In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Maeklong Railway Market (Talad Rom Hup, “umbrella-closing market”) in Samut Songkhram is built along an active railway track. The train passes through eight times a day: it arrives at about 08:30, 11:10, 14:30 and 17:40 and leaves at 06:20, 09:00, 11:30 and 15:30. When the warning sounds, vendors pull back their awnings and slide baskets inches from the rails, and put everything back the moment the train clears. From Bangkok it is 23 THB by two trains and a 3 THB river ferry (Seat61), or about 75 minutes by minivan from Sai Tai Mai for 70 THB to 100 THB. Always stand behind the red safety line. Or book a tour: the Maeklong railway market and Damnoen Saduak floating market tourad (from ฿687, 4.8 stars from 12,083 reviews) includes a ride on the train through the market. For other regional excursions, see Day trips from Bangkok.
The train timetable at Maeklong
The market sits on a branch line run by the State Railway of Thailand, and Maeklong station is its terminus. Trains from Ban Laem take about an hour to reach it: the 07:30, 10:10, 13:30 and 16:40 from Ban Laem arrive at about 08:30, 11:10, 14:30 and 17:40, and leave Maeklong at 06:20, 09:00, 11:30 and 15:30 (Seat61). Each train runs through the market on arrival, stops at the platform 100 metres beyond, and runs back through the market on its departure.
| Movement | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Departure | 06:20 | Early morning, before the crowds |
| Arrival | 08:30 | Vendors are setting up their morning produce |
| Departure | 09:00 | The quietest slot before the tour buses arrive |
| Arrival | 11:10 | Combined tour groups fill the platform |
| Departure | 11:30 | Twenty minutes after the arrival; the busiest departure |
| Arrival | 14:30 | Good light for photographs |
| Departure | 15:30 | The best fit if you are carrying on to Amphawa’s weekend market |
| Arrival | 17:40 | The last of the day, in dusk light |
Get to the tracks at least 30 minutes before a movement to secure a place. The 11:10 arrival and 11:30 departure are the most crowded; the 08:30 and 09:00 pair have far fewer spectators.
Tours from Bangkok
Tours reach Maeklong in time for a train and almost all pair it with a floating market, which is the hard connection to make on your own.
Maeklong train ride and Damnoen Saduak boat tour
From ฿687 · 4.8 stars from 12,083 reviews · 8 to 8½ hours · small group
Bangkok: Maeklong Railway Market & Floating Market Boat Tourad includes round-trip air-conditioned transport from Bangkok, a longtail motorboat ride through Damnoen Saduak and its canals, a train ride through the Maeklong railway market and the countryside, a licensed English-speaking guide and an audio guide in 41 languages. Meeting points are Khao San Road, Chinatown or MBK Center, depending on the option, and a one-way hotel transfer is available. The 07:00 option leaves out the train ride. Food and drinks are extra.
Both markets with a paddle boat
From ฿799 · 4.6 stars from 29,554 reviews · 7½ hours · hotel pickup option
Bangkok: Damnoen Saduak Market and Maeklong Railway Marketad arrives at the floating market by paddle boat, then gives free time at Maeklong. It includes round-trip air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking guide and drinking water, and meets at the main entrance of River City shopping mall, with hotel pickup as an option. The Damnoen Saduak guide has the boat prices.
Maeklong and Amphawa with a firefly cruise
From ฿1,481 · 4.3 stars from 757 reviews · 8½ to 11½ hours · small group or private
Bangkok: Maeklong Railway & Amphawa Floating Market Day Tripad pairs the train market with Amphawa Floating Market, Wat Bang Kung, the temple wrapped in banyan roots, and a firefly boat tour on the Maeklong river. It includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle and a guide. The meeting point for the small group is near National Stadium BTS Station. It is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with back or heart problems. See the Amphawa guide for how the evening market works.
Train market and Damnoen Saduak longtail
From ฿840 · 4.6 stars from 256 reviews · 8½ hours
Bangkok: Train Market & Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Tourad watches the train squeeze through Maeklong and then cruises the Damnoen Saduak canals by longtail boat, with a guide in Chinese or English depending on the option, bottled water, a cookie and the transfer to and from the meeting point at CentralWorld. Food and drinks are extra.
How the market works
The market’s Thai name, Talad Rom Hup (ตลาดร่มหุบ), means “umbrella-closing market”. Stalls sell mackerel (pla thu), sea salt, fresh durian, chilli pastes and poultry, laid on flat wooden tables built over the steel rail ties.
The routine runs in four steps:
- Warning: three to five minutes before the train reaches the market, a bell and siren sound along the track.
- Retraction: vendors pull back the bamboo poles holding the canvas awnings and roll their tables back about 30 centimetres from the rails. Flat produce such as limes, chillies and ginger stays in baskets between the tracks, and the train passes just above it.
- The pass: the diesel train rolls slowly through the narrow corridor at about 15 km/h, with passengers leaning out of the open doors.
