A market on canals that linked two rivers
Damnoen Saduak Canal was begun under Rama IV to connect the Tha Chin and Mae Klong rivers and completed during the reign of Rama V. Small canals branch from the approximately 32 km main canal. Farmers transported and traded vegetables and fruit on these waterways, forming the basis for the floating market. The boats passing today recall the area’s historic transport routes.
The main market area is now along Khlong Ton Khem. Land-based stalls and boats selling goods operate together. Browse from the canal-side walkway or choose fruit from a seller paddling up alongside.
Fruit boats and handicrafts along the canal
Local information lists bananas, pomelos, rose apples, longans and mangoes among the fruit sold here, and describes fragrant young coconuts as a local speciality. A boat filled with fruit passing through a narrow canal is a sight you do not usually find at a land market. Which fruits are available depends on the day’s harvest and the vendors.
The waterside shops sell more than food. The municipality also describes local handicrafts such as palm-leaf hats and scarves and silk clothing. Watch the fruit boats on the canal, then browse textiles and hats at the land-based shops.
Breakfast with boat noodles and seafood
At Damnoen Saduak, boats and waterside shops sell boat noodles (Thai-style noodles). Sit by the canal for a bowl while watching fruit boats pass. Fresh seafood and cooked or grilled seafood are also among the market’s foods.
If you have come for breakfast, choose noodles or fruit, then continue along the canal to see other vendors and stalls. Food choices and prices vary by shop; take time to walk along the waterfront rather than leaving right after one meal.
See the market from the bank or the surrounding canals by boat
From the land-based path, browse shops and boats selling goods. A boat takes you among the market boats, while a longer route may continue past houses and orchards on the canals. The scene changes depending on whether you watch from the bank or sit on a boat looking towards shops and homes.
Several private tourist piers now operate in the area. Some offer a short circuit of the market; others go further along the surrounding canals. If you want to see the old waterways and orchards, choose a product that includes that route. The Tourism Authority’s coconut farm and Mae Klong Railway Market stops are separate visits on some Bangkok day tours, not part of a local boat route.
