Thailand's most photographed floating market, on a canal dug in 1866, about 100 km southwest of Bangkok.
Come early, when boats piled with mangoes and steaming noodle pots crowd the water, then drift down the quiet side canals past stilt houses.
Flooding, October 2026: high water on the market canal. On 5 October most shops had closed for now and only some paddle boats were taking visitors. Check before you go; every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before. Report (MGR Online)Checked 16 Oct 2026
Time at the market, spelled outMinutes on the canal, not just trip length
Real guest ratingsLive figures from each listing
Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, on every tour here
No boat-pier trapsHow to hire a boat the fair way
Tours
Choose your floating market tour
In the centre, the day trip more travellers have reviewed than any other here. Either side, the cheapest way
to see both markets with a train ride, and a small group of nine with two hours on the canal. Every card opens a full tour page.
You ride the local train into Maeklong market, then a longtail boat to Damnoen Saduak for an hour on your own. Cheap and well run; lunch is at your own cost.
The classic day out: the train squeezing through Maeklong market, then a paddle boat into the floating market. Three start times, so the 6:30 departure beats the crowds.
Three questions sort it out. How long do you want on the canal itself? Do you want the Maeklong train market
too? And will you share a coach, or pay for a small van or your own guide?
Entry to the market is free on every option. All of these cancel free up to 24 hours before.
The two combos with the train market fit their timing around the Maeklong train, which passes eight times a day.
Before you book
The market is free. The boat and the clock are not.
Nobody sells a ticket to Damnoen Saduak. You can walk the canal paths for nothing, buy a bowl of boat noodles from a
woman cooking in her boat, and leave. What every listing really sells is two things: a boat and a time slot.
The boat is where the trouble starts if you go alone. Taxis drop visitors at piers about a kilometre out and
quote inflated prices per person for a ride. A fair boat is hired per boat, for the whole group, by the hour. Every
tour on this page has the boat included. The time slot matters just as much: the canal is at its best between 7 and
9am, and by 10 the coaches have arrived and the boats sit nose to tail.
1866
The year King Rama IV ordered the 32 km canal dug between the
Mae Klong and Tha Chin rivers. The market you visit today, at Ton Khem, dates from 1981.
Paddle boatLongtailTrain marketPrivate guide
Orchard fruit from the district's own farms is still the best thing on the water.
01
Do I need a ticket?
No. Entry is free. A "mandatory ticket" at a pier is a scam.
02
When should I arrive?
By 7 to 9am. Food boats thin out after 11 and trade stops around noon.
03
Is it open daily?
Yes, every day, unlike Amphawa and the Bangkok markets.
04
Who should skip it?
Anyone after a local market. This one is for the scene, the boats and the food.
Your day
How a market day trip runs
Six to eight and a half hours from Bangkok, most of it on the road. This is the usual shape of the combo with Maeklong.
01
Early start in Bangkok
Hotel pickup or a meeting point such as River City or Samyan Mitrtown. The best departures leave around 6:30am.
About 1.5 hours
02
The train market
At Maeklong the stalls fold their awnings back as the train creeps through, a few centimetres from the vegetables.
45 to 90 minutes
03
Onto the canal
A 20-minute drive, then a paddle boat or longtail through the side canals and into the market.
15 to 45 minutes
04
Eat, shop, drift
Boat noodles, mango sticky rice, coconut ice cream. Then the drive back, in Bangkok by early afternoon.
A hat, sunscreen and water: there is little shade on the boats.
A light layer for the air-conditioned van; it is colder than you think at 6am.
Patience for haggling: souvenirs cost more here than in Bangkok, so bargain or buy elsewhere.
From BangkokAbout 100 km1.5 to 2 hours by road, southwest towards Ratchaburi.
OpeningDaily, about 7amThe boats trade until around noon. Come early.
EntryFreeNo ticket. You pay for a boat, food and souvenirs only.
Maeklong trainAbout 20 kmEight trains a day through the market; most tours combine both.
Boat hirePer boatPriced for the whole boat by the hour, never per person.
Refund24 hoursFree cancellation up to a day before, on every tour listed.
