Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Bangkok, Thailand

The most famous of the floating markets is Damnoen Saduak, about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok. This buzzing market is at its best in the early morning before the crowds arrive and the heat of the day builds up.

Most people live densely along both sides of the canal from one end of the canal to another. The majority of these people are farmers. They grow several types of fruits and vegetables for example oranges, grapes, papaya, cabbage, beans, onions and others.  The land in the area is naturally fertile. Apart from providing transportation, Damnoensaduak Canal also provides farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes for the whole year around. More than 200 small canals were dug by local peasants to connect with it to get water to splatter their land. In addition, these small canals are also a way to take their agricultural prosperity to markets in neighbouring provinces and Bangkok.

Day and day out from about 8 am until about 11 am the Floating Market is routinely crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying or exchanging their goods. Their purchases are especially food, fruits and vegetables that are mostly brought from their own orchards. They usually travel on their small rowing boats. However, today the long-tailed boats pushing by engine become very popular. People tend to use them instead. However due to lack of fuel these days is quite a long tail boat there compared to a few years ago.