The floating market that everyone raves about and wants to get to and take wonderful pictures is called Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which literally translates to ‘travel freely’ and is actually located in Ratchaburi province just outside Bangkok, about 1 hour drive with no traffic. Damnoen Saduak got it’s name because it is actually a manmade canal that stretches 32 km to link Mae Khlong River to the Chinese river ways (between Ratchaburi and Samutsakhon Provinces).
There are many long tail boat operators to choose from, some even with bolted on roofs to keep you out from the harsh sun, although for the great photos, I would recommend the ones without the shade! Ah, the things we do for the perfect Instagram shot 😊
It is definitely worth getting a private boat and the operator will take you along the smaller canals to witness local life and then suddenly you’ll turn into the main busy area with an abundance of fruits, souvenirs and even live animals (I’ve seen pythons, parrots and sugar gliders) to eat, buy, and look at. Some of it, of course is catered to tourists and partially in the grey area in terms of ethics – so please decide with your own discretion on what is worth reaching out to.
The best time to go is in the early morning for the nice magical hour light and to steer clear of the busy times which happens around midday. Just make sure you take along a great Thai photographer to capture your trip!
Content creator that focuses on high caliber photography and videos. Specializes in lifestyle, portrait, headshot and holiday photography. Tom has shot exclusively for Tourism Authority of Thailand and regional brands such as Heineken Asia, Avani Hotel and Genting Highlands Resorts. No client is too big or too small. He has a background in hospitality and looks forward to meeting new people from all around the world. Fluent in English and Thai.