Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market: 5 Things To Do

I have never been to a floating market in Thailand before until 3 months ago. Wary of tourist traps masquerading as floating markets, I went to my chief source of information on Thai food: Mark Wien’s Migrationology.

I was fascinated by his account of the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, and decided to visit it for myself. And boy, I absolutely loved it!

Here are 5 things you can do at this floating market.

No. 1: Eat

This is the most important thing that you and I must do when visiting this market. Come with an empty stomach because there’s just so much food to choose from. I actually took more time just deciding what I wanted to eat and eating the food itself! If you’re not alone, it’s best to grab a table (preferably next to a canal close to where the boats depart for the canal tours) before you buy your food because at peak times, the market is really crowded.

Making som tam (Thai green papaya salad).

This is how it looks like at lunch time.

If you listen to Mark’s advice, you’re going to get yourself a Thai salt crusted grilled fish, which I did. There are several stalls that sell it and they are not all located in one place. And the price of the fish varies from as low as 140 Baht (US$4.20) to as high as 250 Baht (US$7.50) (maybe because of the weight or because some species fetch higher prices). I paid 140 Baht for the cheapest fish but it still tasted good. Be aware that the fish comes with lots of raw vegetables and some sauce, so don’t buy more food than you can eat.

I also got myself a pot of goong ob woon sen (Shrimp and Glass Noodles in Clay Pot) for 100 Baht (US$3.00). I failed to heed Mark’s advice and bought it from the wrong stall. It was just average. This was the only mistake because everything else was good.

Grilled fish (140 Baht), Glass noodle (100 Baht), Custard apple (80 baht), Chicken satay (60 Baht), Mung bean candy (30 baht).

No. 2: Canal Tour

You can take a motorised boat tour of the canals around the floating market. There are several packages that you can choose from. I paid 100 baht (US$3) an hour’s tour that included stops at a Thai temple (Wat Sapan) and an orchid farm (Niyom Orchid Farm). My advice is to choose a tour package that does not include stops at these two places. They are not interesting enough, in my opinion, to justify spending your time there.

Canal tour on a boat

Wat Sapan

Niyom Orchid Farm

No. 3: Canal Walk

If you don’t fancy touring the canal by boat, you can go on a walk along the canal. I didn’t do this myself, but I did see walkways along the canal.

Canal walkway

No. 4: Fish Spa

Give yourself a fish pedicure right within the floating market! And it only costs 99 baht (49 baht for children) for an unlimited time.

No. 5: Funfair

There are a few funfair-like amusements in the market. You can test your shooting skills at a shooting gallery, or you can feed the fish.

Pay 20 Baht for 10 attempts at the soft toys.

Pay 20 Baht to feed the fish.

Opening Hours

Opens only on Saturday, Sunday and on public holidays, from 8am to 5pm.

How To Get There

Take the train to the Bang Wa BTS station, and hail a metered taxi. Don’t worry, I saw lots of taxis waiting outside the station, and lots of taxis waiting for passengers at the entrance to the floating market too. I remember I paid about 100 baht or so for a one way trip from the Bang Wa station to the market.

Conclusion

The Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market is a wonderful place to spend your weekend. It’s close enough to the city of Bangkok, it’s lively, the food is great, and I just love the fact that there aren’t that many foreigners. The sheer number of local visitors gives this place an authentic feel. Don’t miss it!