Exploring Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, a True Local Bangkok Floating Market
You’ll notice that Bang Nam Phueng isn’t like your regular touristy floating market
Among all the Floating Markets in Bangkok like Amphawa of Damnoen Saduak, Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market stands out as being a REAL local style floating market that isn’t built up purely for tourists. Being a foodie, I especially love coming here just to browse the local Thai street foods and snacks that are on offer.
Though a bit hard to get to, it’s well worth it to visit here as it’s one of the few markets in Bangkok where you can get a real taste of the local culture, you’ll know what I mean when we explore the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market further below!
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Authentic Local Bangkok Floating Market
That Bee cartoon character is kind of terrifying not gonna lie
A little disclaimer before we start, though Bang Nam Phueng is a floating market, it’s not like the typical traditional (in modern terms, “touristy”) floating markets of yesteryear, by that I mean, there are no long tail boats sailing along the canal selling you seafood and boat noodles.
This is because the boats and canals have been phased out in place of roads and cars, and thus the canals no longer play as important a role in daily life as they did many centuries ago.
However if you are looking for some long tail boat action in your Thai floating markets, these still do exists in more famous markets like the aforementioned Amphawa Floating Market. Floating Market Day Tours like this one, offer an all inclusive package and allows you to experience the major floating markets in Bangkok such as Amphawa, Damnoen Saduak, and the Maeklong Railway Market, and I’d recommend it as it makes for a really nice excursion.
Exploring Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market
It’s ok, you don’t have to be afraid, I didn’t see any bees here
The Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is all sheltered from the sun, so no fear of getting hot and sweaty here. With that said, you will definitely get lost inside the market’s maze of food carts, clothing stores, and local goods.
Bang Nam Phueng has many entrances with the main one showcasing the market’s name in vibrant colors and a few images of cartoon bees. That’s because Bang Nam Phueng means for “Place of Honey”. The story goes that the area use to be full of swarms of bees producing honey, therefore the locals make merits to the monks here which is typically food including honey.
The white strings represents the Buddhist Sutras of good health, purity, community, and so on
A few step away from the floating market is a temple called Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nai. Here locals pray to the Buddha image and make merits for prosperity and good health.
I made a quick stop here during my trip but it’s not necessary, though it is a nice little place to check out.
A fun little fact, just a few kilometers away you’ll find Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nok located on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River. This fact is a little more interesting when you know that in Thai “Nai” and “Nok” means “Inner” and “Outer” respectively.
Anyone care for a cactus?
Exploring the surrounding the outer areas of the main entrance, you’ll mostly find a lot of shops selling plants like flowers, cacti, and seeds for vegetables. My mom likes to decorate our home with potted plants and she usually buys them at market stalls like these.
The plants are cheap as well, you can purchase a potted cactus for as little as 20 THB, and they don’t require much upkeep so they’ll last for a while.
I don’t know much about gardening but for those of you who likes this hobby, you won’t be disappointed at the vast selection of greenery that the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market has to offer.
Didn’t expect police officers to be playing live music here
The atmosphere at Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is very local and home-y? What I mean is, it feels like everyone knows each other, the vendors all chat to each other like close friends and family, the customers seem to be regulars who purchase the same produce from the same stall every single weekend.
The atmosphere here is real friendly and not “in your face” like some of the other markets in Thailand. The vendors here don’t shout in your face or in loudspeakers advertising their products.
Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is very chill and relaxing, especially for a floating market.
Thai massage in the middle of a floating market? yes please!
Deeper into Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is where you’ll find the “floating” part of the market. This section is lined on both sides by canals and features mainly sit down restaurants serving your typical floating market boat noodles, as well as one plate dishes called Ahan Tam Sang. I’ll talk more about the things to eat in the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market later on.
You’ll even find a small Airsoft shooting range, as well as a Thai massage parlor of all things!
Bargaining for Local Goods at Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market
Flip-flops anyone?
I’ll keep this section brief as Bang Nam Phueng is not much for shopping. At this market you’ll mostly find cheap flip-flops for some reason, as well as clothes, t-shirts, and a few accessories.
Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is not a huge place for shopping but if you want to purchase something small and quick, then go ahead.
A lot of the shops seem to be selling the same exact products as well.
Tasting Local Thai Street Food at Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market
This is a mean coffee setup
Alright we’re getting into the real meat and bones of the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, the food! Eating and snacking is THE main reason people in Thailand go to floating markets, often these places is where you’ll find new and innovative street foods as well as old time classics.
I started off my feasting adventure with an iced Americano at this small coffee shop with lots of Moka Pots. The coffee was good, better than some Americanos I got at more well established coffee shops, plus it was only 30 THB!
Boat Noodles and Ahan Tam Sang
I don’t really like boat noodles, but whenever i go to a floating market, I’ll make an exception
As I said before, the inner alleys of the market houses a bunch of sit down restaurants serving classic Thai dishes like your trustworthy boat noodles.
While I was there, I didn’t eat boat noodles, but there are a lot of stalls to choose from, so take your pick. Every stall was full of people so I doubt that you’ll be disappointed in any stall your choose.
These are more for if you want something substantial but you can definitely go around filling up on little bites of street food, which is what I did.
