Amphawa Floating Market
A canal-side weekend market with boat vendors grilling seafood, plus old wooden shophouses, cafes and evening firefly boat tours.
- Category
- Markets & Night Markets
- Entrance fee
- Free; boat trips (incl. evening firefly tours) ~60-100 THB/person
- Hours
- Fri-Sun afternoon to evening, roughly ~12:00-20:00 (confirm locally)
- Best time
- Late Friday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon into the evening; stay for the firefly boat trip.
- Time needed
- 3-4 hours (or overnight)
About Amphawa Floating Market
If you only do one floating market near Bangkok, I'd point you here over Damnoen Saduak. It's more authentic and more local, a canal-side weekend market where boat vendors grill seafood and old wooden shophouses and cafes line the water. It runs into the evening, which gives it a relaxed, lived-in feel the morning markets lack.
The evening is the payoff. Stick around after dark for a firefly boat tour, drifting along the canal to see the trees light up. It's a lovely way to end the day and one of the things that sets Amphawa apart.
Because it's out in Samut Songkhram, the smart move is to string it together with the Maeklong Railway Market and Amphawa's temples into a weekend loop rather than a rushed single stop.
Highlights
- Boat vendors grilling seafood on the canal
- Old wooden shophouses and canal-side cafes
- Evening firefly boat tours
- A more local, authentic feel than Damnoen Saduak
Tips
- Come Friday to Sunday afternoon into the evening
- Stay after dark for the firefly boat trip
- Loop it with the Maeklong Railway Market nearby
- Consider staying overnight to enjoy the evening properly
How to get there
From Bangkok: minivan from Sai Tai Mai to Amphawa/Samut Songkhram (~1.5 hr, ~80-100 THB); ~90 km south-west.