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We know that, at least at first glance, many markets in Thailand look the same. But one that definitely stands out is the Maeklong Railway Market. Why? Because it has a train running through the middle of it several times a day. Right down the middle and close enough to touch. Only in Thailand!
What You’ll Find at the Maeklong Train Market
This market has everything that we’ve come to know and love in Thai markets. Its stalls have displays of fruits, veggies, meats, seafood, as well as sweet snacks, clothing, and flowers.
The major difference is that there are train tracks running straight down its middle!
A charming little warning bell goes off over the speaker system just a few minutes before the train comes. Within a few minutes of receiving the warning, vendors pull back their specially designed awnings before the train comes, sometimes only moments before. That’s why the market is locally known as the Talat Rom Hoop (ตลาดร่มหุบ) which translates into “Market Umbrella Close.”
The train’s fog horn announces its arrival just before it rounds the bend. Now that’s a sound you can’t ignore.
This time we got video!
WARNING: The horn is loud so turn down your volume
The coolest thing about this market is that it adjusts itself and perfectly encapsulates the train as it rolls through. The awnings are pulled back only as far as necessary. The baskets of fruits and vegetables are shifted just enough as to not be sliced by the metal wheels.
The train passes by with about a foot to spare, both beneath and to the sides of the carts. Visitors and vendors stand daringly close. At least, closer than to any moving train, metro, or subway we’ve ever been around.
Once the train passed, the vendors immediately, and quite nonchalantly we might add, put the awnings back into their original places. Everyone went back to normal as if nothing extraordinary had ever happened and it’s hard to believe that tons of metal just rumbled its way through.
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Make the Most Out of Your Visit to the Maeklong Railway Market
Whether you’re capturing videos or photos, or dare we say taking selfies, here are a few things to keep in mind to best prepare for your visit.
Preparation Tips
- It’s quite shady due to the collaborative efforts of a hundred or so awnings, so make sure your camera is set for low light.
- Bring a fan and some water. This market goes in a single path along the tracks, and although it does branch off to the sides from time to time, there is almost no cross breeze and it gets hot.
- Arrive early. Or at least, give enough time to walk down the tracks before the next train comes. The perk is that farther you walk, the fewer people there are.
- The main entrance is crowded. Be mindful of the produce that is near ground level and let other visitors exit the market before trying to go in.
- Although this isn’t a fast-moving train, it’s a no-brainer to stay clear of the tracks when the train is coming. Don’t stand on or lean over the tracks to get “the perfect shot” or you may get perfectly smushed.
The train goes from the Ban Laem Station (in Bangkok) to the Maeklong Station (just down the tracks from the market) four times per day and in the return direction four times. So, there are eight opportunities every day to watch the market vendor’s umbrellas close and make room for the train to come down the tracks.
Maeklong Railway Market Train Schedule 2018
| Departing from Maeklong Station | 6:20 am | 9:00 am | 11:30 am | 3:30 pm |
| Arriving at Maeklong Station | 8:30 am | 11:10 am | 2:30 pm | 5:40 pm |
These are the times the train is scheduled to pass through the market. This is, of course, give or take a few minutes for delays.
How to Get to the Maeklong Railway Market
The Maeklong Railway Market (ตลาดแม่กลอง) is about 60 kilometers away from Bangkok. It’s roughly a 1.5-hour drive past the Motorway 9 (Kanchanaphisek) Toll Road, which is the outer ring highway running around the outskirts of the city.
Tour Guide, Private Car, or Public Van
The most convenient way to get to the market is going on a tour. We like that Take Me Tour has several tour options (group and private) that provide day trips to the Maeklong Train Market and nearby floating markets. They’ll pick you up from your hotel in a comfy air-conditioned car, treat you to lunch, and their guide will show you where all the best places to sightsee are.
You can also book a private taxi. Your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you directly to the front steps of the market, wait for you while you explore the market, and thenreturn you to your hotel at the end of the day.
We also recommend taking a public van, which goes from the Sai Tai Kao Pinklao Bus Station to the Maeklong Train Market several times per day. It’s easy to book your tickets online using the form below. Prices start at 90 THB per person.
If you’re comfortable driving in Thailand, rent a car to get there. Your car’s GPS will be able to pick up on the market’s exact location using Google Maps. It’s just down the street from the Maeklong Railway Station, which is the last stop along the Maeklong Railway Line.
If You Want to Ride the Train
For a completely different perspective, ride the train through the Maeklong Railway Market. Afterward, get off, watch the train leave the market as you stand on the sidelines, and then catch a train back to Bangkok later that day.
Your best option is to catch the train departing from the Wongwian Yai Station in Bangkok at 6:45 am on the Maeklong Line. You’ll take a 1-hour ride to the Mahachai Station, get off, and then cross the river on a ferry from the Mahachai Pier to the Tha Chalom Pier.
Credit: www.johomaps.com
Get on the 8:05 am train at the Ban Laem Station and about 1-hour and 40 minutes later you will pass through the Maeklong Railway market (scheduled arrival at 9:45 am.)
You can get off the train, walk into the market, and then watch from the sidelines as the 10:20 am departing train (the one you were just on) rolls through. Stay a few hours, grab lunch, and then watch as the next train arrives at 1:45 pm. This is the one you’ll need to board to begin your journey back to Bangkok, which departs from the Maeklong Railway Station at 2:30 pm.