Khanom Krok Hoi Tod, Thai Oyster Omelette Griddle Cakes
Golden crispy cups of mussels, egg, and crunchy batter
There was this one stall that caught my attention, do you know Khanom Krok? A popular Thai griddle cake made from flour and coconut milk. Have you also heard of Hoi Tod? a Thai oyster/mussel omelette. Now imagine if you combine the two.
These Khanom Krok Hoi Tod are absolutely delicious, no they don’t contain any coconut milk, image your regular Hoi Tod but in a crispy and crunchy cup that has been fried to golden perfection. Add in some Sriracha and you got yourself a tasty snack.
If you want to discover all the amazing dishes and street food Thailand has to offer, you can check out my Bangkok Odyssey Travel Guide, not only did I include over 50+ recommended Thai foods and restaurants to try but I also include well over 100 recommended attractions to explore as well as including all important information about exploring the capital of the land of smiles!
Juicy Beef Satay Skewers
Moo Satay is usually served with pieces of Toast, I think the vendor forgot mine here…
Right next door, there is a Moo Satay stall, usually in Thailand Satay would be made with pork but this stall makes them with beef!
These Beef Satay skewers were also really good, although they’re more chewy than our regular pork satay, I’d say they still pack a flavorful beefy punch. I especially like their peanut sauce and the refreshing pickled cucumbers and onions.
Khanom Bueang, Thai Dessert Crepes
Basically a Thai dessert Taco (Sorry Mexicans)
A popular Thai street food snack you’ll find all over Thailand are these Khanom Bueang. They’re basically thin crispy crepes folded into Taco and filled with a sweet, sticky meringue and depending on whether you go for sweet or savory, topped with sweet candied egg yolk shreds, or salty candied coconut shreds.
They’re popular throughout Thailand and you might’ve come across a popular shop if you’ve been to the MBK shopping mall in Bangkok.
Khanom Bueang are sweet, salty, sticky, and crunchy, with much of the sweetness coming from the meringue. I have these from time to time but usually the meringue is a bit too sweet for me.
Khanom Bah Bin, Coconut or Taro Pancakes
Nothing beats a hot and fresh Khanom Bah Bin
My favorite Thai snack are these Khanom Bah Bin. They are basically mini Taro, or Coconut pancakes made with rice flour. They are very mild in sweetness but also very filling to eat.
If you have these hot and fresh the outside will be a little crispy while the inside will be soft, chewy, and a little gooey. These are perfect to have alone or along with a cup of hot coffee or tea.
The flavor is mild although you will get a mouthful of coconut or taro with each bite, it’s like a very dense pancake-mochi hybrid.
Famous Pork Meatballs with No Additives
She’s chucking meat balls into the pot like a pro
A shop that is famous nationwide is this pork meatball (Lookchin) stall. They are famous for selling very juicy and bouncy meatballs without any additives. The meatballs are served with a sour and spicy chili sauce which gives it a nice zesty flavor.
I’ve had these before at Jodd Fairs DanNeramit, and while they are really good meatballs, I don’t think they are anything mind blowing, regardless of that, I would have them again if the line to these shops weren’t so long!
These pork meatballs are popular for a reason and you should definitely try them out if you have the chance. The stalls are easily identifiable by the large boiling pots of meatballs as well as the staff’s vibrant yellow uniforms.
Crispy Pork Belly and Pork Tail
All your problems can be solved if you just add a little bit of Moo Krob to it
Everything is better with Moo Krob, crispy pork belly. There is one stall in Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market dedicated to selling not just crispy pork belly, but also crispy pork TAIL!
I’ve never had crispy pork tail before so this was interesting for me. The preparation method is the same as your regular crispy pork belly. The difference here is that the meat and fat is divided into parts rather than layers. As in you’ll get pieces which are just globs of pure fat, and other pieces with are just pure meat.
The taste was alright, it still tasted like pork but not as juicy as your regular pork belly, also more annoying to eat as there are bones you have to eat around.
Details About Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market
Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is a market on the outskirts of the main Bangkok in Samut Prakan. The market only opens on the weekends and is very popular with the locals, although recently more efforts were made to accommodate tourists and foreign expats.
While the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is open throughout the day, peak times are around noon with many shops start closing for the day around late afternoon.
Location: 98 Bang Nam Phueng, Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan 10130
Opening Hours: 7:00AM - 7:00PM | Sat - Sun
How to get to Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market
Bang Nam Phueng is quite difficult to get to via public transport, there are no BTS or MRT stations nearby so there are only 2 options I recommend:
Taxi or Grab (or any other ride hailing services)
The price depends on where you are starting from of course, but expect to pay around 175 THB if you are coming in from the center of Bangkok. The Taxi driver will likely know where Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market is, if not then Google Maps is your friend.
River Taxi then Taxi or Motorbike
Take a taxi to Wat Bang Na Nawk, a temple with a pier for the river taxi. Then take the river taxi to the previously mentioned Wat Bang Nam Phueng Nok. The boat ride will cost 5 THB. From there take a taxi or a motorbike taxi to the Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, a taxi will go for around 45 THB while a motorbike taxi will be cheaper at around 20 THB.
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