Where it is
Finding the market
Ton Khem canal, Damnoen Saduak
Khlong Ton Khem, Damnoen Saduak district, Ratchaburi province
The market sits on Khlong Damnoen Saduak, about 100 km southwest of Bangkok. Ton Khem is the main section and the one in
the photos. Hia Kui, on a parallel canal, is built around souvenir shops for tour groups. Khun Phitak, about 2 km south, is
the smallest and the quietest. Tours from Bangkok start from a central meeting point or your hotel.
The best time of year, what regulars wish they had known, the other markets nearby and the rainy season.
Mid-October to mid-February: the cool season. Dry, clear mornings and the most comfortable heat. Our pick.
Mid-February to mid-May: the hot season. Go at 7am or not at all.
Mid-May to mid-October: the rainy season. The market has covered sheds and keeps trading, but high water can cut it short.
Weekdays are a little calmer than weekends, when Thai day-trippers join the coaches.
Take the first departure of the day. It is the single biggest difference between a good and a bad visit.
Agree the boat price per boat, and the length of the ride, before you step in.
Ask the boatman for the side canals (khlong) rather than a loop of the souvenir sheds.
Eat from the boats: boat noodles, grilled bananas, mango sticky rice. Food is where the market is still honest.
Skip the paid animal photo stalls nearby. Snakes and monkeys on chains are not part of the market.
Maeklong Railway Market, about 20 km: the train runs through the stalls; most tours combine it.
Amphawa, about 25 km: Friday to Sunday afternoons and evenings, with grilled seafood and firefly boats.
Lao Tuk Luck: an older market in the same district, reached by a community electric boat from Wat Cho pier.
Taling Chan and Khlong Lat Mayom: small weekend markets inside Bangkok. Compared in our market guide.
Every tour on this page cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Late September and October 2026 brought flood warnings for Ratchaburi districts, Damnoen Saduak included. Check the news the day before.
On 5 October 2026 MGR Online found the market canal flooded, most shops closed for now and only some paddle boats running. Our flood update follows it.
Expect 30 to 35°C by late morning most of the year. Water and a hat are not optional.
Damnoen Saduak is a morning market. Amphawa, 25 km away, wakes up in the afternoon, Friday to Sunday only: grilled river prawns on the canal steps, then a boat out after dark to see fireflies. This small-group trip (nine at most) runs only on those three days.
It is the most famous floating market in Thailand and the most criticised. Both reputations are earned.
Here is how to get the good version.
A canal before it was a market
Khlong Damnoen Saduak was dug between 1866 and 1868 on the orders of King Mongkut, Rama IV, to link the Mae Klong and Tha
Chin rivers. It runs for 32 km, and more than 200 smaller canals were cut off it, so the farms of Ratchaburi could send fruit,
vegetables and palm sugar to market by boat. For a century the water was the road. The old trading market, Lad Plee, stood
beside a temple and lasted until 1967, when new roads took the traffic. The Tourism Authority of Thailand began promoting it to
foreign visitors in 1971, and in 1981 a new road to the Ton Khem canal let traders set up the market you visit now.
The honest description, then: a working canal turned into a stage. The vendors in indigo shirts and woven straw hats are real
people from the district, and the fruit on their boats comes from its orchards. The souvenir sheds along the banks are the part
that grew up for visitors.
At 7am the canal belongs to the vendors. By 10 it belongs to the tour boats.
The boat question
You do not need a boat. Paths and bridges line the main canal and you can see, eat and buy from the bank. A boat is what puts
you at water level among the vendors, and it is where visitors get burned. The pattern is well known: a taxi or minivan stops
at a pier about a kilometre from the market, someone calls it the entrance, and the quote is an inflated price per person.
A fair boat is hired for the whole group, by the hour, with a motor longtail costing more than a paddle boat. Agree the price
per boat and the route before you get in.
The honest small print: on a combo tour you get one to two hours at the floating market, out of a six to
eight hour day. If the canal is the reason you are going, pick an early departure or a tour that stays longer, such as the
small group with brunch or the
private paddle boat tour.
