Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Train Market
Half Day Trip to Two of Bangkok’s Nearest Tourist Attractions – Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong Market
Finally, I went somewhere in Thailand I’d thought I’d never visit. It was a half day tour of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (ตลาดน้ำดำเนินสะดวก ราชบุรี) and Maeklong Railway Train Market a.k.a. Umbrella Pulldown Market (ตลาดร่มหุบ).
It’s a perfect combination as a short day trip coming from Bangkok, especially when you’re in the city for a few days. And it was a self-guided tour with good friends, so that’s the main reason why I went.
Because I always tell everyone that Thailand is an amazing country with many beautiful scenery and natural attractions.
But when I mentioned to my Thai friends that I went to Damnoen Saduak, they shook their heads and asked, “Why would you go there?”
Two old vendors selling decorative fans at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand…
Unfortunately it’s because Damnoen Saduak Float Market has a reputation as one Thailand’s biggest tourist traps. I’ve never been.
So I can’t say that it is, or it isn’t.
There’s only one way to find out and that’s to go!
You’ve seen attractive photos of foreigners gently rowed down a river surrounded by friendly vendors selling fresh fruit, souvenir tchotchke and way overpriced coconut water. That’s what people are afraid of, getting overcharged.
Damnoen Saduak Floating River Market is widely advertised as one of the must see side trips from Bangkok. But it’s got that tourist trap stigma that’s hard to shake. And that’s something I’ve known ever since I first traveled to Thailand. And the main reason why I stayed away for so long.
7 Quick Tips About Visiting Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
- River tour boats can fit 6 adult passengers.
- There’s not really a best time to visit this market in my opinion. If you want to see more tourists and more activity than visit between 8am and 10am. I got there at 11am when activity started winding down. But there were still many tourists and shop vendors by the canal still open.
- Life vests are available on request.
- Make sure you ask for boats with a roof or umbrella to protect from rain and sun. My wife and I got wet from rain because our boat had no umbrellas.
- Don’t hold onto the sides of the boats. Boat drivers get very close to piers and if you’re holding the sides of the boat you’ll hurt your fingers.
- There are paddle boats and motor boats for hire. Please choose the paddle boats. It’s environmentally friendlier.
- Damnoen Saduak Floating Market has no entrance fee. Just putting it out there in case someone asks for money.
Visiting Damnoen Saduak was Inevitable – With a Side Visit to Maeklong Railway Train Market
As fate will have it, a very good family friend was coming over to Bangkok from Hong Kong. She and her friends wanted to visit Damnoen Saduak and also Maeklong Railway Train Market for a half-day tour.
She’s been to Thailand dozens of times so she’s a seasoned traveler in this country. And she and her friends were curious enough to check both markets. And me too I have to admit.
I was particularly looking forward to seeing Maeklong Railway Train Market. I’ve seen dozens of videos of a big, slow lumbering train passing through an active market. Right before shop vendors quickly, yet casually, pull and roll their goods away from the path of the train. So I was really looking forward to making a video of the train passing through.
I Have to Admit, I Was Excited to Go
My mission, if I choose to accept it, is to locate a local driver, where I and my wife will be the tour guides. Mission accepted. It’s on, it’s on like Donkey Kong.
I was presented with a chance to visit and write and share it all here. And I must say, I was extremely curious as to what would happen. I mean I already knew there’s a distinct possibility that we’re going to get over-charged for something. What that something will be, I don’t know.
There’s only one way to find out.
Getting to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Train Market from Bangkok
Both well known markets are about 100 kilometers southwest of Bangkok. And an hour and a half drive from central Bangkok. Or if you have a crazy van driver with a death wish around forty five minutes with no traffic.
We hired a local Thai driver familiar with the roads of Ratchaburi province where the river market is located. And also Samut Sakhon province where the train market is located.
By car, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Train Market is a short 30 to 45 minutes away from each other. Which is why both stopes make a very good half day to full day trip combo.
Cost of hiring a private driver is 3000THB. Here’s what it includes:
- Driving from 9am to 7pm. After 7pm the driver gets an additional 300THB per hour counted as over-time.
