Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

The most famous of the floating markets – the one you’ve seen photographed hundreds of times –is the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market . You can hire a boat from any pier that lines Th Sukhaphiban 1, which is the land route to the floating market area. The going rate is 150B per person per hour, but you’ll need to haggle to get it. The 100-year-old market is now essentially a floating souvenir stand filled with package tourists. This in itself can be a fascinating insight into Thai culture, as the vast majority of tourists here are Thais, and watching the approach to this cultural ‘theme park’ is instructive. But beyond the market, the residential canals are quite peaceful and can be explored by hiring a boat for a longer duration. South of the floating market are several small family businesses, including a Thai candy maker, a pomelo (shaddock, a type of citrus) farm and a knife crafter.