As with the majority of our most memorable travel experiences, we stumbled upon the vibrant village of Amphawa completely by accident. We were doing some research on the best way to experience a floating market while backpacking around Thailand and Amphawa seemed like the ideal base to do just that.
While the majority of people visiting Amphawa arrive via a day trip tour, we opted to maximise our time here to fully explore the floating market across several days and allow for a once-in-a-lifetime arrival to the railway market by train.
Sensing that the area was pretty chilled and not mentioned on any travel guides appealed to us instantly. It felt like a very welcome placement after travelling from busy Bangkok!
Curious about what we could find while situated out there, we found a nice place to stay and kept an open mind. Needless to say by the title of this post, Amphawa became one of our most memorable places visited in Thailand.
Here is why visiting Amphawa should 100% be part of your Thailand travel itinerary…
About Amphawa
Rural and abundant in canals that break off and meander from the mighty Mae Klong, Amphawa is most notably known for its floating market. Sleepy and authentically Thai, Amphawa is one of those truly unique and lesser known travel destinations. By that I mean, if you take day-trippers to the markets out of the equation, the number of western tourists who make the trek there is low. This may perhaps be because it takes more logistical planning and that there are fewer big (or Instagrammable!) attractions.
Markets aside, Amphawa definitely falls under the category of being ‘laid-back’. It is entirely too easy to fall under the spell of this quiet town in Thailand’s Samut Songkhram Province. There aren’t LOADS of touristy things to do here. But what it lacks in noise and activity, it makes up for in authenticity. The slower pace of life and lack of tourist hoards means you get a real insight into what a Thai way of life is like in a village setting. And, simply put, it’s very quaint and very pretty. Think winding roads, lots of lush greenery and some pretty incredible sunsets.
The further away from the railway market and floating market you explore, the more intimately you get to see how families live here and the interesting ways in which farmers tend to their land. The watercourses in the surrounding area add so much life and greenery, allowing food sources to flourish and creating a vibrant ecosystem. We saw many different types of birds, butterflies, lizards and bugs. Fruit trees and other produce are abundant too.
Riverside Villages
The beauty of staying in Amphawa for more than a few hours on a day trip is that you get to really experience what life is like here for families who remain living in quaint wooden houses all along the Maeklong river’s edge, like they have for generations. On days when the market isn’t running, you get to see a side of the area that most day trippers don’t.
Lazy mornings with Thai families getting ready for the day.
Monitor lizards bobbing in and out of the water.
Strong Thai milk being made to order and served to neighbours.
A man drifting by selling ice-cream from his boat and carefully completing the transaction via a fishing net.
If you do happen to be around on a day when the market is closed, take the opportunity to wander beyond Amphawa’s central market zone. You will be greeted by a fascinating and endless maze of alleyways and bridges that interconnect, as well as quaint wooden buildings that remain seemingly unchanged for centuries. You will see how locals living on the canal go about their day, marvel at their gardens and find yourself feeling transported back in time.
We watched local kids jumping into the river to cool off and people seeking refuge in the shade of the midday sun behind vast wooden shutter doors. It was fascinating to just observe the slower pace of life here. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that everyday life exists for people outside of the tourist industry. I think you can uncover more about a particular place ‘off-season’ or when the main tourist attractions are shut than when they’re up and running.
Amphawa’s Cafe Culture
The cafe culture in Amphawa is unmatched!
Incredible fresh juices, rich coffees and aromatic teas are served under beautiful pagodas or next to glistening river vistas. Often these are also surrounded by beautiful gardens or feature some kind of ecological element that supports the local area.
Incredibly chic and scenic – presumably catering to wealthy local traveller clientele – these fancy cafes are a must visit and are more easily accessible by car, bike or tuk-tuk. I would highly recommend The Greenery Cafe and Somdul Agroforestry, in particular.
Amphawa Floating Market
Out of the handful of floating markets recommended to visit around Bangkok, Amphawa was the most highly rated and reputable. I’d recommend doing your own research when it comes to floating markets in Thailand, but from what we learnt by reading different reviews and people’s experiences, there are some scams to be aware of at other markets in particular!
Dating back to the 17th century, the market today remains as a place to gather, purchase local goods and souvenirs, as well as food and snacks, all while enjoying the canalside view.
Take the pictures you see online with a grain of salt, however, as we have heard on several occasions that boat vendor numbers have decreased over the years, particularly after covid.
Amphawa floating market is open from Friday to Sunday between about 10am and 9:30pm. Some stalls and vendors open later and shut earlier, but from our experience these timings are accurate.
I would recommend exploring the market in the late evening on Friday and Saturday as all the day trippers leave and the market is then filled with predominantly locals grabbing food and spending time with their families. There is music and a pleasant hustle and bustle as people go about shopping and sampling delicious offerings from stall to stall.
