Amphawa Floating Market Guide: Hours & Getting There

Featured image: Fabio Achilli from Milano, Italy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Amphawa Floating Market at a Glance

Amphawa lies in Samut Songkhram Province, on a branch of the Mae Klong river. Old wooden shophouses face the canal, and moored boats sell grilled seafood, boat noodles and Thai desserts. Thai families make up much of the weekend crowd, so expect a local outing rather than a staged show. For a wider comparison of the region's markets, start with our Bangkok floating markets overview.

• Where: Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram, near Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram
• From Bangkok: about 50 km, up to 1.5 hours each way
• Open: Friday to Sunday, strongest from afternoon into evening
• Best for: food-focused travelers with a free weekend slot

Opening Days and Hours

Amphawa floating market opens every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Published hours conflict. One common listing says 15:00 to 22:00, while another says roughly 12:00 to 20:00. Plan to arrive by 15:00 and treat the late afternoon as your main window. Sunset and the first evening hours are when the canal fills with diners. Confirm closing time with a stallholder when you arrive. Weekdays are a poor bet, because few stalls operate then.

How to Get There from Bangkok

Four options cover most trips. Bus 996 leaves the Southern bus station for Damnoen Saduak, runs through Samut Songkhram, and costs about ฿80. Minivans from Victory Monument cost ฿90 to ฿100 each way and drop you down the street from the market. A hired taxi or van runs about ฿1,000 to ฿1,500 for a group, with the driver waiting. Drivers can park at Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram. Prices and hours checked November 2026.

Day Trip or Overnight Stay?

A day trip works if you arrive by 15:00 and have a firm ride back. You will see the market at its busiest but miss the firefly boats and the morning alms boats at 6:00. A night in an Amphawa homestay adds both, plus a calmer canal after day visitors leave. Minivans and buses depend on set departures, so find out the last one before you settle in for dinner.

• Choose a day trip if you have one free weekend afternoon
• Choose a day trip if you hired a driver who will wait
• Choose an overnight if you visit between May and October and want fireflies
• Choose an overnight if you want the 6:00 alms boats
• Choose an overnight if you dislike a late road back to Bangkok

What to Do in Amphawa

Start with the canal itself. A boat ride along the Mae Klong runs about 1 hour past temples and the market. Reported rates are about ฿50 per person or ฿500 and up for a private boat. After dark, firefly boats cost roughly ฿60 to ฿80 per person, or about ฿600 to charter a boat for 1 to 2 hours. Fireflies are easiest to see from May to October. Cyclists can follow a 10 km route. Reported rental rates start free for the first half-hour, then ฿30 for the next half-hour and ฿120 for 2 hours. Early risers can watch monks collect alms from boats at about 6:00. Khlong Amphawa earned an honorable mention in the 2008 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for conserving its architecture and culture.

What to Eat and How to Order

Food drives most visits. Grilled seafood is cooked on boats moored along the river. Look for prawns, scallops, squid and crabs. Boat noodles and Thai desserts such as coconut custard squares fill the shophouse stalls. Ask the price of any seafood before you order, since it is usually sold by size or weight and costs add up fast. Boat vendors pass plates and payment along a long pole, so expect crowding at the water's edge. For more space, walk a short way from the bridge to a sit-down restaurant. A balcony seat there may need a wait or an early arrival.

Tours vs Going Independently

A tour buys hotel pickup and removes return-trip logistics. It costs more than a ฿80 bus or a ฿90 minivan fare. Many combo programs pair Amphawa with Maeklong Railway Market. Most are daytime outings, so you may leave before the evening crowd arrives. Compare itineraries on our floating market tour guide. If you go alone, you can combine stops yourself. Plan Maeklong Railway Market: Train Times, How to Get There From Bangkok for earlier in the day. Train times are on the State Railway of Thailand site. Then reach Amphawa by mid-afternoon.

Best Time to Go: Crowds and Seasons

Weekends and public holidays are the peak, when Thai families fill the canal-side seating. In our editorial view, Friday is the best bet for thinner crowds, since it is the first open day. Heavy tourism has also sparked debate about cultural sensitivity in the community. Keep your voice down near homes and temples, and stay on marked walkways. The rainy season, May to October, brings fireflies but also downpours, so pack a poncho. Heat peaks in the early afternoon, which is another reason to arrive near 15:00.

Who Should Skip Amphawa (and Where to Go Instead)

Skip Amphawa if you cannot visit Friday to Sunday. Walkways are narrow and crowded, which makes it hard going for anyone with limited mobility. If you want vendors paddling boats of produce, try Damnoen Saduak, which suits a daytime visit. Short stays call for something closer to the city. Taling Chan is one option. Khlong Lat Mayom is another.

• Arriving before mid-afternoon, when many stalls are still setting up
• Leaving without a return-ride plan
• Ordering seafood without asking the price first
• Visiting on a weekday