Damneon Saduak is the best known and most visited of them all, and the photos of Damneon Saduak are the iconic images you've probably seen in travel brochures and ad campaigns. While most visitors really enjoy the experience, some comment that it is purely a tourist attraction and no longer very authentic. There are public buses both air and non air-conditioned leaving from the Southern Bus Terminal for Damnoen Saduak every 40 minutes beginning at 6am. Go early if you want to enjoy the atmosphere before masses of tourists arrive on bus tours. Arriving at Damnoen Saduak, you can either walk on the passage along the canal on the right hand side or take a boat at the pier nearby.
Amphawa is regarded by many as a much more 'authentic' floating market, and although not really on the main tourist track, it is becoming increasingly popular. Amphawa is one of the few afternoon/evening floating markets. The local area has many traditional Thai style houses, and there are a number of homestays too. Open midday to about 8pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, but best after 4pm. Travelling time from central Bangkok is about an hour and a half. Buses run from the Southern Bus Terminal to Samut Songkram town (aka Maeklong), then take a local songthaew to Amphawa for only 8 baht. Alternatively, hire a taxi in Bangkok for the day, but you must negotiate a price. Or take a van from Victory Monument to Maeklong, and then that 8 baht local songthaew.
Taling Chan, in an outer Bangkok suburb, is one of the very few floating markets within the city limits, but is small and quiet compared with Amphawa and Damneon Saduak. Open only on Sunday mornings, it's located close to the Taling Chan District Office. Take a taxi, or bus number 79 from outside Central World.
Sai Nai Floating Market is one of two floating markets in Nonthaburi province just to the north of Bangkok. It's located at Sai Yai Temple in the very small country town of Sai No. I'ts busy, noisy and fun with not a western face in sight. Boats and floating stalls in the canal next to the temple sell locally produced food and other goods while a biggish market extends through the temple grounds selling cheap food, clothes and other daily needs. I'ts well worth the effort of getting there. Sai Noi is accessible from the Outer Ring Road (Kanchanapisek Road) from where it's signposted. You'd need to arrange your own transport, such as a taxi, or use a guide, to get there. Travelling time from the center of Bangkok would be about 1 hour 20 minutes or less. From 2013 the Purple line train will get you fairly close.
Nonthaburi's second floating market is the Khu Wiang Floating Market in Bang Kruai district, opens very early at weekends from 4am and all over by about 10-11am. It's similar in concept to Sai Noi. To get there you can hire a long-tailed boat from one of Bangkok's city center piers to travel through Klong Bangkok Noi & Khlong Om to get there; take an express boat (from 6am) to PIboonsongkram 2 pier and cross the river and then either take a taxi or hire a boat to complete the journey.
Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market is located on the fringes of Bangkok in Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakarn province.It's open at weekends from 8am until 2pm, although early is better than later. It's relatively new but has few foreign visitors. Both boats and bikes (for a canal side tour) are available for hire at modest charges. To get there take take air-conditioned bus No. 138 (Chatuchak – Phra Pradaeng), Number 140 (Victory Monument – Suk Sawat Express Way), Number 506 (Pak Kret – Phra Pradaeng), or ordinary bus Number 82 (Sanam Luang – Phra Pradaeng).
Four Regions Floating Market in Pattaya was created as a tourist attraction in 2008, and has been quite well developed. The market is divided into 4 separate parts representing each region of Thailand (North, Central, North-Eastern, and South) offering a blend of differing traditions.There are about 80 boats to ferry tourists around the compound, linked by a network of canals and wooden bridges. The boat trip is designed to expose tourists to the richness of the surrounding Thai architectural and cultural riverside living. One can sample freshly cooked authentic Thai dishes from the water vendors. Its located on Sukhumvit Road between Pattaya and Bang Saray, take the red Beach Bus from various stops in Pattaya, to a stop right outside the market.
A new addition is the recently opened Ayutthya Floating Market aimed squarely at tourists, most of which are Thai. From the entrance, framed by a brick wall built to resemble the old city wall, you cross a wooden bridge and go directly to the floating market or take a shuttle boat (20 baht per trip) to tour the lake and get an overview before exploring on foot. There are about 300 shops in all, built on stilts in the water and those run by vendors plying their goods on paddle boats and sellers in a flea-market zone. Here goods are put on tables or on the floor in imitation of an up-country market. The products are mainly food, snacks and clothes. There are also services including traditional Thai massage and spa and a fish spa. Vendors sell food and drinks from wooden boats. They offer various local delicacies such as som tam, pad thai, moo sarong and khanom bueng. The dining area in this zone is a big floating platform where you sit on a mat and put your plates on a small table. The food zone is connected to other shopping areas via wooden bridges and also linked to a bigger performance area where classical Thai dances are performed regularly, including likae (musical folk drama), khon (masked drama) and the Klong Yao Drum dance. To get there you can take a passenger van from Victory Monument to Ayuddhya van center, from where take a songtaew. Buses run hourly from Morchit Mai bus station in northern Bangkok to Ayuddhya bus terminal, from where take a tuktuk or songtaew
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