Maeklong Market, in Samut Songkhram, is a fresh produce market laid out on the rails, just before the terminus of the line from Ban Laem. Four times a day in each direction, eight passings in all, the vendors fold their awnings and pull back their stalls to let the train through, hence its Thai name of Talat Rom Hup, the "folded umbrella market". The rest of the time it is an ordinary market of fish, prawns, fruit and vegetables where local people do their shopping. From Bangkok you get there by the local train and the Mahachai ferry, about three hours of travel for 20 baht in train fares, or by minivan from the Southern Bus Terminal. Entry to the market is free.
Highlights
The train passing through
A few minutes before it arrives, the vendors lower their umbrellas and pull back the baskets set right beside the rails. The train inches forward between the stalls, then everything is put back as soon as it has passed. The show is repeated on departure, twenty minutes to an hour later, except in the evening: the train arriving at 5:40pm does not leave again until 6:20am the next day.
Maeklong station
The terminus of the Ban Laem line, opened in 1905, the small station stands at the end of the market. Between passings, the train waits at the platform and you can see it up close. Drink and souvenir stalls line the platform area.
The market itself
Away from the train times, take time to walk the aisles: fish, prawns and seafood, tropical fruit and vegetables. It is a genuine local market, at its busiest early in the morning.
Train times in 2026
According to the SRT train tracking system, checked on 1 October 2026, trains arrive at Maeklong at 8:30am, 11:10am, 2:30pm and 5:40pm, and leave at 6:20am, 9:00am, 11:30am and 3:30pm. They leave Ban Laem at 7:30am, 10:10am, 1:30pm and 4:40pm, for a journey of about one hour. No works or service interruptions had been announced on the line at that date; trains are often a few minutes late.
Amphawa and Damnoen Saduak
Amphawa floating market, a few kilometres away, opens from Friday to Sunday from the afternoon into the evening: it combines with the 2:30pm or 3:30pm passing. Damnoen Saduak floating market, further north, is a morning market; organised tours visit it at dawn, then drive on to Maeklong for the 11:10am or 11:30am passing.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The train only runs four times a day in each direction: miss one and you will wait almost three hours. Arrive at least twenty minutes before the passing to find a spot along the rails, and step back when the vendors ask you to. To experience the passing from the train, stay on board until Maeklong. Carry small change for the train and the ferry. Prices checked in October 2026.
How to get there
By train: from Wongwian Yai station, in Thonburi, within walking distance of Wongwian Yai BTS station (Silom line), 17 trains a day from 5:30am to 8:10pm run to Mahachai in about one hour (10 baht). At Mahachai, cross the Tha Chin river by ferry to Tha Chalom pier (a few baht), then walk a few hundred metres to Ban Laem station. The train from Ban Laem to Maeklong also costs 10 baht. For the 8:30am arrival, take the 5:30am train from Wongwian Yai; the trains from 7:00am to 8:35am connect with the 10:10am departure. On the way back, the 3:30pm train lets you catch one of the last trains to Bangkok from Mahachai, at 5:35pm, 6:10pm or 7:00pm. By minivan: departures from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai, Taling Chan) to Samut Songkhram, 1h30 to 2 hours depending on traffic, fare paid in cash on departure. Locally, songthaews link Maeklong with Amphawa. Address: Maeklong station, Phet Samut Road, Mueang Samut Songkhram district, Samut Songkhram province 75000.
Opening hours
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