Taling Chan Floating Market is a perfect blend of the new and the old Thailand. A place where old tradition meets modern flairs. Taling Chan Floating Market is sometimes called the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating market. When you visit the Taling Chan Floating Market you will experience a serene atmosphere. It will remind you of the city’s resilience and charm. One thing is for sure that you will get genuine products in the market. It is ideal for a seafood lunch. You can sit on the floor and enjoy it along with the locals. You can also go for a longtail boat ride. It will allow you to soak in the old Bangkok’s waterways.
Things to do in Taling Chan Floating Market
The entrance to the market is quite simple. If you head further you will find a fun atmosphere. You will find sweets, fruits and other snacks. The market is usually packed with people post 11:00 am. If you cross the bridge you will find wooden boats. These wooden boats are tied to the riverbanks. On these wooden boats people sell delicious gastronomical food.
Shopping
You can find interesting things in the market. You get food, fruit and vegetables, and ornamental plants. These are sold by local gardeners who bring all these things by themselves.You will also find handcrafted items. You will get handwoven textiles to intricately carved wooden artefacts. You also get a great variety of flowers and shrubs. In addition to it, you will also discover cute little planters.You will find them in various colours and sizes. There is no end to the beautiful flowers that you can get in the market. You also get the orchids, gardening tools and fertilizers on the streets. You get all these at a very reasonable rate. Even if the products are expensive you can bargain and get them at the correct rate. If you want to start your own garden then this is the best place to be in.
Food
There are boats on the riverbank side. Here they sell seafood on small barbecues. You cannot miss the famous som tum (papaya salad) for diners sitting at wooden platforms. The food is pretty reasonable in the market. There are board signs which show the pricing for the food. The food is prepared and served in small quantities for the people to taste and try. Some of the must try dishes are grilled seafood and Phat Thai (Thai-style fried noodles).
For meat lovers there are plenty of options. You get fried chicken, pork balls served with spicy sauce and barbecue pork. If you want to try something sweet then you get taste the blue crab. It is famous due to its sweet delicate flavour attributed to the topping of a chilli, lime, and garlic. It is quite expensive due to the burst of flavours it provides. But it is worth trying it. After having the mouth licking food in the market. End it by drinking a refreshing coconut water.
Boat ride
Just next to the food area, there is an array of long tail boats. There you can take the boat ride. You can view the beautiful market and the neighbouring places from the canal. You will get to see the famous temples of Bangkok. The way and lifestyle of the people of Bangkok. You will also get to spot the lizard on the way.
Foot massage
You will find numerous foot massage options in the market. For an hour the cost is around 100 Baht. You will feel relaxed and rejuvenated after the massage. If you are visiting the Taling Chan Floating Market bring some cash with you. The local vendors do not accept cash. And you will surely not find any ATMs nearby.
Fruits and vegetables
When you enter the market be sure to find fresh fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables are brought on the long tail boats. They are then distributed to the small shops and vendors to sell. Some of the fruits that you can purchase are ragon fruit, mangosteen, durian, rambutan, and longan. You will also find freshly caught fish in abundance in the market.
Best Time To Visit Taling Chan Floating Market
To make your experience at Taling Chan Floating Market a truly enriching one. It is best to visit the market during the morning and afternoon. Also there are chances of rain so it is better to avoid visiting the market in the evening time. The best months to visit the market would be from November – January
The market is open on all the days of the week and starts its daily function from 8am to 2pm.. However if you wish to get good deals you should try to be their first lucky customer. As the shopkeepers believe that their first sale will bring them good luck.
How to Reach Taling Chan Floating Market?
Getting to Taling Chan Floating Market is really easy. It is located in the front of the Taling Chan District Office. This is around one hour drive from Bangkok. To reach there you can take the –
- Train: You can board the skytrain which will take you to Wongwian Yai. From here you can take a taxi to Taling Chan.
- Bus: You can take the bus from the Central World to the floating market. There are several buses that run during the day. Some of the bus numbers are 79, 6, 3, 6, 15, 19, 30, 32, 64, 65, 82, 516 and 52.
- Taxi: You can book an uber or taxi. It is just 12 kms away from central Bangkok. This will take you approximately 30 minutes to reach the market.
- Tuk Tuk: You can take a personal tuk tuk to reach the destination.
Taling Chan Floating Market
Taling Chan is an old district. It was there when Thonburi was still a separate province, before it merged into Bangkok. In 1998, a part of the district was separated to form the Thawi Watthana District. Many of the area was used for orchards and kitchen gardens. This led to the nickname “Bangkok’s Kitchen”.
About a 1000 years ago, the area that is now Taling Chan, was part of the Chao Phraya River delta. It had muddy mangrove forests with no evidence of human living there. Today Taling Chan is defined by its intricate networks of waterways. The rapid urban development led to the drainage of wetlands. It made way for extensive canal networks.
These canals became vital trade routes. Merchants began to set up shops along the River. This gave rise to the bustling floating market culture that we see today. There is major connectivity through roads as well. Some of the well connected roads are Kanchanaphisek, Borommaratchachonnani, and Ratchaphruek. However water travel remains the most important mode of connectivity.
