Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Place guide

Your list of things to do in Thailand would not be complete without a trip to this well-traveled tourist spot – the most popular floating market in all of Thailand! The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is made up of a network of narrow canals in which female vendors – garbed in traditional farmer’s shirts and wide-brimmed straw hats on small wooden boats – sell their produce. With its busy atmosphere, flavorful and authentic cuisine, and plenty of color and noise, the market is a reflection of local life in the area and a cultural melting pot of activities.

There is also an orchid farm and coconut farm nearby. The orchid farmhouses the beautiful flowers in their natural habitat, which make for picturesque photos and lovely floral scents. The coconut farm, on the other hand, is an educational experience, as you’ll get to learn how all parts of the coconut can be used to make a variety of products such as palm sugar, oil, lampshades, ladders, and more. We recommend adding this to your what to see in Thailand list as well!

You can join tours like the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Tour, which provides transportation, entrance fees, and a boat ride to the market. 

Another option is the Damnoen Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market Tour, where you’ll get to visit two very different types of marketplace. 

Some things to take note of:

• Plan your day trip as early as dawn, as the afternoons can get unbearably hot. You can opt to take lunch at a cool spot near the river and trek on in the afternoon.
• Entrance fee: Free!
• Operating hours: 6:00 am; closing time varies per vendor, although the most ideal time – albeit the busiest – is from 6:00 am to 11:00 am.

How to get there:

Travel time from central Bangkok is about over an hour, depending on traffic. There are buses that travel from the Southern Bus Terminal to Samut Songkram Town. From there you can walk along the passageway to the market or take a boat to the market pier.

Damnoen Saduak, Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi 70130, Thailand