A Splash of Culture: A Day at Thailand’s Floating Market

As I browsed through my iPad I came across some of our photos from Thailand that I had posted a couple of months ago. One escapade had somehow been left out. The memorable day we spent at Thailand’s famous floating market. I could still remember how spontaneous that day was. We had no schedule at all and our rented car was ready outside. As we got into the car the driver prompted where we wanted to go. My husband admitted we had no set destination, so the driver handed us his guidebook to browse. My husband’s eyes glowed right away when he saw a photo of the floating market so that became our pick for the day.

When we got there our driver helped us where to buy tickets for the boat ride. It was a weekday so the site wasn’t congested. Just a small number of tourists were roving around. The stillness of the environs made it more enticing. We stayed for a few minutes till the crew told us the boat was set. It looked spacious for just the two of us. But it seemed to be the normal size. As soon as we perched in we took a quick selfie. And our boatman started the engine. The sounds of the motor vibrate tenderly as we began sailing through the muddy brown water of the canal.

We moved along the canal we saw colorful market stalls lining the canal banks. Each stall was filled with textiles, handmade bags, decorative fans, paintings and small sculptures that lured our eyes and hearts. We didn’t buy anything at first, we simply enjoyed taking in the sights. Some stalls were still closed giving the area almost serene feeling.

My husband told the boatman to stop at a small restaurant to buy some snacks. It turned up that the boatman’s cousin owned the place. So we pulled off along the side and were welcomed amicably. We ordered mango smoothies and sticky rice in both green and white with fried dumplings and crispy spring rolls. We also let our boatman choose something for himself. Sitting there on the lightly rocking boat, enjoying our food while drifting along the water. We felt wonderfully simple yet heartwarming. A solitary moment of connection, laughter and conjoint happiness over the vivid beauty of the floating market.

We made our way toward Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, our boatman promptly lifted up speed sending playful splashes of water along the sides that made our hearts race with excitement. We passed calm villages where the locals wooden homes with balconies were wonderfully florid with green plants and flowers. Even with the kick of the whirling boat the environs send out an ideal blend of venture and placidity that made the trip feel mystic.

When we reached Damnoen Saduak the canal came alive with boats selling fruits of every kind. We spotted Longkong, one of our favorite fruits, and asked to stop and buy some. We didn’t go down to the market, instead we chose to just sail and soak in the beauty around us.

On our way back I spotted a large creature near the canal. I froze in shock, I thought it was a crocodile! My husband laughed and reassured me it was a monitor lizard. Its dark, patterned body gliding slowly into the water. That final meet added a little fun to an already incredible day.
We anchored and prepared to leave I felt a rush of gratitude. This spontaneous, unhurried venture had been filled with laughter, flavors and memorable sights. It was truly a splash of culture, excitement and pure joy, a memory we will treasure forever.

Photos taken using Samsung S21
Collage using Canva

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