By Serge Kreutz
Damnoen Saduak
is a small town of Ratchaburi Province, some 25km (16mi) east
of the town of Ratchaburi. From the town of Ratchaburi it's probably
faster reached by boat, cruising the extensive canal network
of the area, than by road. Damnoen Saduak's main attraction is
its floating market.
Just a few
decades back, shopping in central Thailand (including Bangkok)
was conducted principally along the canals (or Klongs in
Thai). The Bangkok waterway network was so extensive that the
city was called the Venice of the East by European visitors.
(Europeans liked such designations; Saigon used to be called the
Paris of the East.)
Meanwhile,
most Klongs in Bangkok have been filled and paved over. But one
can still find floating markets in the southwest of Bangkok (the
Thonburi side), mainly along the Mae Klong River (the Mother
of Klongs River which itself is indeed a river and not a Klong
or canal). At these markets, sometimes hundreds of vendors'
boats crowd the water surface. Sold is everything from vegetables
and fruits to kitchen utensils or freshly-cooked noodles.
While the
floating market at Damnoen Saduak (which is especially
noted for its fresh fruits from surrounding orchards) is probably
the biggest of its kind, its certainly not the only one in the
vicinity. A floating market is something Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi
Province has in common with the town of Amphawan which
is just a few kilometers south but is in Samut Songkhram Province.
Damnoen Saduak
Floating Market is the name commonly used in tourist brochures.
The inhabitants of Damnoen Saduak rather call it Klong Lat
Phli Floating Market.
The most suitable
time to be at the market is from 8:00 to 10:00. After one
arrives at Damnoen Saduak Bus Station, one can either walk on
the passage way along the canal on the right hand side or take
a taxi boat at the pier nearby.
A trip to
the floating market at Damnoen Saduak makes best sense if one
goes early as trading stops at around 11:00. For those
visiting the floating market in a day trip from Bangkok, it's
a good idea to pass by the big Chedi in Nakhon Pathom or
the Rose Garden on the way back as both lie on the same route.