On Sunday things really quieten down and you will find that many vendors are closed/selling at a reduced capacity.
The Maeklong Railway Market
The Maeklong Railway Market (or the ‘risky’ market as it’s also affectionately known) is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Thailand and can be found in Amphawa Railway Station.
This market is like no other, with vendors moving their goods away from the tracks and folding away their shop awnings multiple times a day to accommodate trains passing through several times throughout the day.
In between train arrivals/departures, the railway tracks are a hive of activity, with fishmongers, fruit/vegetable stalls, cafes and all sorts of other produce being offered up to both tourists and local shoppers.
As a train approaches Amphawa station, vendors carefully tuck their wares out of reach of the train in succession. All you need to watch the theatrics is find a little spot to tuck out of the way as the train pulls in and get your camera ready to capture it all! I really urge visitors to arrive at Amphawa via the train as you get to see two very contrasting perspectives of the railway market – one as a train passenger and one as a market bystander.
You’ll need to catch a songthaew from Amphawa Floating Market (which takes about 15 minutes) to reach the Maeklong Railway Market, but it’s well worth the trip and they come and go quite regularly.
Address: ตลาดแม่กลอง แม่กลอง Mueang Samut Songkhram District, Samut Songkhram 75000, Thailand
Amphawa Chaipattana Nurak Conservation Project
Conserving Thai culture and traditions, the Amphawa Chaipattana Nurak Conservation Project was initiated to educate its visitors – both local and foreign – on Thai culture.
Here you can find out a little more about traditional crafts, visit local exhibitions, shop for souvenirs and sample some local fruits, drinks and snacks. The pomelo is a particular favourite of ours – we would highly recommend trying it here!
Depending on when you go there are also frequent demonstrations that showcase the local culture and way of life here. Entry is completely free too!
Address: 185 – 191, ตำบลอัมพวา อำเภออัมพวา จังหวัดสมุทรสงคราม, 75110 75110, Thailand
Proximity To Bangkok
The district of Amphawa is located approximately 70 km from Bangkok. Getting there takes about 90 minutes, whether you go by minivan, train or taxi. Your chosen mode of transport entirely depends on your budget and travel party size.
My personal recommendation would be to take the train from Bangkok if you are looking for a really unique and memorable experience. It takes a little bit more time and effort, but you can check out my blog post on how to do so easily here.
Where To Stay
Oh Amphawa Boutique Resort
Oh Amphawa is to me the epitome of what Thai hospitality is all about. The hotel is run in a homestay fashion by a local family who live on site in a separate building. The rooms are large and well equipped with a fridge, balcony, TV, air-conditioning and there is always bottled water to hand and toiletries are topped up daily.
Because I became friendly with one of the girls who worked there – we had some funny conversations exchanged via Google translate over breakfast! – she kindly delivered some local coconut jelly sweets to our room. The hosts in general went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and at home.
We also loved the breakfast here – there was lots of variety, with daily staples like sausage, toast, eggs, coffee and juice being coupled with Asian dishes like chicken rice and congee. Their congee was particularly good – we always went back to get seconds!
It’s a 20 minute walk from the hotel to the floating market or a 5 minute tuk-tuk ride (you can ask for one to be called for you at reception). There is also a songthaew bus stop in Amphawa which can take you to the aforementioned Maeklong Railway Market for 10 baht.
There is also the handy added bonus of there being a restaurant located at the end of the driveway to Oh Amphawa (called อีสานตำยำ), which serves all your favourite Thai dishes at very reasonable prices. We ate here most nights and were often the only foreigners there!
There is a 7 Eleven nearby for snacks and a cash machine 10 minutes away on foot also.
Address: 29 หมู่ 4, บางช้าง, Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram 75000, Thailand
Special Moments
Some of our favourite memories from our stay in Amphawa include watching monitor lizards swimming through the river while having breakfast at our homestay, catching glimpses of bright blue kingfishers hunting by the water’s edge and interacting with the local community on a daily basis.
One day while one of our walks around the area surrounding our hotel, we caught the attention of a Thai family who we watched harvesting lychee from their garden. They ended up handing us a big bunch of freshly collected lychee just because!
In fact, everywhere here we were greeted warmly and enthusiastically. From being offered a shady spot to sit and rest while our drinks were to hearty shouts of ‘hello!’ and being waved at by people driving past on motorbikes. I think that foreign visitors are still a bit of a novelty in the area!
You also really get a feel for the kind of places that Thai people visit when they are on holiday in their own country. I would say that 99% of the surrounding cafes, restaurants and even our hotel were filled with local travellers, something that we didn’t encounter in much of the rest of our travels.
Amphawa is truly a lovely place to spend some down-time on your trip and get better acquainted with what life in the Thai countryside is like. Simply blissful.
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