The train market next door
Most tours pair Damnoen Saduak with Maeklong Railway Market, about 20 km away, where vendors sell fish and vegetables on the
tracks and fold their awnings back each time the train creeps through. Trains move through the market eight times a day, and
the 11:10 arrival fits neatly after a morning on the canal. The cheapest tour here puts you on the train itself for the ride in.
Maeklong: the awnings come down just in time, every time.
What to eat
The food is the most reliable part. Boat noodles cooked in a pot balanced on the boat, grilled bananas, mango sticky rice,
coconut ice cream in the shell, and whatever fruit is in season: the district is known for aromatic coconuts and grapes, plus
guava and mango. Expect tourist prices, sometimes with a higher price for foreigners, and bring small notes. Few vendors take cards.
Boat noodles are served in small bowls, so order two.
Straight answers to what people ask most about the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
Is Damnoen Saduak Floating Market worth it?
Yes, if you go early and know what it is. Before about 9am the canal is full of fruit and noodle boats and it looks the way the photos promise. By mid-morning it is crowded and much of the trade is souvenirs. Go for the scene and the food, not for a local shopping market. Our honest verdict has the details.
How does the boat ride at Damnoen Saduak work?
Walking around the market is free, and a boat is optional. Boats are hired per boat, for the whole group, by the hour, and a motor longtail costs more than a paddle boat. A quote per person at a pier outside the market is a tout price. Every day trip on this site includes a boat ride. See the boat ride guide.
Is Damnoen Saduak Floating Market free?
Yes. There is no entry ticket to the market, and anyone selling you a "mandatory" ticket at a pier is running a scam. You pay for a boat if you want one, and for what you eat and buy.
How do I get to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market from Bangkok?
It is about 100 km southwest of Bangkok, 1.5 to 2 hours by road. Bus 78 and minivan 996 leave from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) from about 6am; a taxi takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Most people take a day trip with transport included. The full options are in Bangkok to Damnoen Saduak.
Can you go to the floating market without a tour?
Yes. Take the bus or a minivan from the Southern Bus Terminal, get off near the market and walk the canal paths, or hire a boat at a pier inside the market area. If you want the boat sorted in advance, a 40-minute longtail ride can be booked on its own.
What time does Damnoen Saduak Floating Market open?
Every day from about 7am. The boat vendors trade until around noon, and most food boats have gone by 11am. The best window is 7 to 9am, before the tour coaches arrive. More in opening hours and the best time.
Is the floating market open every day?
Damnoen Saduak is, which is its big advantage. Amphawa runs Friday to Sunday only, and the Bangkok markets at Taling Chan and Khlong Lat Mayom are weekend markets.
What is the difference between Amphawa and Damnoen Saduak?
Damnoen Saduak is a daily morning market in Ratchaburi province, famous for its boats and photos. Amphawa, in Samut Songkhram, opens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings, with grilled seafood on the canal steps and firefly boat trips. Compared in Amphawa or Damnoen Saduak.
Which floating market is closest to Bangkok?
Taling Chan and Khlong Lat Mayom, both inside Bangkok on the Thonburi side, open at weekends. They are smaller and more local. Damnoen Saduak is the famous one, about two hours away.
Which mall in Bangkok has a floating market?
ICONSIAM. Its SookSiam floor, on the ground level by the river, is an indoor recreation of a floating market with food and crafts from every province, open 10am to 10pm. The boats do not move, but it is air-conditioned.
How far is Maeklong Railway Market from Damnoen Saduak?
About 20 km, a 20-minute drive, which is why most tours combine them. Trains pass through Maeklong market eight times a day; see the train times and combo tours.
Why is Damnoen Saduak Floating Market famous?
For the picture: a narrow canal packed with wooden boats, vendors in straw hats and piles of tropical fruit. The canal was dug on the orders of King Rama IV in 1866 to 1868, and the market has been promoted to visitors since 1971.
Ready to book
Pick your boat, pick your morning.
Transport from Bangkok and a boat ride on every day trip, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Budget pick
★ 4.98.5 hoursFree cancellation
