Khlong Lat Mayom is a floating weekend market on a canal in Taling Chan, in Bangkok's Thonburi district, about half an hour from the city center. It's a popular gathering place for Thai families to eat. Don't expect the postcard image of boats full of vendors. The majority of the market takes place on land and is spread across seven zones with food stalls, plants, and snacks. Only a few vendors sell their wares from wooden boats on the canal.
Instead, you'll find a local market in a leafy neighborhood lined with canals and orchards. Here you can enjoy excellent food at Thai prices and take inexpensive longtail boat trips. The market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Below you'll find information on the best times to visit, the food on offer, boat tours, how to get there, and how to combine your visit with the nearby Taling Chan market.
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Key facts
Saturday and Sunday only
Open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on public holidays. Closed on weekdays.
Arrive early
The mornings are for locals to shop. The tour groups arrive around noon.
Taling Chan, Thonburi
Located approximately 30 minutes from central Bangkok. The nearest station is the Bang Wa BTS and MRT station.
admission free
Boat tours cost around 100 baht per hour. Bring cash, as many vendors do not accept card payments.
Order the grilled fish.
Pla pao, salt-cured and grilled whole fish, is the market's specialty.
Mostly on land
Only a few vendors offer their wares from boats. Come for the food, not the boat rides.
What Khlong Lat Mayom looks like
The market originated from the small markets along the canal banks of the neighborhood and is still used by local residents today. Trading takes place primarily on land in covered halls and open alleyways spread across seven zones. Fresh vegetables are offered in large quantities, along with prepared foods, Thai sweets and snacks, potted plants and orchids, and souvenirs in the back. Several boats on the canal sell fruits, vegetables, and plants, and some restaurant boats prepare food directly on the water.
Visit early on Saturday or Sunday. In the morning, most visitors are locals shopping, making it more pleasant. Around midday, tour groups arrive, and the restaurants fill up. Allow two to three hours – enough time for a good meal, a boat trip, and a stroll through the streets.
What you should eat
The food is the main reason to visit. The dining areas consist of communal tables allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. So grab a table, buy supplies from the nearby stalls, and bring your own food. The house specialty is Pla Pao, a whole fish—usually snakehead, tilapia, or barramundi—cured in salt and grilled over charcoal until the flesh is succulent. It's served with herbs, noodles, and a spicy chili sauce. At one stall in the middle of the market, a dozen grills are in operation simultaneously.
Then you should definitely try Goong Ob Woon Sen (river prawns baked with glass noodles, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a clay pot), Hoi Tod (crispy oyster omelet), Khanom Jeen (fermented rice noodles with curry), and grilled chicken. Thai sweets and fruits are so inexpensive that you can easily try several, and coffee and fresh juices will give you energy.
The boat tours
Longboats depart from the canal in the heart of the market, offering tours through the surrounding canals. The one-hour trip costs around 100 baht and makes a welcome break between meals. The boats pass stilt houses, gardens, orchards, and small shops, stopping, depending on the route, at a temple, a local family's home, or a canal-side café accessible only by boat. Alongside green spaces, there's also a fair amount of concrete. Different zones offer various tours, including a direct connection to Wat Arun – ideal if you're planning to return to the old town.
Khlong Lat Mayom on a map
The market, Taling Chan and Bang Wa railway station are all located on the Thonburi side of the river.
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Arrival in Khlong Lat Mayom
Since there is no train station at the market, the easiest way to get there is by metered taxi or Grab from central Bangkok. The journey takes about 30 minutes without traffic. You can reach Bang Wa by train on the BTS Silom Line or the MRT Blue Line. From there, take a taxi, Grab, or Grab Bike for the last 15 minutes. A shuttle bus also runs from the Bang Khun Non MRT station (Blue Line). Tell the driver "Talat Nam Khlong Lat Mayom" or show him the address: 30/1 Moo 15, Bang Ramat Road, Taling Chan.
Many tours combine a visit to the market with a boat trip on the canal, an orchid farm and the artist's house of Khlong Bang Luang, including hotel pick-up if you don't want to worry about transportation.
It suits Taling Chan
Taling Chan's floating market, just a short taxi ride away next to Khlong Chak Phra, is also open on weekends from 8:00 am to around 4:30 pm and can be easily combined with a visit to Khlong Lat Mayom. Taling Chan is smaller and older (established in 1987) and mostly located on land, but the freshly grilled fish on floating platforms is the real reason to visit. Visit Khlong Lat Mayom in the morning when the fish is at its freshest, and then enjoy a late lunch on the water at Taling Chan.
Khlong Lat Mayom or Damnoen Saduak?
Damnoen Saduak is the famous floating market seen in the photos. It's about 90 minutes from Bangkok and is dominated by tour boats and souvenir stalls. Khlong Lat Mayom is closer, smaller, and more authentic—a market where Bangkok families like to eat on weekends. There are significantly fewer boats here, but the food is better, and you can spend a relaxed half-day. If you want to take a great photo, head to Damnoen Saduak early in the morning. If you want to eat like a local and experience life on Bangkok's canals without a long journey, Khlong Lat Mayom is the place to be. Our list of the best floating markets near Bangkok compares them to the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market: A Guide.
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed on weekdays.
From central Bangkok, you can reach us by taxi or Grab (approximately 30 minutes). Alternatively, you can take the BTS or MRT to Bang Wa station and then a taxi for the last 15 minutes. A shuttle bus also runs from Bang Khun Non MRT station.
Yes, for the food and to get a relaxed glimpse into Bangkok's canal life. It's mainly a land market with only a few boat vendors, so don't expect a river full of boats.
Pla pao, whole fish grilled in a salt crust, goong ob woon sen, prawns baked with glass noodles, hoi tod oyster omelet, khanom jeen and grilled chicken.
Approximately 100 Baht for about an hour on the canals, with a stop at a temple, a host family or a cafe on the canal bank, depending on the route.
For good food and an authentic atmosphere, it's ideal. It's closer and less touristy. Damnoen Saduak offers significantly more boats and is the one in the photos, but it's 90 minutes away and geared entirely towards tourists.
Yes. They're just a short taxi ride apart and both are open on weekend mornings. Visit Khlong Lat Mayom first, then go to Taling Chan for lunch.
Yes. Many retailers don't accept cards, so bring small banknotes.
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