| In the morning, the Damnoen Saduak Canal is crowded with vendor boats whose paddlers are smiling and welcoming every tourist boat that passes by. Each vessel is filled with souvenirs and colourful tropical fruits, desserts and foods tempting the taste buds of Thais and foreigners alike. Most tourists are familiar with this photogenic scene for it is represented in many websites and brochures as a trademark for Thai tourism.
The floating market at Damnoen Saduak, located in Ratchaburi Province (about 100 km to the west of Bangkok), is the most vibrant market of its kind in Thailand. Touristy it may sound. But the market still best preserves its old style of trading. It is even more vivacious today with diversities of products sold.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market was started about the same time with the canal bearing the same name. King Rama IV of the Rattanakosin Period (1851-1868) ordered Phraya Srisuriyawong to be responsible for digging a 35-km-long canal to connect the Thachin River in Samutsakhon and the Maeklong River in Samutsongkhram.
The canal was dug in 1866 with the King’s and Phraya Srisuriyawong’s personal budgets. At that time, there were no technology to help, so it was entirely excavated by military men, Chinese immigrants and people of Ratchaburi, Samutsakhon and Samutsongkhram. After its completion in 1868, the King named it the Damnoen Saduak Canal and different kinds of boats used this canal as a means of transport, day and night. During the Second World War the Japanese troops also used the canal to travel to Ratchaburi Province. It can be said that this canal had been an integral part of the communities until the new roads were constructed.
As Phraya Srisuriyawong gave his money to dig the canal, many high-ranking officials, who were his family and relatives acquired possession of unoccupied lands on the banks. Moreover, these landowners later had over 200 small canals dug from the Damnoen Saduak Canal to bring water to their properties.
Read more
| Related Tour Programs |
Duration |
|
Around Bangkok tour program code S-06
Coconut Sugar Farm, a long-tail boat trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Royal Thai Handicraft Centre |
Half Day (a.m.) |
|
Around Bangkok tour program code S-29
Coconut Sugar Farm, a long-tail boat trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Royal Thai Handicraft Centre, Crocodile Farm and Rose Garden Riverside (Thai Village) |
Full Day |
|
Around Bangkok tour program code S-30
Coconut Sugar Farm, a long-tail boat trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Royal Thai Handicraft Centre and Rose Garden Riverside (Thai Village Show) |
Full Day |
|
Around Bangkok tour program code S-31
A speedboat trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, River Kwai Bridge (Death Railway), lunch on a floating restaurant and Tiger Temple |
Full Day |
|
Around Bangkok tour program code S-32
Coconut Sugar Farm, a long-tail boat trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Royal Thai Handicraft Centre, elephant show and crocodile wrestling at Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo
|
Full Day |
|
Bangkok tour + accommodation package code P-12
Grand Palace & Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Vimanmek Mansion, a long-tail boat trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Coconut Sugar Farm, Royal Thai Handicraft Centre, Rose Garden Riverside (Thai Village Show), Death Railway and Tiger Temple
|
3D2N |
|
Around Bangkok tour + accommodation package code P-18
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, River Kwai Bridge,Tiger Temple, a long-tail boat trip to resort, Dinner with Mon Dance Show, Lawa Cave, Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and JEATH War Museum |
3D2N |
|
Bangkok tour + accommodation package code P-24
Chatuchak Weekend Market, Grand Palace & Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Flea Market, Siam Niramit, Dream World Amusement Park, Dinner Cruise, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Crododile Farm and Rose Garden Riverside (Thai Village Show) |
5D4N |
|
Bangkok tour + accommodation package code P-25
Outstanding temples, Wat Traimit, Wat Pho, Marble Temple, Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Gems Factory, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Calypso Cabaret, Crocodile Farm and Elephant Theme Show |
5D4N |
|
