Amphawa Floating Market Day Trip

Amphawa Floating Market is located in the homonymous small town, formerly called Khwaeng Bang Chang, in the Samut Songkhran Province, 115 km away from Bangkok. The market is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 12.00 pm until 8.00 pm. This afternoon-only floating market takes place along the waterfront walkways of Amphawa Canal, a small tributary of the Mae Khlong River, near to a beautiful temple, the Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram, where also parking is provided. Amphawa is one of Bangkok's most popular floating markets, not as large as Damnoen Saduak but surely more authentic and closer to the true characteristics of the floating markets located in the Thai rural areas. The weekend market is always crowded; most of visitors are Thai nationals, many are local citizens but many are also Thai holidaymakers, coming here from capital to spend an afternoon among the food stalls located along the canal and in the narrow streets nearby packed with small shops. The shops along the street after the bridge over the canal are open every day of week; however it’s in the weekend that the market is lively, when the Amphawa Canal brims with boats loaded with drinks such as the O-Liang, the excellent Thai iced black coffee, and Thai street foods like fried sea mussels, noodles, and sweets. Among the most popular dishes are the skewers of shrimp or squid, shellfish and grilled fish. You can enjoy food walking through the stalls or standing on the bridge over the canal located in the centre of the market, privileged viewpoint from which you can take good pictures to wooden boats moored along the waterway. Along each side of the canal there are old charming wooden shops selling local crafts, T-shirts and all kinds of souvenirs. The visit to the market can continue on the road after the bridge, always congested with tourists, as well as hire a traditional long-tail at night to explore the surrounding canals and to watch as the pretty fireflies light up the air. The waterways are not as extensive and impressive as Bangkok's Khlongs but still funny. On the other side of Mae Khlong River is located the beautiful temple of Wat Bang Koong, this temple alone worth your trip up to Amphawa. Amphawa Floating Market is definitely the most attractive and true among the floating markets near Bangkok, it has retained its characteristic rural, only lately was discovered by foreign tourists that appreciate it for its authenticity.
What to Expect - The tour to the Amphawa Floating Market from Bangkok is usually associated with the visit to Mae Klong Railway Market, a one-day trip to discover two of Bangkok’s most unusual markets. The Day Tour costs between 1,600 and 2,100 THB, depending on the tour operator, and includes: the transfer round trip from your hotel in Bangkok with departure in the late morning, 1 hour trip outside the city centre up to Mae Klong Railway Station, site of the Rom Hub Market, exploration of this busy market with good photo and video opportunities, transfer to Amphawa Floating Market for your second stop of the day. Known locally as the city’s second-most popular market, it’s located about 50 km outside the central area of Bangkok. You’ll explore the array of produce and food stalls along the streets and canals of this floating bazaar. If you get hungry the market offers a lot of Thai street food for the lunch, not included in the tour. The return to your hotel in Bangkok is in the late evening. Due to Amphawa Floating Market is closed on weekdays this tour operates on Friday, Saturday, Sunday only.Read More