Damnuen Saduak
Damnuen Saduak
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (Thai: ตลาดน้ำดำเนินสะดวก) is a floating market located in the Damnoen Saduak District. Ratchaburi Province located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. It is established primarily as a tourist attraction and relies on this industry which includes both domestic and foreign tourists. It is often considered the most famous floating market.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market consists of a maze of narrow canal), and can be navigated by boat. Female traders, often wearing traditional mo hom apparel (blue farmers’ shirts) with wide-brimmed straw hats (ngob) use sampans (small wooden boats) to sell their wares, often produce that comes directly from farms. These boats are often full of vegetables and colorful fruits that are photogenic, and these images are used for tourism promotion. The market is often the busiest in the morning around 7 am to 9 am, and is active until noon.
The floating market comprises three smaller markets: Ton Khem, Hia Kui, and Khun Phitak. Ton Khem is the largest market and is on Khlong Damnoen Saduak. Hia Kui is parallel to Khlong Damnoen Saduak and has souvenir shops on the canals banks to sell goods to larger tour groups. Khun Phitak is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Hia Kui and is the smallest and least crowded market.
The floating market is crowded with tourists and is considered a tourist trap.’ As such, the wares tend to be overpriced. Bargaining is a common practice, although usually the prices of souvenirs and food are generally fixed within a few Thai baht. Canoe cooks can be found preparing and selling boat noodles. The floating market also has been noted to lack cultural authenticity, although it remains a popular destination for both foreign and domestic tourists.
The market has been featured in several films. A canal chase scene in The Man with the Golden Gun with Roger Moore as James Bond was filmed at the market. The 2008 film Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicolas Cage includes a scene that takes place at the market.