History

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is one of the largest and most popular floating markets in Thailand. It’s located in the Ratchaburi Province about an hour from Bangkok. The easiest way to get there is to take a taxi or join a tour. Either way, I recommend getting to the market early before it gets crowded.

The Damnoen Saduak Canal was built to connect the Maeklong river and Tha Chin river to support transportation and trade. The market became popular in 1971- 1973 when farmers started selling their produce on boats. Fast forward to today, locals and tourists are all enjoying the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Tour

I decided to book a tour because it was more convenient for me. The tour I booked also included the Maeklong Railway Market and the Death Railway. My day started at 5am, so I could be ready when the tour guide picked me up at 7am. At exactly 7am, the tour guide was waiting outside of my hotel.

The tour started with Maeklong Railway Market, which is about a 90 mins drive from Bangkok. After about an hour of exploring the Maeklong Railway Market, we drove straight to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. The adventure started when we boarded the longtail boat on the canal. The boat took us down the canal and through the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. I saw Thai-style houses, and vendors in longtail boats selling fruit, spring rolls, ice cream, and other goodies.

The boat ride lasted about 20 minutes before we had to get off. Once exiting the boat, there were many shops and restaurants lined up on each side of the canal. We immediately went to a restaurant, which was great because I was starving by that time. I ordered the Pad Thai, which was delicious.

After eating, we strolled through the market checking out the clothes, snacks, and souvenirs. My guide kept speaking about how delicious mango sticky rice is, so he decided to buy one for us to taste. At first, I didn’t know what to expect. After the first bite, I fell in love. It’s one of the best things I’ve eaten in Thailand. By the way, mango sticky rice is Thailand’s most popular dessert. I highly recommend trying it.

We ended the tour at the Death Railway. Where we took the train to a few stops, met up with our driver, and drove back to Bangkok.