Visit a market where trains race right through the middle of it every single day? Done!
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen at a market?
A stall specializing in tamarind? A greengrocer picking his nose before bagging your oranges? A Scientology stand offering the ultimate solution to unlock your hidden potential, payable in a convenient 783 installments of €20,000 each?
Small stuff!
In Thailand, there’s a market where, every day, you can watch a train pass straight through the middle of it, between baskets of fresh fruit and stalls piled high with meat and fish: it’s the Maeklong Railway Market.
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But who on earth thought it was a good idea to set up a market on a railway line?
No one, actually. The vendors had settled here long before the tracks arrived.
Then, in the early 1900s, the news came: a railway would be built right where the market stood.
And what did the vendors do?
Let’s be honest: in their place, most of us would have said, “Oh, great… time to move and find another little spot to sell our goods.” They, on the other hand, cheerfully ignored the problem and decided not to move an inch. And today they’re still there, with their stalls set up literally on the tracks.
They adapted to the trains, which pass 7–8 times a day, by developing an incredible routine.
Here’s what happens every single day.
The market opens and the vendors neatly display their goods, especially fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish—lots and lots of fresh fish.
Shoppers make their way through the stalls, while among them roam swarms of very annoying tourists with cameras, badly applied sunscreen on their faces, and white socks under their sandals.
At a certain point, the steel beast approaches: the train, announcing its arrival with a constant series of whistles. Visitors step off the tracks and, at the same time, an incredible scene unfolds: with a level of calm the Dalai Lama himself would admire, vendors move their goods and pull back the awnings covering the stalls just enough to let it pass—just that tiny bit, because if they’re off by only a few centimeters, it’s a disaster!
Once the train has gone by, everything is put back exactly as it was, with absolute nonchalance, as if nothing had happened.
And that’s it. How amazing is that?
Dress light, plan well, and for heaven’s sake take those earbuds out of your ears!
And now, the travel tips corner for anyone who wants to visit Maeklong Market.
Thailand has a very hot climate—so hot that even in January, average temperatures of 30°C (86°F) are nothing unusual. Wear light, comfortable clothes and be prepared to sweat.
But watch out for the monsoons!
From May to October, these winds have the bad habit of unleashing torrential downpours when you least expect it. Keep that in mind when choosing the best time to visit Thailand.
Plan your trip in advance, because the Railway Market isn’t exactly around the corner. It’s about 80 km (50 miles) from Bangkok, and there are several ways to get there: taxi, bus, train (of course!), and so on. As far as we’re concerned, you can even get there on rollerblades if you want—the important thing is to think it through and organize properly.
Or, instead of stressing over planning the visit, you can enjoy the Railway Market with us (along with a bunch of other incredible places) by traveling to Thailand with StoGranTour.
Your choice.
Keep your eyes and ears wide open! As we said, that train passes through the market up to 8 times a day, and visitors are expected to move aside immediately when it arrives. Sure, they usually don’t put serial killers in charge of driving the train (usually...), so you probably won’t end up flattened on the tracks if you don’t move in time. But just imagine how ridiculous you’d look while everyone stares at you in disbelief because you were listening to music on your earbuds, didn’t notice the train coming, and the driver is waiting for you to get out of the way while blasting the horn like there’s no tomorrow.
Finally, don’t miss the chance to taste the local delicacies. The Railway Market offers a wide variety of fresh and delicious Thai foods (and spicy—veeeeery spicy!). It’s a culinary experience not to be missed.
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In conclusion
The moral of the story: the next time you think you’ve shown adaptability because you ran out of face soap and washed your face with hand soap instead, think of the vendors at the Railway Market.
How about going to see this amazing place for yourself and exploring many other incredible spots in Northern Thailand too?
Here’s what we’ve put together for you: here you’ll find all the information about StoGranTour’s two-week Thailand itinerary. Give us a shout whenever you’re ready to leave!