- Tollway fees
- Fuel costs included. Usually when you hire a private driver you have to pay to cover the cost of fuel, so this is normal.
There were seven of us in total, so split that with 3000THB the price came out to 430THB per head. Which is an exceptional value for a private driver. He could only speak a little bit of English but not a problem. My wife and I could do all the translating.
Meeting at 9am Sharp
My wife and I left our house at 7:30am. But of course we got there 30 minutes late. Which isn’t so bad considering the horrific traffic we had to go through.
Our plan was to meet at the hotel my friends were staying at. That’s also where our driver will be waiting. He arrived an hour early. My friends were staying in Siam Square which is a perfect jumping point to both destinations.
Once we got to their hotel we quickly jumped into the van and off we went. Our plan was to make the first stop at the floating market because it’s more active in the mornings.
Also we knew there will be a train running through Maeklong Railway Market at 2:30pm. You can find a train schedule below where I go into detail. So we would have plenty of time to explore Damnoen Saduak first.
This is near one of the entrance. This photo was taken around after 11am and as you can see, the river is not so crowded…
First Stop, Damnoen Saduak Floating River Market
It took us one hour and thirty minutes to reach the floating market. It was a weekday and driving out of Bangkok at that time meant less vehicles on the road but still had pockets of congestion at certain points. And our driver wasn’t a speed freak so that was good.
He also knew a lot of road short cuts which made the trip quicker. Which made up the time where we got stuck in traffic. This is one of the reasons why it’s better to hire a local driver familiar with the area. Google maps is good and effective in Thailand. But not as effective as a driver that really knows the area.
When we got close to the area around Damnoen Saduak we found out there were numerous side boat entrances. But we decided to stop off at the main entrance, use the toilet and then take a short walk around, before checking out prices for tour boats.
First Impressions
Along the canal there are many shops selling souvenirs. Okay, really the first thought that came to my mind was, who buys all of this stuff? There were large pieces of Thai style home ornaments and decorations. Large paintings of fish and animal carvings.
Granted there were t-shirts, keychains, sun hats, umbrellas and sunscreen could sell well. But I couldn’t really see anyone buying large carvings of wooden elephants out in the middle of nowhere and lugging it back to their hotels.
Most of the market is situated along the side of canals. We saw boats selling grilled pork but those were all near the entrance. But as you travel further down the canal we didn’t see any boats selling anything at all.
There’s food and drinks all around which are priced higher than usual. Which is to be expected. But we’re not here for shopping. We’re here to check out the prices for tour boats and hopefully find out the real cost of hiring a boat to tour around Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
My friend from Hong Kong stated that her friend previously paid 3000THB for two persons to tour the river. That price does not include the cost of transportation to the market. A 3000THB price tag in itself is highly suspicious.
Time to Ask Prices for Boat Rides
When you’re touring Thailand, bargaining is a national pastime. Yes, even Thais do it when they travel. And believe me, locals do not get preferential pricing treatment at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
My friends and I took a step back and let my Thai wife do the talking. We only found two boat tour desks.
The first tour desk we approached quoted a price of 100THB per head for a one hour tour of the river. Wow, that wasn’t so bad.
Second tour desk we asked quoted us 150THB per head for one hour ride also. But they’ll take us to some type of “special” place where we can taste some “special” local drinks.
Okay the prices weren’t so bad. It was a hell of a lot better than paying 3000THB for a wooden boat. And we already knew where to go to save 50THB so we went back to the first tour boat desk. Or did we? Yeah I know, 50THB is such a small difference.
Problem with self guided tour is you don’t know what’s the real price for anything…
Talking in Circles
Here’s where things get a little tricky. The first desk that quoted us 100THB now told us the boat ride is for 30 minutes. And that 150THB is the new price for 1 hour trip.
There was another lady who seemed to be the one in charge at a different desk at a souvenir shop that changed the price to 150THB. Granted 50THB extra per person isn’t too much to complain about. I mean, we’re already there so we might as well go through with the tour.
A day later though my wife spoke to her mother and she also said she paid 150THB for a 1 hour river ride. So, I guess that’s the normal price. So I suspect the 100THB was just a lure to hook customers away from competitors. That’s just playing dirty.
