Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market @ Bang Kachao in Bangkok [Thailand]

Upon knowing we would be visiting Bangkok, a Thai friend living in Bangkok suggested checking out Amphawa Floating Market but the journey was about a 3-hour car ride, one way! 

I opted for somewhere nearer; the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market at Bang Kachao! Known as the green lung of Bangkok, it's quite easy to spot on Google Map and not that far from downtown.

Arrival at one of the entrances, near Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nai. Do note that traffic can be quite bad although the advantage is that you don't bus loads of tourists as it felt very much like an authentic market for the locals. 

It can be quite confusing at first since there wasn't a directory that I can refer to. Good thing is that our Thai friend was with us, although it was also his first time to this floating market! 

Just showing you the passages within the market; it's mostly sheltered and center passage was wide. Thankfully, it wasn't insanely crowded as this could make the whole place terribly stuffy. What I enjoyed most from this market were the lack of touristy stuff and that products (quite the variety) were mainly from the local community.

Personally, I wouldn't call this a floating market as the canal bordering it was quite small and you don't really get operators selling things from the boats. Nevertheless, still better than the touristy Damnoensaduak Floating Market. p.s. be prepared for many photos! 

During the pandemic, plants gained a lot of popularity, with prices spiking rocket high! There were some pretty ones in the market but I am aware that importation of plants to Singapore will require approval, and I don't have a green thumb.

Fruits and cut fruits! Pity I am not adventurous when it comes to raw food given how sensitive my tummy can be. Despite my love for fruits, I would usually indulge in them at hotels when I am overseas. Psychologically, I feel safer. 

Fresh vegetables; some of which were organic! I was just telling my friends the other day that my mom had a penchant to buy fresh produce even when she is travelling. Her heaviest record was buying two yams from China. 

Decorative miniature flowers; I don't see the allure of that but it's up to personal interests anyway. Not many people share my love for piggy banks. 

Fans! So appropriate to sell them in the market given the incredulous Bangkok heat! Of course, technology nowadays had advanced to automatic neck fans but manual handheld fans have the advantage of fanning a stronger wind. 

Pyjamas; I wonder how many people in Singapore wear them to sleep every night. I used to when I was much younger but in hot and humid Singapore, it's better to sleep without the top! And I am happy to sleep in my boxers. 

Wooden plaques that you can customized.

The above appeared to be for home addresses. 

Dried herbs, dried fruit, dried flowers, dried seafood; I should have gotten the dried flower / fruit tea as each pack was just 30 baht, cheaper than some of our drinks! 

T-shirt at just 80 baht! Unlike the past, I treasure comfort and would need to try out before buying! In addition, I do believe that quality matters and such low pricing would likely mean I might face a shrunken top after a wash in the laundry machine.

PVC / Nylon bags that you can find at Chatuchak Weekend Market. Well, pricing could be cheaper here but I didn't bother checking as I normally don't unless I have an interest in it.

Traditional woven rattan bags. 

Religious paraphernalia, including replicas of the highly revered emerald Buddha. 

Garden 'gnomes'; unlike many Thai residents, we Singaporeans generally live in apartments without gardens, even though many households would have potted plants.

Anime characters. Again not my cup of tea now that I am older. In the past, I would amass such figurines but mainly small little ones of Crayon Shinchan. 

DIY craft work that you can purchase for the kids. 

Common stuff like slippers, sandals, scrunchies, coasters, diffusers, sunglasses etc. On second thought, I should have purchased a pair of the leather sandals at just 200 baht! 

Just today, I was discussing with Alex that we should replace the ironing board cover; I should have purchased from the above stall. Okay, maybe not since I wouldn't have been able to gauge the size correctly.

Perfume samples for sale, when they shouldn't be. However, I can understand their demand as they would be darn useful when you are travelling and didn't want bring along your 100 ml bottle! 

An interesting activity in the market; fish feeding using milk bottles! Kids would love it although adults like Alex was totally drawn to it.

Wooden products, including catapults! Back when I was living in the kampong, catapults were commonly fabricated using just tree branches and a strong rubber band. p.s. catapults / slingshots are prohibited from entering Singapore.  

Wind chimes mesmerized me so much that I used to gift them to friends, until one of them commented that it's quite eerie hearing them at night, especially when there is no wind! 

Fighting fishes! Also known as bettas, I remember it has a strong following in Thailand and recalled a best in show at one night market that had a price tag of 10,000 baht! 

Not snakes; I guess they were eels. 

I was wondering what these baskets were for.

Would it for fish feed for the drain in front? 

Suspicion told us it had to do with the line of tin cans ahead! 

A beautiful craft; leaves that were sculpted to look like flowers. Such a sustainable method as most people would keep flowers, not their leaves. 

Threading! Been a while since I last threaded the stray hairs around my lips and chin. They can be so therapeutic, in spite of the pain which is definitely bearable. 

