Amphawa Floating Market. Voyaging through the Canals

Touring Amphawa on an overcast afternoon

Amphawa is more than just another commercial market in Thailand. Amphawa is an experience of traditional Thailand, of what Bangkok may have been several hundred years ago. The local government and community here go to great lengths to blend modern culture with Thai traditions from many years ago, earning a nod from UNESCO in the form of an honorable mention several years back. Residents live in small houses located along the klongs and vendors fill their boats with wares in the morning before traveling a short distance up the klongs to Amphawa. Throughout the day, children laughingly swim in the canals, while in the evenings, many residents catch fish from those same waters. The waterways around the floating market are well-maintained and have a very lived in and authentic “feel” to them when contrasted with many “touristy” destinations around the Thai capitol.

Amphawa Floating Market: The Best. The Biggest. The Food.

Taking a Thai longboat through the canals of Amphawa

When people visit Bangkok for the first time, they often have a checklist of items to see and experience. Usually this includes the Grand Palace, the newest shopping mall nicely situated on the Chao Phraya River (namely, Icon Siam), possibly some Muay Thai, and a walk around various local street food market. This merely scratches the surface of what the exotic City of Angels in the far away land of Thailand does have to offer, but is reasonable given the limited timeframe afforded by vacation travel. No matter how short the trip, however, Tiger and Bird would like to suggest adding another item to the list: Amphawa, one of the largest floating markets in Thailand. Tuk tuks and tourist-traps will tout other floating markets near the capitol, but if you’re looking for the legit real deal, an authentic market mostly frequented by local Thai people, then Amphawa is the place for you to go.