- Restoration: within seconds of the last carriage passing, vendors unclip the poles, drop the awnings and roll the tables forward, and shoppers step back onto the track to carry on buying.
A train approaching Maeklong market. Photo: Codas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Safety rules for visitors
The track is an active railway, not a display.
- Look for the red paint: red boundary lines are painted on the platforms and walkways beside the rails. Stand entirely behind them.
- Stay off the track bed: once the warning sounds, step off the sleepers.
- Keep elbows and cameras in: phones and selfie sticks held out toward the train can be struck by carriage handles or ladder rungs. Hold equipment against your body.
- Respect the shopkeepers: do not stand on produce crates or block shop fronts while you wait. If you want to stand in a shop alcove, ask first with a nod.
How to get to Maeklong from Bangkok
Two trains and a river ferry (23 THB)
The Maeklong line is cut off from the main rail network by the Tha Chin river, so the trip is in three stages (Seat61):
- Bangkok to Maha Chai: take the BTS to Wongwian Yai, then walk about 20 minutes (or take a motorcycle taxi) to Wongwian Yai Railway Station. Trains leave roughly hourly from 05:30 to 20:10, usually third class only, and take about 59 minutes. The fare is 10 THB; a few trains, such as the 07:00 and 10:40, have air-conditioned second-class cars at 25 THB.
- Cross the river: walk through the seafood market to Maha Chai pier and take the ferry to Ban Laem. The ferry costs 3 THB and takes a few minutes.
- Ban Laem to Maeklong: walk to Ban Laem railway station and take the train to Maeklong: four a day, at 07:30, 10:10, 13:30 and 16:40, one hour, 10 THB. The train rolls through the market stalls before it stops at the platform.
The total one-way cost is 23 THB. For the return, trains leave Maeklong at 06:20, 09:00, 11:30 and 15:30, then it is the ferry and a train from Maha Chai to Wongwian Yai, running hourly from 04:30 to 19:00.
Direct minivan
For a faster trip without changing trains:
- Departures: minivans leave regularly from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) and from the van terminal opposite Mo Chit 2.
- Fare: 70 THB to 100 THB one way.
- Journey: roughly 75 to 90 minutes.
- Drop-off: the Samut Songkhram transport terminal, two minutes’ walk from the tracks.
What you pay: the train, the minivan or a tour
There is no entry fee for the market. The costs are the transport; GetYourGuide prices are each product’s lowest “from” price.
| What you want | On your own | On GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there | 23 THB by train and ferry; 70 THB to 100 THB by minivan | Air-conditioned transport included |
| A ride on the train through the market | 10 THB from Ban Laem | Included in the ฿687 tour |
| Damnoen Saduak too | About 25 THB by songthaew, plus the boat | Longtail or paddle boat included, from ฿687 |
| A guide | None | Included |
The train is the cheapest way there at 46 THB return, but the day takes about five hours of travel for a train that is in the market for a few minutes. The tour is the better value if you want both markets in one morning.
Combining Maeklong with floating markets
Maeklong sits at the centre of Samut Songkhram’s transport, so it pairs with a canal market:
- Morning with Damnoen Saduak: visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market early (07:30 to 09:30), then take a 25 THB blue songthaew from the bridge on Route 325 to Maeklong, 25 minutes, in time for the 11:10 train.
- Afternoon with Amphawa: on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, watch the 11:10 or 14:30 train pass at Maeklong, then walk to the 7-Eleven on the main road and take a blue songthaew to Amphawa Floating Market for 15 THB (15 minutes), for grilled seafood on the canal and an evening firefly boat tour.
More day trip suggestions are in our overview of Day trips from Bangkok.
A seafood stall at Maeklong. Photo: Codas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Common questions
What time does the train pass through Maeklong Railway Market?
The train passes through the market eight times a day. It arrives at Maeklong station at about 08:30, 11:10, 14:30 and 17:40, and leaves at 06:20, 09:00, 11:30 and 15:30. The departures and arrivals each run through the market stalls.
How much does it cost to visit Maeklong Railway Market by train?
23 THB each way. The train from Wongwian Yai to Maha Chai is 10 THB, the ferry across the Tha Chin river from Maha Chai to Ban Laem is 3 THB, and the train from Ban Laem to Maeklong is 10 THB.
Where should I stand when the train passes through the market?
Stand behind the painted red safety lines or step into a shop doorway behind the vendors' tables. Do not touch the train, and do not stand between the stall posts on the track.
Can I combine Maeklong with a floating market?
Yes. In the morning, a blue songthaew takes 25 minutes and costs 25 THB between Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, a 15-minute songthaew (15 THB) runs from Maeklong to Amphawa Floating Market.
Is a Maeklong tour worth it?
A tour that adds Damnoen Saduak floating market is from 687 THB on GetYourGuide, with transport and a guide, and it rides the train through the market. Going on your own costs 46 THB return by train and ferry, but takes about 5 hours of travel.
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