Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is a popular tourist attraction in Thailand. Many visitors add this spot in their itinerary, especially if they’re driving from Bangkok to southern cities like Hua Hin.
But how fun is this attraction really?
Is Damnoen Saduak Floating Market worth visiting?
If you’re driving from Bangkok to Hua Hin, or any southern cities in Thailand, there’s no harm stopping by Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. The boat ride is an attraction by itself, the knick-knacks on the shelves are nice to look at, and the food is reasonably priced for a tourist attraction.
However, we don’t think it’s worth the 1-2 hour drive from Bangkok if your sole purpose is just to visit this market.
Furthermore, like many more traditional floating markets or night markets in Thailand, many items are left unpriced, allowing the owners to quote any amount they desire. You’re expected to bargain if you shop here.
How much does the boat ride at Damnoen Saduak cost?
Choose between two types of boat rides — Manual and Motor.
The Manual is fixed at 1000 baht ($30) for a boat, which can fit up to five people maximum. Even if you’re there in a pair, you’ll still be charged the same price.
Meanwhile, the Motor boat is priced at 400 baht ($15) per person.
We recommend the manual boat if you’re here in a group, as the motor boat can get really noisy and smelly.
Both prices are for a one hour boat ride around the market.
You can get on the boats at Yuwanda Pier, which is located at the entrance of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where the carpark is.
Food at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Priced at 50 baht ($2), the Boat Noodles here were pretty good. Flavourful, packed with ingredients, and reasonably priced for such a popular tourist attraction in Bangkok.
You can also order other things like Stir-fried Basil with Minced Pork or Pad Thai, though the prices of these dishes are slightly more expensive, ranging from 80 to 150 baht.
We recommend sitting down at Yuwanda Pier to have a proper meal before hopping on the boats. You can also choose to purchase small tidbits during your boat ride, such as fresh fruits, coconut ice cream and skewers. However, most items are sold in huge batches — for instance, you have to buy three batches of bananas and five skewers, which is not ideal for those who are solo travelling or visiting in small groups.
Shopping at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
To no one’s surprise, shopping at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market can turn out rather pricey, especially if you don’t even bother to bargain.
As mentioned earlier, most of the items are unpriced, and store owners will quote whatever they want to, usually a way higher price than what they would sell a local. If you’ve been to Thailand before, you’ll notice how much higher the prices here are.
For instance, when I was asking for the price of a decorative wooden frog, the store owner quoted 450 baht, when the item was half priced at other less touristy markets.
After your disembark, you can purchase a Souvenir Photo for 150 baht ($6).
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