Places to visit in Thailand 13 - Amphawa Floating Market

If you're looking for an authentic floating market (it's not included in any of the guidebooks I've seen) and on a manageable scale (i.e its not too large to walk the whole market in the heat), Amphawa is the floating market for you.

Located in the coastal province of Samut Songkhram (the home of the first Siamese twins), it is close to Bangkok, and the market itself is next to the King Rama II memorial park, so you can spend your time visiting both of these great locations (old post on King Rama II park here).

A little floating market history - Bangkok, prior to becoming the seat of governance in 1782, was a small but popular trading post that ships would stop by en route to Ayutthaya. Due to its many networks of canals, it quickly became known amongst Western visitors as the 'Venice of the East'.

Change began in the 1950's after WWII, when the population began to expand and grow outwards from the centre of the Chao Phraya river, bringing business centres, housing and roads to what were previously farming fields and rice paddies.

Consequently, this spread also meant that many of Bangkok's canals had to be filled in.

But thankfully many floating markets inside and on the outskirts of the capital remain, and the Amphawa market is the perfect size for visitors to have an interesting walk up and down on the shaded wooden promenades that run on either side of the river, crammed with various gifts and offerings on land as well as in the water stalls.

There are also various river trips on offer that are very reasonably priced and which run to several locations outside of the market tributary. The boat drivers like to put their foot down, so if you find yourself sitting at the front of a boat trip then prepare to get a little wet.

We decided to take one of these tours, more on that in the next post, but as we had spare time I decided to embark on my first full body Thai massage.

I am not especially over confident when it comes to strangers kneading and squeezing me, but it seemed the 'perfect' time, as Sutiya was keen to have a foot massage, and as we had a couple of hours to kill it fitted nicely with our schedule.

To be honest, it didn't go too well, mostly my fault. I had no idea I would be embarking on my first Thai massage and hadn't dressed appropriately (I was wearing a collar shirt and trousers). In hindsight, much better to wear something looser and less formal, normal t-shirt and shorts fit the bill perfectly.

So this Thai guy comes out, he's a strong looking fella, as wide as he is tall, and he goes to work, pulling my arms forward and out, clamping his hands on my knees, spinning me over and sticking his knee in my back etc. The whole massage lasted about an hour, and was more like a work out than a period of relaxation.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't unpleasant, and afterwards, I did have a certain 'spring' in my step (he had, after all, folded my knees up under me, and sat on them). But during the hour this strong Thai bloke pulls, pushes and slaps you, be prepared to blurt out the odd 'urrrrgh' and 'aarrrghhhh'.

Must be great for your circulation though. I felt like one of those squeezy stress toys they hand to women giving birth.

Whilst I was being 'beaten up', I remember looking over at Sutiya, who was sitting across from me in the same room, fast asleep, as she had her feet massaged and thinking 'maybe I will go for that next time'.

Afterwards we took a little boat tour which will post on next.

Comments

[Martyn]

I have never been to a floating market before but I have seen the occasional boat float in a massage parlour, not for a few years though.
My recent massages have been in Wilai's village and have been the more traditional sought. Your squeezy stress ball synopsis is about bang on although like Sutiya I do normally fall asleep or pass out due to excess alcohol. The latter sounds about right. Best wishes.

[Ben Shingleton]

Haha! Like it.- Yeah, I think foot massages are definitely the more relaxing option, reckon I may head for the more traditional style massage after flying, help get the old juices flowing again (! but not quite as flowing as the go-go option ;)