“Welcome to one of Thailand’s greatest floating markets, Damneon Saduak! Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the heart of the floating market and if you follow me, we will go purchase our tickets.”
Located in the province of Ratchaburi, approximately 110 kilometers away from the bustling city of Bangkok, Damneon Saduak hails as one of Thailand’s most famous floating markets. From authentic Thai cuisine, to handicrafts and souvenirs, Damneon Saduak is a one stop shopping paradise for tourists alike. While haggling with shop keepers is accepted here, international visitors can expect a major inflation on goods that would normally cost half the price elsewhere.
I’ve braced the morning to get here with a bunch of strangers I’ve barely just gotten to know. We purchase our tickets and then together we head down the steps towards a bustling pier. Drivers’ boats careen together amidst the frantic Thursday morning energy; overweight tourists struggle to disembark from their tiny wooden boats; the melodic sounds of Thai float through the air; and together we wait to set sail into a culture that is uniquely Thai.
”Rose apple? Hello? Best in Thailand!” A tiny Thai woman floats by us with a bag of fruit resting on her shoulders. Her skin is worn and saggy and she looks as though she’s been sailing along these murky waters since its early beginnings.
No one pays attention to her.
“Hello, hat?” An old woman with a teetering tower of sun hats says as she makes her way along the pier.
The young Asian couple in the group continues taking pictures. The pregnant couple from Malaysia has yet to put down their video camera, the family of five has already started eating, and the six culturally dysfunctional girls from down under are too busy chipping away at their nail polish and popping bubble gum.
“Hello?” Our tour guide motions us towards the two boats she’s secured. Our drivers are two tiny Thai women and I find myself wondering where in the world they will muster up the man power to navigate these waters with so many heavy set western tourists aboard.
“Okay, six and six,” says our guide as she splits us down the middle with her hand.
A must see for any tourist, the market canals were built in 1866, by order of the Thai King for ease of communication with the province. However, the actual market didn’t start operating until 1967, and up until today this floating market continues to attract visitors from all over the world.
“Make sure you sit in the middle,” our guide says to me. “It balances out the weight.”
I comply and move towards the middle of our tiny paddle boat.
The mother from the party of five turns around and smiles at me.
Without any formal warning, our guide disappears and leaves us the in hands of our driver. We slowly inch our way out into the mess of boats, and I turn back to watch our tour guide with the group of six, now extremely giggly aussie girls, making their way down the pier towards an empty boat.
It is of little to no surprise why Thailand is known as the “Venice of the East.” With rivers and canals running throughout the capital city of Bangkok and beyond, Thailand’s intricate waterway systems once served as an important part of everyday Thai life. However, in today’s technological age of subway systems and sky trains, life along the rivers and canals are disappearing in Bangkok, but in smaller cities and country towns like Ratchuberri, the waterway systems are still widely used. Needless to say, that a trip the floating market in Dameon Saduk is a must for any first time visitor to Thailand as it showcases authentic Thai culture at its best.
We nick other boats that’re slowly cruising through the market at a snail like pace.
“Watch your fingers!” screeches an old woman with a thick British accent her boat cruises alongside dock store fronts.
Leathery faced Thai women float by with breakfast: blows of noodle soup and fragrant smelling jasmine rice.
Our driver navigates our paddle boat along the inner market canals, shop keepers grab the outer edge of our boat and try to convince us we need tacky, overpriced goods such as ukuleles with the words Bangkok painted along their necks.
“How much is this?” asks the camera crazy man in front of me. His partner whispers something in his ear and then he points to an embroidered leather sling bag.
“Genuine, is the best leather in Thailand sir, I promise I no lie to you.” She runs her hand down the front of the bag and shows us her stained orange teeth as she smiles.” For you, okay, nine hundred baht!” She smiles and shows him her calculator.
He shakes his head no and says nothing. We paddle on.
“Hello, sir?” The shop keeper stands up and leans out over the murky water. “You no want? I give you better price!” Our driver starts to paddle harder, faster and deeper.
It’s all slightly overwhelming, stacks upon stacks of goods, fruit and souvenirs bombards our every view as we slowly sail through each isle of the market. The family in my boat rounds out the morning with another bowl of noodles and more video clips are produced while the endless clicking of cameras continues around me. I sit back and enjoy the ride, totally immersed in one of South East Asia’s most colorful cultures.
As we veer up towards the dock, a shrill obnoxious voice echoes out into the open.
“Get out, yeah that’s right, our turn now!” boasts an overly excited tourists standing on the dock.
“Mmhmm,” she says as I stand up and climb back ashore. I dust myself off, and make my way along the docks searching for the scent that’s been haunting my senses since I arrived: chili, lime and lemongrass.
The market vibrates with frantic energy as I take my last bite of breakfast. I clear my plate, wipe myself up and head towards the bathroom. A powerful stench, comparable to that of a leaky sewage tank, floats through the air as I toss my garbage into the bin and walk inside.
Soggy toilet paper and a river of toilet water trickle down the edge of a toilet as overly pampered tourists scrub their hands, all the while commenting over such squalor conditions.
“Disgusting!”
“Sick!”
I make my way around the mess as toilet water splashes up and into my sandals.
“Shut up, shut up!”
Oh no! I shudder at the sound of their voices as I undo my pants and do my business. I roll my eyes, as if to say not now, flush the toilet and open the door.
One of the girls from this morning makes eye contact with me as I come out of the stall.
“Hey.” I walk over to the sink to wash my hands.
“Oh, yeah hey!” She unravels her t-shirt from her fingers.
“Did you have fun?” I ask before I prepare to leave.
“Yeah, up until now. This place is a mess. Uuuh!” She raises her shoulders to her ears and then crosses her arms across her chest. Nervously she starts to pick away at her finger nail. “You?”
“Oh yeah!”
She chews on her gum, scratches her head and looks me over with concern.
“Okay, well see ya back on the bus.”
Her gum cracks a few times as she rocks back and forth on her feet waiting for the next available cubicle.
As I make my way back towards the bus I’m reminded of the clichéd saying every traveler should keep in mind when they set foot upon foreign territory,
“When In Rome!”
