One of my favourite riverside markets not too far out of Bangkok is Klong Suan 100 Year Market. As the name suggests it has been here for a long time, ever since the time of King Rama V. The market sits alongside Prawetburirom Canal which runs from Bangkok all the way to Chachoengsao city. Back in its day, the canal was a kind of super highway before roads were built. But when people moved from boat transport to land vehicles the popularity of the market declined. But, luckily for us, in recent years the market has been revitalized.
Klong Suan Market is about 500 meters long and is split between Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao provinces. The sections are separated by a steep bridge. The former section focuses mainly on shops selling everything from souvenirs to more practical household items. There are even gold shops and barbers. On the Chachoengsao side, which I explored today, the emphasis is more on food. And there is certainly a large variety of that will keep any foodie happy for hours.
Today I spent about five hours at the market walking, snacking, walking a bit more and then snacking again. It is definately best to go to this market hungry and don’t expect to eat anything else for the rest of the day. As well as the snacks I must have eaten three bowls of food. My favourite was the duck noodle soup and the duck stir-fried with basil. There was also a lot of other food and desserts that you don’t often see elsewhere. All of the prices are good and is worth coming out of Bangkok to experience the large range.
During May every year, the Chachoengsao section of the market hold a market fair for three days. This is taking place at the moment over the Coronation Day weekend. The last day is Monday 6th May 2013 and so there is still time for you to visit. As well as the food there is a variety of entertainment. The market is normally open only at the weekends but also on long weekends too. This isn’t just a market for tourists as locals shop here too. It is indeed open during the week but you won’t find as many shops open.
As well as the food, make sure you check out the old style coffee which is quite strong. This famous shop is called Pali Coffee shop. Well worth tasting whether it is hot or cold. One of the things that I like about this market compared to the others is that it isn’t full of tacky souvenirs. In many ways this market is like a living museum as the items on sale have been sold here for years. You will find shops selling kitchen utensils, fishing accessories, hardware store, clothes, traditional toys for children and a lot more.
The highlight, of course, in any Thai market is the food that it sells. Boiled duck seemed to be a popular choice for many. However there was a large selection of traditional Thai food and desserts that you could choose from. You could either eat as you walked along or sit at the many canal side restaurants. Don’t go expecting air-conditioned comfort. This is the real thing and a slice of life in olden days Thailand. If you come here you will certainly be spoiled for choice.
I drove over to this market this morning. It is fast becoming popular with Thai tourists from Bangkok. If you come at the weekend or late in the morning then expect a very crowded market. It is best to come early in the morning before 9 a.m. or during the week when there are not so many tourists. If you come you will find that majority of people here are Thais. I only saw a couple of foreigners as it hasn’t been featured in any foreign guidebooks yet. That is one of the charms about this place for me as it is “undiscovered”.
If you want to come here, I think it would be better by air-conditioned taxi. You could catch the sky train to BTS On Nut. From there it would be about 28 kms along Soi On Nut and Lat Krabang. It is basically the same road all the way. You pass the top end of Suvarnabhumi Airport and then through rice fields before reaching the market. The first entrance you see is for the Samut Prakan section. You can park here or drive a bit further to the quieter Chachoengsao entrance. I would advise starting in Samut Prakan. I have marked the location on the map at Paknam.com and also posted road sign pictures on the Samut Prakan Forums.
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