Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market

16.07.2016 - 16.07.2016 32 °C

Thailand has gone through tremendous changes over the years and is now the most developed country among its peers within the Indochina region. Amazingly, though this Kingdom of Unseen has been fast turning into an advanced nation, it has nevertheless able to maintain parts of the traditional way of life seen during ancient times. This include the floating market trend which gained much popularity among local and foreign tourists. It has also able to capitalised on the rivers as part of its transportation system bringing convenience to the locals while foreigners enjoy some of the most exciting way of experiencing the country through various products that come with the use of river as a tourism product of mode of transport. I have been to various a number of floating markets in Thailand including the latest one being the Taling Chan Floating Market. The recent floating market that I get to experience was the Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market located within the Bang Na district in Bangkok. This floating market has very much similarity with Taling Chan Floating Market, but was larger in size. It is similar because just like Taling Chan Floating Market , it does not provide any sampan or boat rides to cruise the river for shopping and dining but has street market on the banks of the canals.

DSCN2671

Wat Bangna Nok adjacent to the pier to Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market

THE CHINESE STYLE CAKE SHOP AT WAT BANGNA NOK

DSCN2666

DSCN2670

DSCN2667

To access to Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market. visitors have to take a ferry from the Wat Bangna Nok pier to have a short cruise over the Chao Phraya river to reach the market. As the name says it all, the pier is located just outside Wat Bangna Nok temple. What I always like about travelling unplanned is that, there are always something interesting that came along that will turned out to be a surprise. This is of no exception with this day trip to Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market which include the discovery of a Chinese style confectionery shop. I am not exactly a foodie but I always believe that one should try out food and delicacies which are local to the places visited. On the way to the Wat Bangna Nok pier, there is a cake shop located on a shop just before the entrance to Wat Bangna Nok pier which specialised in Chinese style sweets and desserts worth to try out some of the range of variety of confectionery items on sale. They taste good to me and I think worth to give a try as such sweets were not available easily within Bangkok and Thailand. The are quite a large ethnic Chinese descendent such as in Yaowarat in Bangkok, Chonburi, Phuket and Hatyai in southern Thailand but the Chinese traditional food and sweets are getting more difficult to find due to the lost of interest from the younger generations of these Chinese descendent who are interested in learning to make such food.

DSCN2631

The Wat Bangna Nok pier

DSCN2629

Parts of Wat Bangna Nok from the pier

DSCN2630

The general view of Chao Phraya river at Wat Bangna Nok pier

DSCN2634

The ferry to Bang Nam Pheung Floating market

Reaching from Wat Bangna Nok pier, there was bicycle rental service which charges THB 60 per bike. Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market is located further away from the Bang Nam Pheung pier in which there is a small village surrounded by lush greenery and trees located in between the pier and the market. You can either rent a bicycle or hire a motorbike taxi for short ride to get to the floating market. I decided to rent a bicycle to get to Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market and while riding through the small village, it was fun, exciting and full of fresh air because the weather was rather pleasant and the surrounding environment were covered with many lush trees while the air was unpolluted. Once visitors reach a bridge that runs through a canal, that was the entrance to get into the Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market. The bike will be parked on the roadside before walking short distance on a walkways below the bridge on the banks of the canal to reach the market. Once reaching the market, visitors are greeted with street market which have vendors dealing with variety of food items, souvenirs and range of wide range of consumer goods. From this street market area, after some walking distance there was an arch with the market name Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market attached on it. This is the entrance to the floating market area.

DSCN2635

The bicycle rental at the pier to get to Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market

DSCN2636

This bike chosen for leisure rise to Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market

THE LUSH SURROUNDINGS AROUND THE VILLAGE TO BANG NAM PHEUNG FLOATING MARKET
DSCN2637

DSCN2637

DSCN2638

DSCN2639

DSCN2640

Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market offers a way of relaxation or weekend break which is also an alternative to malls shopping in Bangkok. There were good number of variety of food to try out and also few other interesting items that can be purchased from the market. Just like Taling Chan Floating Market, this Bang Nam Pheung Floating Market is not a tourist infested market but still provide you with a choice to try out something different from the norm. You may like it as a way to spent a free weekend and enjoy some outdoor activity but of course you may also have some reservations about this market depending on how you judge it from your perspective. Some may say that this market was established for Thais but if you are one that seeks to enjoy free time on a different note and not fear of stumbling into unforseen circumstances (in case you enjoy something else), Bang Nam Pheung Floating market can turned out to be a trip you may treasure. Overall, it can be summed up as a nice getaway from the busy and noisy city life in Bangkok.

DSCN2642