Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [145]
A closer descendant of the original floating markets, Taling Chan (Map; 7am-4pm Sat & Sun) offers less of a sales pitch than Damnoen Saduak. On the access road to Khlong Bangkok Noi, Taling Chan looks like any other fresh food market busy with produce vendors from nearby farms. But the twist emerges at the canal where several floating docks serve as informal dining rooms, and the kitchens are canoes tethered to the docks. Many local Thai families come to feast on grilled shrimp and noodles, all produced aboard a bobbing boat. Taling Chan is in Thonburi and can be reached from Bangkok’s Th Ratchadamnoen Klang or Th Ratchaprasong via air-con bus 79 (16B, 25 minutes). Long-tail boats from any large Bangkok pier can also be hired for a trip to Taling Chan and the nearby Khlong Chak Phra.
Not technically a swimmer, Don Wai Market (Talat Don Wai; 6am-6pm) claims a riverbank location in Nakhon Pathom Province, having originally started out in the early 20th century as a floating market for pomelo and jackfruit growers and traders. Like many tourist attractions geared towards Thais, the main draw here is food, such as fruit, traditional sweets and èt pálóh (five-spice stewed duck), which can be consumed onboard large boats that cruise the Nakhon Chaisi River (60B, one hour). The easiest way to reach Don Wai Market is to take a minibus (45B, 35 minutes) from beside Central Pinklao (Map) in Thonburi.
The Amphawa Floating Market (Talat Náam Ampháwaa; 4-9pm Fri-Sun), about 7km northwest of Samut Songkhram, convenes near Wat Amphawa (Click here). There are other floating markets nearby that meet in the mornings on particular lunar days, including Tha Kha Floating Market (7am-noon weekends on 2nd, 7th & 12th day of waxing & waning moons). Tha Kha convenes along an open, breezy klorng lined with greenery and old wooden houses.
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NAKHON PATHOM
pop 120,657
Nakhon Pathom is a typical central Thai city, with the Phra Pathom Chedi as a visible link to its claim as the country’s oldest settlement. The town’s name, which derives from the Pali ‘Nagara Pathama’ meaning ‘First City’, appears to lend some legitimacy to this boast.
The modern town is quite sleepy, but it is an easy destination to see everyday Thai ways and practise your newly acquired language skills on a community genuinely appreciative of such efforts.
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Sights
In the centre of town, Phra Pathom Chedi, rising to 127m, is the tallest Buddhist monument in the world. The original stupa, which is buried within the massive orange-glazed dome, was erected in the early 6th century by Theravada Buddhists of Dvaravati (possibly at the same time as Myanmar’s famous Shwedagon stupa). But, in the early 11th century the Khmer king, Suriyavarman I of Angkor, conquered the city and built a Brahman prang (Hindi/Khmer-style stupa) over the sanctuary. The Burmese of Bagan, under King Anawrahta, sacked the city in 1057 and the prang lay in ruins until Rama IV (King Mongkut) had it restored in 1860. The temple is best visited on weekends when local families come to make merit.
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THE LONG WAY TO AMPHAWA
The quaint canalside village of Amphawa in Samut Songkhram is less than 100km from Bangkok, but if you play your cards right, you can reach the town via a multihour journey involving trains, boats and a short ride in the back of a truck. Why? Because sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination.
Your adventure begins when you take a stab into Thonburi looking for the Wong Wian Yai train station (Map). Just past the traffic circle (Wong Wian Yai) is a fairly ordinary food market that camouflages the unceremonious terminal of this commuter line, known in English as the Mahachai Shortline. Hop on one of the hourly trains (12B) to Samut Sakhon and you’re on your way.
Only 15 minutes out of the station and the city density yields to squatty villages where you can peek into homes, temples and shops, many of which