2 Dollar Tours Floating Market

2007-04-16T22:16:00.004+07:00

Its 6.00 AM and you’re wide awake. You jetted in on a red eye flight arriving in Bangkok around midnight. You can’t sleep anymore in your hotel. What to do at this hour? Nothing opens ‘till 10.00 AM and the night life doesn’t start pumping until after 10.00 PM.

Forget the touts, tour guides, tuk tuk pirates and limo drivers, go get that Thai experience by following my six step guide. I can show you how to get there and back for under four US dollars.

The Damneon Saduak floating markets are one of Bangkok's most famous tourist attractions and lie in Ratchaburi District about 110 kilometres south-west of Bangkok. But why take an expensive tour when you can get yourself there and back for around four dollars by using the little known but incredibly amazing train from Wang Wian Yai station.

Step one. Print out this article before you leave home, or download it into your PDA (Digital diary), and take it with you. If you forget that’s okay you can go online in Bangkok at any of hundreds of Internet café’s, download & print it there.

Step two. Go to the concierge desk in your hotel lobby and get the following information:

Ask how to get to "Wang Wian Yai Satani Rote Fai" (Railway station) This tour starts from Wang Wian Yai train station and returns to Wang Wian Yai station. Practice saying this as you will need to ask local people later in the day "Satani Rot Fai, U Tee Nai?" Where is the railway station? Free Thai language lesson!
A hotel business card with the return address in Thai writing on it. This is important. You may get lost and have to take a Meter Taxi back to the hotel! Hey, there’s no extra charge for getting lost!
The nearest ATM machine location or money changer. Hotels give notoriously poor rates for currency exchange.

Take 1000 Baht ($30 USD) per person, in small bills, with you. The tour will cost approximately four US dollars (104 Baht) each return to start point but I am sure you’re going to want to buy something, right? The hotel cashier will give you small bills. If not, go to a Bank or money changer near the hotel and ask for change.

Step three. I suggest you be at the Wang Wian Yai railway station by no later than 8.15 AM. Trains leave Wong Wian Yai about every hour between 5.30 a.m. and 8.10 p.m. When your taxi drops you off at the station don’t be dismayed if there is no recognizable station, only a clothing market! Walk just a few paces from the busy main street and you will spot the train tracks and the ticket office. Fare to Mahachai (Samut Sakhon)-10 Baht.

Step four. Take the train south to Mahachai (Samut Sakhon) where the train runs out of track at the edge of the Ta Chin River (Approximately one hour). Exit the station the same direction the train is pointed and walk a short distance to the ferry landing.Here you ask for a ferry ticket to "Satani Rote Fai, Ban Laem” (7 Baht) Caution there are two ferries across the river. One boat travels directly across the river and one boat travels up stream to Ban Laem railway station. Cross the Tah Chin River and walk to the Ban Laem station “Satani Rote Fai, Ban Laem.” Ahead to the first street on your right (7 eleven store on the corner), turn into that Soi and walk ahead to the station hidden in the market on your left! Buy a ticket to Mae Khlong (Samut Songkhram). Fare 10 Baht.

NB: If you miss the connecting train you may have wait over two hours until the next train. My suggestion is to walk to the local bus station. Ask a local, say, “Satani Rote Bus, U Tee Nai?.” Get a Blue bus (Bangkok-Damneon Saduak) (Fare 25 Baht). Remember you want to get off at Damneon Saduak Floating Market.

Step five. At the end of this track go in the direction that the train came from, exiting the Mae Khlong station right (Under the crossing arms) and first left. Walk about 3-400 yards straight ahead to “Satani Rote Bus, Mae Khlong,” bus station on the right. Buy a ticket on the bus to Damneon Saduak. The big blue air conditioned buses have the departure and destination in English painted on the side of the bus. E.g. Bangkok-Damneon Saduak. The bus route is along Highway 325. When you get off the bus the floating markets are on the same side of the road as the bus stop. The return bus stop is located across Highway 325 going back to Mae Khlong.

Step six. When you enter the Damneon Saduak floating markets area you can walk around the various canals (Khlongs) or you can rent a boat from 300 Baht for one person or 1-200 Baht per person for a group. If you rent a boat, ask to be dropped off at the Damneon Saduak "Satani Rote Bus" (Bus station). That will save you a walk of 5-600 metres. Catch the blue bus to back to Mae Klong (Samut Songkhram) (25 Baht). At Mae Khlong retrace your steps back to the Mae Khlong "Satani Rote Fai. Buy a ticket back to Ban Laem (10 Baht). At Ban Laem take the ferry across the river again back to Mahachai "Satani Rote Fai." (7 Baht). Catch the next train back to Wang Wian Yai.

If you have had enough heat and cultural experience after the floating market boat trip, just take the Damneon Saduak-Bangkok bus all the way back to the Southern bus terminal in Bangkok (70 Baht). At the Southern bus terminal either take a taxi back to your accommodation or a Number 511 air conditioned bus back to Sukumvit area.

Hope you enjoyed your cultural experience day out with 2 dollar tours!

Brickbats and Bouquets to:

geoff.ogilvie@oacservices.com

Use full links:

http://www.thailandbytrain.com/MahachaiRailway.html

http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok/MassTransit/maeklong.shtml

Two Dollar Tours Floating Market

2 Dollar Tours Floating Market