Maeklong Railway Market

The Maeklong Railway Market is one of the most charming and quintessential vestiges of old-school Thainess in this vast and wondrous Kingdom. When Siam Paragon and MBK are the names on the lips of those with shopping in their hearts, it is too easy to overlook the quiet charm that is the traditional Thai marketplace.

unassuming at first….

Commerce is of course right at the heart of any developed society, but the Thai people do seem to have a special grace and distinctive style when they apply themselves to the arts of selling and shopping. Even the most humble of fruit sellers makes sure the stuff on his cart is stacked with symmetry, shape, and beauty and nobody agrees to buy anything without first handling it thoroughly.

But Maeklong Railway Market casts light on qualities of Thai character beyond their love for fine and delicious things, it shows us a lot about their carefree acceptance of circumstance and subsequently peerless adaptability. You see, there’s an active train track in the middle of the market. And to further complicate things, as you can see in the picture, there are also buildings on either side of the track.

the canopy is pulled back and the market quickly moved so the train can pass

Needless to say there is not a whole lot of room left for these entrepreneurially minded go getters to play with. But, being Thai, they go beyond just making the most out of what little space they do have and do it with style and class that can’t be faked or affected. Probably because they don’t think of it as making the most out of it, they are just making it.

There was never a perceived challenge to bring them to a sense of resignation or triumph. They solved the problem before anyone ever knew there was one.

The Thai name of the market literally translates to umbrella pull market, and that’s about what it is. A massive fresh seafood market, it is completely retractable to accommodate passing trains.

When the train has passed, the canopies are thrust back out and business resumes. The train comes by quite early in the morning from Bangkok around 8:10 and leaves the station at 8:30, so make sure to get up early. It’s close to the floating market too, so you can always do a combined trip.

If you wish to visit Maeklong Railway market and Damnoensaduak Floating Market on the same day, check out Maeklong Railway Market + Damnoen Saduak floating market day tour.