Now showing : Damnoun sadouk Floating Market

 

Actually Damnoun sadouk Floating Market is the original floating market in Thailand and it’s the most popular one but I don't like much after it became touristic. It's not natural. I mean - local lifestyle is the same but there's something different. It's like they are making the movie. I don't feel the real feeling - everything is about money.

But this hundreds years old floating market is written in guide books. This place is recommended by the travel agent. This place is the one that everyone thinks of when you say "Floating Market".  

If you go to one of travel agents in Bangkok and ask about Floating Market, they will set your one day trip to go to only Damnoun Sadouk in Ratchaburi Province.

Ok it's an original one. It’s very attractive place for tourists to see traditional Thai houses, their lifestyle, live and travel by boats, the old style and traditional way of selling and buying vegetables, fruits from small boats but it’s like it’s not real. Ok it’s real but I don’t feel that it’s real. It’s like they keep this old style just to show off and we have to pay the ticket to see this show. That's why I like Ampawa floating Market more. But for some people who have never seen the floating market, this place could be the fantastic one.  

To go to this Floating market you have to leave Bangkok very early because most of tour groups will be there around 9am.

It's good if you're there earlier (7am) otherwise you'll be stuck by the traffic in the canal and the market will close around Noon. I was there at 7.30am. We (ale and I) hired a car with the driver to go there. ( I don't recommend you to do the same - you can go by yourself by bus or  if you buy a one-day trip, don't forget to check what kind of car will pick you up?). The travel agent we bought one-day trip told us that there would be a private car to pick us up tomorrow at home an the driver is the expert one but when it showed up, it was a taxi who diddn't speak with us at all. Well. Even I'm Thai but they can lie to me also? haha ..

When we arrived our driver stopped at the first pier at the entrance which is far from the market center - they're co-workers. You stop here means you have to hire the boat here which is more expensive than inside. So I told him to get inside and park near the center point then we walked along and hired a boat by ourselves.

We took the boat - I don't remember how much for each person (sorry) but the cost is different depends on the owners but you can negotiate. We took a tour for 1 hour. Everything is about money, really. Usually you can tell the rower to stop wherever you want. But my rower knows too much, he stopped at the shops he knew or (I think) his relative’s shops. I’d like to buy something but when I asked him to stop here he always said I think next one is better and told me later that it’s his brother’s shop. Something like that.   

What I love is just only food especially Boat Noodles. I have read some blogs that talked about this floating market (from other websites). Most of them said the same that Damnoun sadouk is an amazing place where you can have experiencing in eating noodles in the boat.

We call it Boat noodles. I had one near my parent’s house but now they quit. I remember Dad and I went to order it every weekend. That’s why I love it. But now (here) it's quite expensive. Why? Because it’s 25 THB for one bowl but I see one piece of pork and one spoon of noodle. I think in the boat noodles in Bangkok is better! :)

I'm sorry for those who already have been there that like it and don't feel the same as me but I went to many floating markets and this one was the fourth time now. Two times with my parents, one with friend, the last time with Ale. Even I went there for 4 times but I still can't tell myself or tell the world that I love Damnoun Sadouk Floating Market. When Ale asked me to go there I told him to go to Ampawa Floating Market instead but he said he wants to go to the original one. Ok original one original one.

I took him to Ampawa later and he said there’s better too.

I wanted to feel the fresh air-I wanted to look around because a place like this remind me of my grandma-grandpa’s house. Their house is in the same atmosphere. It’s near the river. I could swim in the canal when I was a child. So I wanted to bring that feeling back again but no one allows me. The rower kept asking us to stop at the shops. And every shop took our boat to go near them to listen to them promote their stuff. Hmmm, so I should buy something right? I did buy finally but can say that I had to buy. I don't know why but I did and I don't like it at all. And to confirm that I am right - I found the same thing in Bangkok. It's 180 THB but I bought from there was about 350 THB (the first price was 550THB!) Wow!  New!

One side of the canal is the pier that now owns by K.

Paew with the big sign to tell everyone that is her pier. She built the pier so nice but it looks like the city more than suburban one. Anyway there are full of tourists almost every day. Damnoun sadouk Floating market is the one that’s most recommended by guide book and travel agent, I told you. If you come to Thailand, I will tell you to go to this floating market too to see it with your own eyes then you must go to the others for example Ampawa Floating Market and you will understand what does "same same but different" mean? :)

Anyway enjoy Thailand!