After we conquered Chatuchak with all the kids, we figured it would be a good experience to visit TWO more markets, and in one day too. Actually the dads were the ones who were really keen to check out the Maeklong Railway Market and Amphawa Floating Market, but I have to admit that both were rather interesting experiences, and I would say they were worth the long drive there. We hired a driver based on a friend’s recommendation, and he came to our hotel with a mini van that morning. Our group had four adults and five kids, so we needed a larger vehicle. We let the two older boys sit together sometimes, and they had sooo much fun talking and playing.
The boys sitting together
The driver, Rendie, suggested going to Maeklong Railway Market first, as he knew the timings of the trains there. We arrived at Maeklong Railway Market just as the train was about to pull in, so there was a huge crowd lining the track, all with cameras raised above their heads. C and N walked quickly ahead of us, and got a pretty good view of the train arriving.
People mountain, people sea
C waving at the passengers on the train
Walking along the tracks
Us with a bit of the train
Train leaving
It was a really unique experience as we got to witness how the stallholders pushed their stalls back quickly when the train was arriving, then how they all moved out again after the train left. Everything was done really quickly, but I guess that’s because they’ve had years of experience doing this a few times a day.
We didn’t walk down the entire stretch of the railway tracks, but we did manage to buy some packets of dried mango, and our friends got a large pack of chilli paste. It was a tad difficult walking along the train tracks to look at the stalls, especially since we were carrying the babies, and there were plenty of tourists who had no qualms about pushing you and trying to squeeze past you. Make sure you wear sensible walking shoes, or you might lose your balance!
Checking out the stalls
N wasn’t impressed by the larvae on sale
There were many stalls selling steamed fish but we didn’t try it
After that, we asked Rendie to stop by a small shopping mall (sorry I forgot what it’s called), where we had lunch at the food court, and did more shopping at the large supermarket there. We also asked him to recommend a floating market, and decided on Amphawa as it was a bit less touristy than Damnoen Saduak. C did some research before the trip, and found out that there’s a temple called Wat Bang Koong “inside” a tree, with a mini farm of sorts, opposite Amphawa. Our family went to check the farm out, while our friends went on a private boat ride to experience the floating market, because I get seasick very easily.
At Amphawa
N was pretty excited about feeding the animals at the mini farm, so we bought some vegetables from the stall there, and let him choose which animals he wanted to feed.
Feeding animals
It was a pretty enjoyable trip for everyone, even though it was a long drive out of Bangkok city. The mini van was comfortable and clean, and Rendie even allowed us to change the babies’ diapers in the van when we couldn’t find anywhere to do so. Rendie speaks good English, and is pretty knowledgeable about the different markets, so do contact him if you’re looking for a driver to bring you around. Alternatively, you can sign up for Klook’s Floating Markets Day Trip, which also includes a visit to Maeklong Train Market HERE.
Road Trip Thailand Rendie Gabriel Valenzuela Tel: +66853296456 Email: rendiev@yahoo.com