Floating Market in Thailand - Damneon Saduak

Venture from the exotic and colorful Bangkok on a day trip to the countryside and visit the Damneon Saduak floating markets, one of the most famous floating markets and a major tourist destination in Thailand.  At the floating market, you will see many people move and live beside the canal. It shows the old traditional way of selling vegetables, fruits, etc. from small boats. Don't miss eating the Thai noodle soup on the canal with the locals making fresh noodles in hot pots.  The market also a place where you can get your souvenir items from Thailand.

1.  Location:  The Floating Market at Domnoen Saduak in located in Ratchaburi, Thailand.  Just 93 kilometers from Bangkok, you can reach the floating market in just 1.30 hours drive through a nice highway.

2. Tours:  Many tour companies in Bangkok offer half-day tours to Damneon Saduak. Most hotels can link you up with these private tour operators.  Prices starts from US$70 per person depending on the number of sites to be visited apart from the floating market---Rose Garden Thai Village, Elephant Village, Crocodile farm or the Bridge of the River Kwai in Kanchanburi.

3. The Cheaper Way to do your tour is to consider contracting a taxi which your hotel can arrange for you.  An air conditioned Taxi to Domnoen Saduak will cost you Baht 1800 (or approx. US$60) round trip for the whole day. This cost is inclusive of the services of a driver,  gasoline and toll fees.  Taxi van  can accommodate up to 7 passengers.  You can also consider renting for the whole day an air conditioned  12-seater van for Baht 2600 (or approx. US$87). This price is  inclusive of a driver, gas and tolls.  Of course, a token tip for the driver may be added.

4. Boat Tickets.  There are many establishments offering boat rental or tours to the floating market. Don't be deceived by where your taxi or rented car/van driver will bring you who will offer you boat rental for Baht 2000 to 3000. You can haggle for better prices.  In our case, we managed to get the rate of Baht 600 for the whole boat for eight persons for one and a half hour.  Boat comes with a driver who will guide you through the travel.Tipping is about Baht 100 or US$3.

The main entrance of the market is where you take your boat.  Each boat is marked with a number (remember your boat number so you would know which boat to take  in case you get off from it in the market).   There is ample parking and toilet facilities at the main entrance.  It also has a small lounge for waiting drivers. It is best to call and reserve your boat ahead of time.  I suggest you call Khun Pong at A-NU-RUK at Tel. +66 89 743334 and ask for a boat at Baht 600.  At first he will offer you Baht 2000 per boat but this rate goes down as you haggle.

5. Buying stuff is fun.  Souvenir shops line up along the canals while food and farm vendors in boats paddle near you to offer their products. You can ask your boatman to stop anytime for you to see any of the shops or to purchase anything from among the boat vendors.  Just like many tourist places, vendors  of souvenir items would normally offer products at high prices as they expect tourists to bargain. 

6. From the floating market, you can make a side trip to the nearby Elephant Village which is just about 5 minutes away.  On the way back to Bangkok, try to stop in stalls selling sea salt along the highway. The stalls also sell locally produced fish sauce, shrimp paste and dried fish.

November 2012

Some Updates -

Better deal:  My second trip to the floating market allowed me to explore a cheaper way to  hire a boat to the market.  I went to the first boat terminal (Coke Pier) which I saw after turning from the traffic light of the main highway and got a good deal of only Baht 800 for the whole boat (with capacity of 8 persons) for two hours.  The boat even brought us to the coconut farm, the big temple and the floating market itself.  In fact, you can call in advance to reserve at Tel. 086-5285831 or 082-7201614 and look for Ms. Nam.  The boat terminal isn't as big as the first but it has clean toilets, waiting lounge for drivers, spacious parking and small snack bar.  As usual free cold mineral water is given free after your boat trip.  By the way, don't forget to give a tip to your boat man. Baht 200 for two-hour trip may be reasonable.

December 30, 2012