows the way of experience to feel a “real” Bangkok. Along with Living Nomads walk in Damnoen Saduak – The oldest floating market in Thailand to explore more unique culture of local people here!

Besides bustlingly commercial centers, night markets are full of goods, necessities, “shopping paradise” Bangkok is also well-known for floating markets, the most impressive of which must be mentioned – Damnoen Saduak Fair. Photo Bangkok.com

Damnoen Saduak is a floating market that sessions don’t take place on the river but on the tangled canals of the district of the same name, 105 km from Bangkok, Ratchaburi Province to the southwest. This is considered a fairly busy street market and diversified goods. Market is not only a tourist attraction but also where visitors can buy souvenirs as well as discover the beauty of Thais’s life on the canals. Photo Juan Jose Rentero.

Damnoen Saduak floating market is located along the canals about 10 meters wide, flowing into the River. Both of buyers and sellers move by slow rowing junks, on boats filled with spices, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish… The wrinkled face old man wearing traditionally ancient hats made of palm leaves are who get great interest. Photo Wajahat Mahmood.

Damnoen Saduak is one of the long-standing floating market in Thailand. Photo Butch Osborne

The first priority of it is serving tourists, inhabitant’s trade mainly takes place from 6am with agricultural product and daily essential items. Photo CamelKW.

8am is the time for catering booths for tourists to visit. You can sit in the boat or take a stroll along river’s banks to observe the bustle in the river as you please. Photo CamelKW.

For those who love the country and Thai people all understand that the cuisine plays a very important role in Thai culture. When visiting the floating market, you will see a lot of mobile shops which sells from fresh fruit baskets, traditional dishes such as som tam, pad thai, roast chiken to other tasty dishes such as a coolly Western ice cream. Photo Grant Cameron.

That small and elongated boats full of cargo with travel junks high and low on the canal almost causes congestion. Someone can buy all sorts of goods from ashore and boat with a pole put up to receive money and move goods purchased for guests. Photo CamelKW.

Rowers deftly direct the boat dodging each other quickly. Just in short channels, the trafficking commerce in the market happens extremely vibrant and busy. Photo L F Ramos-Reyes.

On both sides of the channel is also fair, bustling and crowded, sufficient color, enough scent with stalls selling clothes, fruit, spice flavors…at affordable cost. Photo Kiwi Vic.

Damnoen Saduak floating market is very crowded with foreigners eager to learn and enjoy a few rounds through floating villages along the river. Photo Kiwi Vic.

When the boat bobs and separates small canals to flow into major rivers and weave through lovely village at river’s sides, the landscape appears peaceful. Photo Carlos Nizam.

The canal creates the floating market was formed in 1866 at king’s request in order to facilitate the move to arrive here. Floating market began to run in 1967 and up to now this place is always full of stuffy tourists from around the world. Photo L F Ramos-Reyes.

You can sit in the boat or take a stroll along river’s banks to observe the bustle in the river as you please. Photo Bangkok.com

Further information

Address: Damnoen Saduak, Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi 70130, Thailand
Phone: +66 81 196 5887
Opening hours: 07:00 – 11:00 (every day)
Plan your visit: People typically spend 20 min to 1.5 hr here

How to get to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi about 109 kilometres south of Bangkok or approximately 2 hours drive.

By Car: From Bangkok you can take Highway No. 4 (Phetchakasem Rd.) and turn left at Km. 80 for another 25 kms. along Bangpae-Damnoen Saduak Rd.

By Bus: There are public buses both air and non air-conditioned leaving from the Southern Bus Terminal. Pinklao-Nakhonchaisi Rd. for Damnoen Saduak every 40 minutes from 06.00 hrs. onwards. Fare is around Baht 49 (one way) for air-conditioned (tel . 435-5031) and Baht 30 for normal buses (tel. 434-5558). The most suitable time to be at the market is from 08.00-10.00 hrs.

Arriving at Damnoen Saduak, you can either walk on the passage along the canal on the right hand side or take a both at the pier nearby to Floating Market area at the price of Baht 10 per person. Those who want to see all the three of the Floating Markets, Ton Khem, Hia Kui, Khun Phithak may hire a boat at the price of Baht 300 per hour. It is recommended that the fare should be settled before starting off.

The visit to this market, especially noted for its fresh fruits from surrounding orchards, can be combined with a tour of the great chedi in Nakhon Pathom or Rose Garden which is on the same route, the show time at the Thai Village in the Rose- Garden is at 15.00 hrs. and admission fee is Baht 190 per person. This trip can be arranged through a travel agency or tour counter in most of the hotels in Bangkok.

Scam Warning (not applicable to all taxi drivers): Some unscrupulous taxi drivers may quote you a very cheap fare to bring you to Damnoen Saduak but will actually take a huge commission by driving you to unscrupulous boat operators which charge you an expensive longtail boat fee. The typical rate for a longtail boat could cost about 1000 Baht per boat but these operators might charge you 2000 Baht per person and put you together with other unsuspecting tourists who had arrived by taxi from Bangkok.

Another common tactic of the unscrupulous taxi drivers is to bring you to a boat operator whom they know will quote you a high price and then pretend to be on your own side by bringing you to another boat operator with a cheaper quote (but still very overpriced).

Best time to visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Ideally, you’d like to arrive as early as 7 am. Once the crowd rolls in at 9am, the boat traffic jam begins and it’s not funny. My most recent trip, the jam was so horrendous, the boats couldn’t even move. Luckily, I just watched the bottleneck from the bridge.

How much do boat fees cost?

Boats can range from a cheap row boat (around 200-300 baht) to a motorboat (600-800 baht, which at that rate, you’d might as well just take one of the many cheap budget day tours offered in Bangkok). You can definitely haggle prices lower. The boat rides are said to be around one hour and on your way to the market, you’ll pass through the khlongs and see some stilted houses. But as I said, the market itself is only a block long. If you’re looking more for a khlong tour, a better option is to take the three hour boat ride from Taling Chan Floating Market.

But take a look around the market on foot first. You may decide those fees aren’t worth it.

You can easily take photos from the bridge or on the walkway lining the market.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Bangkok you can refer to

• Bangkok City & Temples Tour by Tour East
• Classic Bangkok Tour: Floating Market, Elephant Village, Asiatique, & More by AK Travel
• Bangkok Old City Half Day Tour
• Bangkok Landmarks Day Tour: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chao Phraya River & More
• Bangkok Sky Train (BTS) One Day Pass
• Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link (ARL) Ticket
• [Sale] Private Suvarnabhumi Airport Transfers (BKK) for Bangkok, Pattaya & More by Oriental Holiday
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• Private City Transfers from Pattaya to Bangkok, Hua Hin, Koh Samet & Koh Chang
• [SALE] BTS Skytrain Rabbit Card
• Chao Phraya Tourist Boat Bangkok Hop-On-Hop-Off Sightseeing Boat
• [SALE] Chao Phraya Princess Cruise
• [SALE] 4G Sim Card (Thailand Pick Up) for Thailand
• 4G SIM Card (BKK Airport Pick Up) for Thailand (Unlimited Data)
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Are you looking for more Bangkok travel guide and top things to do in Bangkok: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Bangkok travel blog — The fullest Bangkok travel guide blog for a budget trip to Bangkok (BKK).