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Floating Markets
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 Thailand's
floating markets are among the most-photographed destinations
in the country. The river and 'klong' markets give a realistic
glance of how daily life must have been in earlier times.
The floating markets are where the sellers, their boats laden
with a wide variety of tropical fruits, flowers, vegetables
and fresh produce, come to meet and barter their products
with other traders. These days, modern supermarkets and department
stores have largely replaced the traditional floating markets,
but a few still survive.
The
most popular floating market, one of the must-see one-day
trips from Bangkok, is at Ratchaburi, about 101 km to the
west of Bangkok. The Ratchaburi market is the largest of its
kind, attracting a large number of tourists each day. The
lively and colorful images of boat vendors trading their agricultural
products is one of the most fascinating and endearing images
of Thailand.
 There
are also some interesting floating markets in Bangkok itself.
The Taling Chan floating market is a weekend market in front
of Taling Chan district office. Another one is the Wat Sai
market in Bangkok's Thonburi area.
Efforts
are being made to revive the old markets and reorganize them
to support tourism. One example is the Wat Lam Phaya floating
market in Nakhon Pathom, which was recently recreated and
is now being promoted.
 The
best way to fully appreciate a floating market is to hire
a long-tailed boat for the day. A tour along the klongs also
gives you an appreciation of Thai homes and gardens. Don't
forget to get up real early for a trip to see the markets.
Usually they kick off at dawn, and most traders have already
gone back home by late morning.
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