Amphawa Floating Market, Thailand
Amphawa is a small town in Thailand’s Samut Songkhram Province, a two-hour drive from Bangkok. Samut Songkhram Province is said to be the smallest in Thailand, located on the banks of the Mae Khlong River. On Google Maps, the Amphawa Floating Market is located on a tributary of the Mae Khlong River.
This is the place where Thai locals spend their weekends. A river runs through the town, and there are many small shops, restaurants and hotels on the river bank.
From time to time, boats carrying tourists pass through the not-so-clean river.
In the evening, it’s the most lively time in Amphawa, where the stallholders sell a variety of snacks. There are plenty of Thai chalets on both sides of the river, some of which are shops selling souvenirs, snacks and desserts, and various styles of guest houses and restaurants. Here, there are colorful fruits, a wide variety of seafood, unique handcrafted products, and a variety of beerand and juice drinks. The lively shop street extends into the distance, at the end of the street, there are the authentic floating homes. The residents here keep the traditional habit of living in Thai wooden houses.
There is a very fun project called Firefly Tour, here. The project is not expensive, and the cost for a person is about $2. The boat would sail far along the riverbank and stop where there were fireflies. It’s not possible to take pictures, of course, because it’s too dark. Some people say that fireflies there may be fake, but I think the fireflies there should be true, they may like to park on a certain kind of trees, and the boatman knows where that kind of trees are.
Opening hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 3:00 pm – late at night.
How to get there: There are buses to Amphawa at the bus station in southern Bangkok.
Tips:
- There are no railings on both sides of the river, and the walkways on the banks are narrow, so be especially careful.
- Every morning at 6 o’clock there will be monks rowing to the edge of the river, the local people will offer simple supplies.
- If you are not staying, please note that the bus back to Bangkok is the latest at 8:30 pm.