But they know what they’re doing. Because we’re there already.
The Real Price of River Boats Tours at Damnoen Saduak
So my friends and I paid 150THB per head. But I checked around on google and read people paid 1000THB per person. But their tours were 2 hours long. We paid 150THB for 1 hour. Like I mentioned already, my friend mentioned her friend paid 3000THB for an hour tour for two persons.
The issue is, there’s no standardized rates nor tour itinerary at Damnoen Saduak. The prices depend on who’s taking you there. Could even be the driver or a hired guide taking a cut. Plus there are tour operators claiming they provide more value for the money. Thus the higher prices.
Our driver never accompanied us and stayed with the van the whole time while we were out. So we can’t suspect him of bumping up our price.
Which makes me think that the real price for a 1 hour boat ride is 150THB at Damnoen Saduak.
Onwards to the Tour
There are lots of boats with tourists coming and going and it was in the middle of the afternoon. The mornings would’ve been a lot worst I was told because that’s when most visitors from tour buses arrive. So we got in at a perfect time.
We hired a paddle boat which moved surprisingly fast through the canal. Sadly, the water isn’t too clean. Tourism has certainly taken its toll. So please take care of your trash.
Once you hop on that boat and start taking selfies, the boat driver will immediately park you near market stalls along the river.
Which you should expect. It’s a floating market after all. But it’s full of souvenirs and things you probably don’t want taking up space in your home. I honestly didn’t see other tourists buy anything at all. Like almost everything today, you’ll find it cheaper on Amazon.com with free shipping.
Even then, it’s quite nice to glide down a quiet narrow river even though there are vendors just staring at you while hoping you’d buy something. Thankfully, the vendors keep to themselves and never pushed things in our faces.
Usually the boat driver will just hang out at vendors for a minute before moving along to the next area.
Lunch on a River
Since we left our home early in the morning we only had time to grab coffee. So my wife and I were both hungry and waited until we could find some food vendors on the river. And we couldn’t find any.
Later on, we found a stall by the canal selling a variety of food, including paintings of nature and wood carvings of current pop culture figures.
This was actually quite a tasty styrofoam plate of chicken fried rice…
My wife ordered a bowl of noodles with pork. And I opted for a plate of fried rice with chicken. Before our hungry brains realized there were no prices on the menus. That’s a bad sign. My wife asked how much for both items including one bottle of water.
The food vendor just smiled and said one moment. One moment of calculating the price is not a problem to answer a customer. But no answer came.
Double the price of Bangkok for a bowl of noodles with pork. But it’s to be expected…
It was only until our food came out that we were given the price. The total came out to 160THB. So in Thailand that is expensive for an outside food vendor. It’s twice what you’d pay for at a hawker stand in Bangkok.
But it’s certainly a price that a Thai tourist would balk at. And that’s the reason why there are no prices on the food menus. They don’t want to scare away customers that know better. To be fair, all tourist attractions all over the world charge expensive prices for food.
Just take a look at Disney Land for example. Or have you ever bought a bottle of water in Central Park in New York City? Absolutely expensive.
My wife and I didn’t freak out about the prices. Only thing is she didn’t like her bowl of noodles. But my chicken fried rice was good and tasty and a decent sized portion with fresh ingredients. I’d buy another plate.
I think they should just put prices on their menus. There will be customers that find those food prices reasonable.
A Souvenir Shop Stop is Inevitable
Whether you want to or not a boat driver will take you to a souvenir shop. It’s also a rest area so if you have to use the toilet it’s the place to go do your business. You’re not obligated to buy anything at all but if I had a choice I’d just tell the boatsman to take us somewhere else.
Our boat driver dropped us off at this souvenir and rest stop for 15 minutes…
So expect a short trip to a souvenir shop, it’s standard procedure.
After spending fifteen minutes or so browsing at things we would never buy we called for our boat. It was time to head back and just when we did, it started drizzling lightly. Five minutes later it turned into full on rain.