Train36.com does a great job listing details about where the Wongwiang Yai Station is in Bangkok, how to get there, the prices, and the Mae Klong Line train timetables.
This market is a one-of-a-kind place to experience and particularly easy to reach since it’s close to Bangkok. Try it out if you have a day to spare and let us know about your adventure.
Map of the Maeklong Railway Market
The Maeklong Railway Market is in the Muang Samut Songkhram District, which hugs the Gulf of Thailand’s coastline southwest of Bangkok. The location is the western point (green) on the map.
Extremely helpful…..thank you!
the train schedule has changed for 2019…
Thanks, Stan. Would you be so kind and provide the times? That would be helpful :)
Hi Chris and Angela! thank for sharing all the info :)
We’re planning on staying one night in Samut Sokhram to see the railway market and the floating market nearby. Is town close to the railway market?
Cheers!
The railway is in ‘Samut Songkhram City’ (the capital of the province), and the province itself is really tiny, so you won’t have to travel too far. Have fun!
This place seems worth exploring. I heard that tourists need to go Sai Tai Mai terminal, a new place to catch the minivan. Or are there still operating in Victoria Monument under the Expressway?
Also if want to visit Amphawa Floating Market, are they open only on Friday and weekends?
Can’t answer your first paragraph without doing some serious research. We went in a private vehicle so we’re not sure. As far as the Amphawa Floating Market, yes, its only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Have fun!
Great write-up! We just did this and it was incredible!
Hi, I will be in Hua Hin over the weekend. How far is this market from Hua Hin town? Is it better if I were to visit this market on my way from Hua Hin to Bangkok?
The train market is much closer to Bangkok (about 1 hour southwest of the city outskirts) compared to Hua Hin. Go there only if you are already on your way to Bangkok – don’t make a special trip because it’s a bit far for that!
Hi there,
May I know roughly when is the best time to leave bangkok city by car in order to catch the train passing by the market in the morning? What is the arrival or departing times because I cannot seem to get the fixed times?
Tqvm!
We list the train arrivals and departures in a table above the map in this article. The drive to the market is roughly around an hour. You can also take the train there. Have fun!
For your info:
The last train arrives 17:40 at maeklong and not at 18:22 as you mentioned.
Please change the website
Thanks for telling us this. Much appreciated! Timetable updated.
Hey! love your article! i do have a few questions!
Do i have to book the tickets for the train ride beforehand or can i just get it on the spot?
Is it a two-way train ticket?
THANK YOU!:)
Yup, you can get it on the spot. Have fun!
I was at this market early last Saturday! I am an exchange student here in Thailand for the next year. I really enjoying go to all the different kinds of markets Thailand has to offer. Is there a market that has stuck out to you the most that you would recommend going to?
Close to Bangkok? One we really liked was Pak Klong Talat Market not far from the N6 Pier (Memorial Bridge). Sadly, a portion of the market has been knocked down for condos/modern businesses. But we think the Yodpiman Flower Market portion is still there. Have fun exploring!
Hi, IS there any good seafood to recommend there ? how about a hotel near the spot ?
Why yes! We’ve been to the Baan Kor Pai restaurant not far from the Maeklong Train Market. Delicious! (we wrote about it in this post about Samut Songkhram). As far as places to stay, we’d stay at this resort the next time we visit. Have a great trip!
Any advise on tour companies to assist with the transportation to & from the city?
Thanks for asking – we do! We recommend Nat from YourThaiGuide.com. She has a team of personable guides that can take you out to the Meaklong Train Market, tell you its history, find a good spot for lunch, and recommend any other sites in the area. Send her a message and see what she can do for you. Have fun!
Is the market open every day or just weekends?
Every day.
Heard from my friend said this market is closed down. Can i know still open? Cause i plan to go this month end.
It was closed from May 2015 until April 2016. It’s open now though!
Hey i like your post about the railroad market. I just went there. My friend and I have both travelled for 5 years and are beginning bloggers and are currently in Chang Mai! My site is wildkiwi.org and my friends is still in the making.
Would you been open to meeting for a coffee here sometime in the next week?????
Would love to meet you guys and share stories.
We have travelled to Greenland, Africa, Asia, Europe, Antarctica and North America. And Im from NEw Zealand.
Let us know if you have time to meet.
Chris and Garaceie
New Zealand is one of the few countries we’d like to visit one day!
Glad to hear that someone has been back to the railway market since it closed last year. We will be leaving in a few days to do the dreaded visa run and until then trying to wrap up some responsibilities before being out of town for a week. Thanks for reaching out, though :)
It looks like I missed a market in Bangkok, this looks cool too. Some other good markets in Bangkok are Kwan Riem floating market, Rod Fai market (train market) and Bangnamphung floating market, all 3 of these markets are way off the tourist trail too.
Wow, great suggestions. Well worth checking out the next time we’re in town. We’re always up for visiting a good market!
owh crap!!!… I am going to Bangkok this weekend and the railway line will be closed then… :(
Yeah, it was news to us, too! It sucks that we had just written this post and then just a few weeks late found out they were closing. :/
Such a cool market. Can imagine the liveliness and energy there. I live in Thailand but still haven’t gotten the chance to check it out. Hope to soon though. Fantastic pictures! Glad you guys didn’t get perfectly smushed.. Lol! Great post :)
haha no smushing this time around. We had seen and heard about it so much before and during our time here in Thailand, so it was really cool to see it up close. We had no idea how close it was to Bangkok!