Lunch time where we were properly seated to enjoy a simple meal with dishes from surrounding stalls. Aside from the above boat noodle (I presume), we also had satay and a pad thai lookalike dish. Check out my review here. 

There were quite a number of eateries with seats; some just right next to the canal. I am unsure which were more popular and we just randomly chose one. 

Now's the most important segment; food that you can find at Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market! There were so many to choose from and we had limited tummy space! To check out those we tried, do visit this separate posting. 

One stall I missed out from the post was this honey lime drink stall; reason being I didn't indicate anything on my notes. If I recall correctly, it was just a sip I had and I guess there's hardly anything to fault from pure honey drink doused with lime. 

No doubt the honeycomb displays were the key draw. Just wondering, would the bees take refuge at these honeycombs? Or they would only do so when you put in a queen bee? Legit question as I am curious. p.s. honeycombs can be eaten but you need to chew, and chew, and chew. 

Let's continue with the rest of food pics; many of which I would love to try but refrain from doing so given the need not to gain too much weight! Above picture was one of two stalls selling appetizing kuehs like thai pudding with coconut toppings. 

Each piece was priced at just 10 baht (about S$0.40) and I almost couldn't resist! Arghhhhhh so many temptations, and it's sad that my metabolism is no longer as high nowadays. :( 

Buttery aroma that pulled me to this freshly made popcorn stall. As a friend ever told me, popcorns are just air and we should feel less sinful when we indulge in them. Just check; "a 100 gram of popcorn provides 382 calories"! 

I was wondering what was being fried and the word "moo moo" gave it away as I am aware that moo refers to pork and this had to be pork related. Turned out to be pork floss although the stall also offered barbecued pork crisps, and even nuts.

Oysters; to be honest, I am apprehensive when it comes to having supposedly "fresh" seafood from such stalls. Playing safe is sometimes the better bet when one is overseas. Anyway, I don't take oysters. Haha.

Candy floss! 

25 baht for bamboo rice! This would be nice to go with a few sticks of moo ping (grilled pork on skewers). Pity I don't usually take rice, unless necessary, like with curry. 

Speaking of moo ping; do check out the moo ping from the above stall which was right outside Prinze Melon Coffee House. Only 10 baht a stick and super good; you may refer to here. 

Were these fermented fish?

More of the fermented / salted fishes. Although I am Chinese, I have never quite acquired the liking for salted / preserved / fermented fishes. In claypot rice, it's quite common to find them and I absolutely hate biting into a piece of the salted fish! 

Old school biscuits and snacks.

Didn't differ that much from what we had in Singapore.

Mouthwatering, bite sized cakes! They would have cost about S$2 in Singapore and right here at the floating market; just 12 baht (S$0.44) each. 

Almost can't resist thai fried bananas! Differing from the Chinese and Malay style fried bananas in Singapore, the batter used likely contained condensed milk and with a sprinkling of sesame seeds! 

Hm... I think these were otahs, steamed instead of grilled. If only my mom were with me although knowing her "capacity", she would likely reject my offer to share. 

I don't understand obsession with this from fellow Singaporeans since this was literally roti prata and we do have a wider variety in our little red dot. Only issue? Pricing. 

Look at that glistening pockets of yellow fats! 

Sadly, we already had satay earlier. 

Meat ball soup would have sounded more delish and desirable if the weather was cool or it was raining earlier. In the hot climate, drinking soup in an open area would have resulted in my shirt being soaked with sweat! 

The rice crackers with sugary syrup can be commonly found in Thai supermarkets. But I would strongly recommend buying them from the floating market; freshly made, not as pretty as much better tasting from the packaged ones! 

Cashew nuts; I used to have an obsession with cashew nuts, to the extent I landed myself in hospital, twice! Nowadays, I exercised self control although I would buy those with sesame seeds so that I can add a few spoonful to my salad. 

Deep fried spring rolls - another of my weaknesses although I am selective, preferring not to have vermicelli as filling. You know what's the best way to have them? With Thai sweet chilli sauce! 

Sharing the rest of the food pics. 

In Thailand, it's hard not to find some sort of massage in operation! And you can engage the service as above. For me, I prefer being massaged in air-conditioned premises as I have the tendency to sweat like a pig.

What massage requires a hammer?! 

Outdoor arena with a stage for performances. Based on experiences I have in Thailand with similar setup, the staff would approach those seated at the tables for donations every now and then. 

Pet bird that was chained up.

Resting our feet at Prinze Melon Coffee House, an air-conditioned cafe that's a rescuer in the hot and humid weather. 

Concluding our expedition to Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market! I would strongly recommend this to foreigners who like to have an authentic experience of a typical Thai market. 

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Address

98 Bang Nam Phueng, Phra Pradaeng District, 

Samut Prakan 10130, Thailand

Map

As above.

Operating Hours

8am till 2pm

(Only on Saturdays and Sundays)

Admission Fee

Free

Additional Information

There's more to Bang Kachao than just the floating market. If you have the time, and energy, you can also rent a bicycle to check out the area. Only 50 baht a day!