Two Thai MarketsOne of the tours we always book for first time visitors to Thailand is a tour of two markets. After leaving Bangkok early in the morning, the day starts with around an hour's drive to the town of Maeklong. Here, there is a market offering locals plenty of food items. It is an interesting (if sometimes smelly) walk through the inside halls, lined with the more expensive stalls offering meat, vegetables and other items. However, outside is the highlight of the market for Westerners. Here, the market has spread out with cheaper plots of land and a wide variety of brightly coloured vegetable, still live fish and herbs. A closer look reveals that the stalls are laid out along a railway line, on which a train passes 8 times a day. It is amazing to see the calm efficiency with which parasols are folded back and people stand to one side to let the train crawl past. Interestingly, much of the food is left on the ground with the train almost scraping the top. You can stand between the stalls and watch as the train comes within inches of your nose - a great photo opportunity. Watch the video here.
After the relative paucity of tourists at Maeklong market, it's on to something different at Damnoen Saduak floating market! However, even though the floating market is aimed at tourists, it is still worth a visit, just keep in mind that this is not a market used by locals. |
Negotiate a price for a private boat (preferably not one with a huge tractor engine on the back - these damages the canal) and cruise for an hour or so up and down the narrow waterways. If you want to buy a tourist trinket, here is a good place to do so, although the prices are higher than elsewhere. Vendors float past, some noisily advertising their wares, others quietly contemplating the scene. With a variety of food on offer, including mango and sticky rice or hot curries, you should be ok eating here - although as ever, if you have a delicate stomach or a long flight the next day, it may be wise to avoid street food. Perhaps more interesting than the market stalls is the palm sugar factory, reachable by boat. Here, you can watch and learn how palm sugar is formed from the juice of the palm and taste the sweet sticky tablets formed. The floating market is a tourist trap, but worth a quick visit on your first visit to Thailand, perhaps even on your first jet-lagged day. For a more genuine experience, try Amphawa floating market, just 15 minutes from Damnoen Saduak. |