When you picture Bangkok in your mind, what is the first thing you see?
If you said temples and markets, I’d say you’re in the majority!
On my visit to Bangkok, I did not get to see any of the temples. Okay, okay, stop yelling at me!! In my defense, I only had a few days there, and I did some MAJOR temple-hopping in Chiang Mai and Siem Reap within the same week. Sheesh.
But the markets really were something special. And I’d like to tell you about two of them: The Floating Market and the Maeklong Railroad Market.
In fact, I’ll do more than tell you. I’ll show you! I absolutely love looking at these pictures; they really transport me back to these magical market visits. I hope they evoke the same feelings for you as they do for me!
I’ll start with the most famous, followed by my personal favorite!
Bangkok's Floating Market
Visiting the Floating Market in Thailand was high on my “must do” list. I adore a floating market. What is it about them that charms me so much? I mean, I buy spices in the grocery store all the time, but sell me spices from a boat, and suddenly I turn to jelly!
Beyond the inherent charm of being paddled around in a cute little boat, this market had a lot to offer. The journey started out on a winding, scenic maze of canals. Then, little shops started popping up here and there. This one sold teas. That one sold paintings. The other one sold baskets and tote bags. On and on it went. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the experience, but what I got was a surprising lack of cohesion. While I’d take that as an insult if you said that about my outfit, I don’t mean it as one in the context of the market (and to be clear, my outfits usually DO lack cohesion, but you don’t need to tell me).
Soon we started to see more food booths dotting the edges of the canals, but even more exciting were the boats full of snacks.
Snack Boats and Houses!
I guess the irresistible appeal of these markets is starting to make a little more sense now. Who can say no to a snack boat?
Watching the vendors preparing food from inside their boats went a step beyond charming and into impressive. When I’m making food, I love a good helping of counter space. I also love when the ground under me isn’t moving and wobbling. I love cooking, but I don’t think I could handle it in this environment!
Eventually, we found ourselves winding into some waterways with more surprises: residential neighborhoods! I had no idea that people lived along the Floating Market route. I thought the Floating Market canals would be separate from the “someone’s backyard” canals. It was fun to see an unexpected slice of everyday real life.
The End....?
And before we knew it, we’d reached the end. And I truly mean “before we knew it.” Because the offerings at this market were so eclectic, everything felt like an introduction. A sampling. We found ourselves waiting for the “real” part of the “main” market to start, and by the time we realized we’d been in the middle of it all along, it was nearly over.
I think another part of us waiting for the “real” market was that this definitely smacked of a tourist attraction. I had been under the impression that locals also frequented this market, so I kept expecting the slight mist of “gift shop” in the atmosphere to dissipate. It never did.
I also felt a little bit put off at how aggressively everyone wanted to sell me something. I don’t mind someone selling me something, but I can’t stand someone SELLING me something. You know what I mean? One part that was difficult for me in this environment was that you’re expected to haggle with the prices. I know that this is a bit of a cultural difference. In New York, if you haggle with an independent jewelry designer, it is often taken as rude or insulting. Some of my friends are great at haggling, but it makes me monumentally uncomfortable. If you find haggling for a great deal fun, then you’ll do well in Thailand! For me, it’s not a match.
A little touch of tourist exploitation
You might recall from my Bangkok overview post that there’s an element of tourist exploitation around every corner. The Floating Market, sadly, was not an exception. In this case, the guy who was driving (paddling?) our boat spent an extra long time at certain stalls and was especially pushy about us making a purchase. We hadn’t expressed any interest in spending extra time there, yet there we were, being fed all sorts of rhetoric about how this scarf/bag/jewelry designer was super special and that they would cut us an incredible deal. We would later come to find out that these shops were run by our boat driver’s family members. Ah. Now it makes sense why I had to admire scarves for ten minutes before I was permitted to enjoy my snack boats.
So the big Floating Market takeaway?
Do it. If you’re a sucker for shopping while on water, definitely do it. Expect it to feel like a tourist attraction. I would not go so far as to call it a tourist trap. But certainly not where the locals are picking up their groceries.
Which brings me to…..
The Maeklong Railroad Market
This was my favorite stop in Bangkok. I hadn’t even heard of it before I arrived, but a friend recommended it, and I’m so glad she did!
Here’s why it’s special to me.
THIS is where the locals go.
It’s not exclusively locals. There are definitely tourists as well, so you won’t stick out or like you don’t belong. But this market has a charm and authenticity that is completely unlike the Floating Market.
And you want to know what I REALLY loved?
Nobody tried to sell me anything!!
Maybe not everyone would find being left alone as special as I did. But after the experiences I’d had in Bangkok up to this point, it was a beautiful breath of fresh (albeit slightly fishy) air.
Not Your Average Outdoor Market
But here’s what EVERYONE should find super cool.
The market is built on railroad tracks. Not just any old railroad tracks. ACTIVE railroad tracks!
So picture this: You’re shopping at the local market, and suddenly you hear a distant train. Calmly, coolly, collectedly, all of the merchants start to pull in their goods and fold their awnings out of the way. Customers step off the tracks.
And a few seconds later….a train comes chugging through, right where you were just standing!
The vendors have clearly measured their spaces perfectly. There’s barely room to fit a hand between the edge of the closed up booths and the edge of the train. But somehow this train manages to squeeze through the market, and once it’s through, the shops open right back up again and the customers return. It’s like someone just hit the pause button on an entire market, only for it to resume again as seamlessly as someone pressing play. I’ve never seen anything like it. And when I travel, I always look for the experiences that make me walk away saying, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