There are roofs that hang out over market stalls that provided cover. But at certain points there are none so if it’s really pouring you’ll get a good drenching.
Back on Dry Land
After we got off our tour boat there was a huge downpour. We quickly ran back to our awaiting van where our driver took us to a really good spot for seafood lunch.
Overall, it’s great now that I can say, yes, I’ve been to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. It’s one thing I can cross off my check list.
And if you are deciding to visit Damnoen Saduak Floating River Market, you too will know what to expect. But I know it’s not easy for most to make this a self guided tour. Especially when there’s a language barrier.
Second Stop, Maeklong Railway Train Market
With our belly’s full from enjoying a seafood restaurant recommended by our driver we made our way to Maeklong Railway Train Market.
I have to admit, this was one place I was really looking forward to seeing. I’ve watched dozens of videos of such markets with trains passing through. I wanted to take an old Go Pro camera and place it in the center of one of the tracks.
Below is my video:
Maeklong is a fully functional local wet and dry market, with an emphasis on local. Thais come here to buy groceries at cheaper than supermarket prices.
There’s fresh fish, all sorts of butchered meat, fresh vegetables and fruits for them to shop for. And the local folks don’t mind us tourists taking selfies in their shopping space. They’re even nice enough to warn folks to not stand too close to the tracks as the train approaches.
There are lots of durian sellers pushing their stinky, spikey fruit at this market. But to be honest, you’re better off going to Aor Tor Gor Market because that’s where you’ll find the best Durian in Bangkok.
Maeklong Railway Train Market Schedule
The local market opens 7 days a week from 6:20am to 5:40pm. Which is the same time the trains operate.
Arrival:
- 8:30am
- 11:10am
- 2:30pm
- 5:40pm
Departure:
- 6:20am
- 9:00am
- 11:30am
- 3:30pm
To explain the schedule further, don’t worry too much about the departure time, unless you’re planning to take ride on the train.
If you’re coming to Maeklong Market to see the train passing through, focus on the Arrival hours. We got to the market at 2pm to wait for the 2:30pm train.
The train arrived slightly ahead of schedule. In any case, get there at least 30 minutes before scheduled arrival so you can pick a nice spot to snap them photos.
Above is a train schedule chart I found inside a local coffee shop with an incredibly super friendly café owner. I wrote an article about opening coffee shops in Thailand and this owner has the perfect location. You can enjoy a drink while waiting for the train to come by.
If You Must Visit Damnoen Saduak & Maeklong Market – Look For a Reputable Tour Agency
If you’re looking for day trip recommendations from Bangkok, Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong Markets are really good side trip options. But I know it’s really difficult for foreign visitors to do self-guided tours in Thailand.
And finding a handsome funny guy like me to be your local guide will be difficult.
Okay, kidding aside, I know most travelers don’t want the hassle of doing a self tour where it’s a challenge to organize everything on your own. And organized day trip tours around Bangkok are inexpensive.
Going on an Personal Tour is the Best Way to Visit Both Markets
However, you want to find a tour agency that won’t charge funny fees or ask for money after you’ve paid for everything up front already.
Which is why I recommend TakeMeTour.com that is really popular in Thailand. They have local experts that can take you to all the locations I wrote about on this post. A TakeMeTour local guide will pick you up from your hotel or a meeting point.
Local tour experts will show you around the way only a local can. And when tours over they’ll take you back to where they met you.
After the train passed it was safe for a selfie…
The Final Verdict
I must say, I had a good time and fun! I really did even though I dreaded traveling to tourist trap destinations. But I can say from my own personal experience that Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is not a tourist trap. Sure, the food and souvenirs are overprice.
If those two reasons alone are sufficient to classify Damnoen Saduak a tourist trap then you have to lump Disney Land and Universal Studios also.
It definitely helps when you’re traveling with good friends. I might even recommend it to all of my Thai friends that wouldn’t even want to go near there.
I enjoyed my time so much that if another friend came over to Thailand and wanted to visit both markets as a day trip and asked me to join, I’d go. Without hesitation.
Most importantly was the experiences I gained from visiting Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong markets that I think are perfect day trip tours coming from Bangkok.
