Bangkok is home of many unbelievable places and sights. It can offer adventures you would not even believe possible. One of these adventures is a visit to Maeklong Umbrella Market. It’s not your regular market, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see how exotic fruit, vegetables, and other goodies are sold in very unique circumstances.

What is Maeklong Umbrella Market?

Maeklong Umbrella Market gives it’s visitors a traditional Thai market experience in combination of a real adrenaline rush. It’s a food market built around railway tracks about 80 km from Bangkok.  It’s one of the most famous markets, not just by selling the best seafood, but also because a train runs through it about 7 times a day every day.

As soon as the train is about to arrive, there will be a loud signal that informs the vendors about the oncoming train. It’s so interesting to see how all of a sudden, a rush takes over the whole market and vendors quickly remove their goods from the tracks and pull back the awnings that protect them from the sun. The market instantly transforms to an open-air market and comes to a standstill as everyone waits for the train to arrive.

In few moments the train runs through the market, leaving just a tiny space between itself and the produce of the market. It’s quite extraordinary how the train is actually encapsulated in the market produce. All the fruit and vegetable baskets as well as the other products are pulled away from tracks just enough so that the train wouldn’t touch and slice them. It’s kind of like passing through the perfect made-to-measure tunnel.

Few seconds later, when the train has passed, market life goes back to normal. The goods are placed back on the tracks, and the buying and selling resume almost immediately. It doesn’t even seem like a train had just passed through the market.

Why is Maeklong Umbrella Market built on the tracks?

The market has been an important part of Samut Songkhram province in Thailand since 1905. The province is known for fishing as their main production and the market was built solely for sale of the fare caught at sea. Till this day, it’s still famous for the high quality and variety of seafood.

As time passed, the government decided to build a railway to supply the local produce to the other parts of Thailand. Unfortunately, the tracks had to be built right through the market. However, locals decided not to move market and remained at the same place, learning to live with the train passing through several times a day.

The market has functioned like that for more than 100 years now. It is a norm to locals who go there to buy fresh groceries and seafood every day, as well as amused tourists who come to experience this phenomena.

What to buy in Maeklong Umbrella Market?

Overall the Maeklong Umbrella Market is a food market. It is well known for its wide variety of seafood, that comes from the region. Buying the seafood, however, mostly is a good idea for locals only, as day visitors will not be able to cook it anywhere nearby.

So there are many other options more suited for trying foods right there on the spot.

The market sells different fruits, vegetables, delicious Thai sweets, fresh meat, spices, different drinks and more. They have something for every taste. Tourists are able to try delicious pomelos, juicy mangoes and different kinds of tropical fruit that are not even familiar by sight to Westerners.

For the more adventurous ones, there’s a good chance to try the pungent Durian, a favourite of many locals and visitors as well. Some vendors also sell clothing and accessories in the market.

The rich smells of fresh produce and seemingly endless stalls are a great place to buy the best production of Thailand. However, there are no souvenirs and touristy things here, as the market mainly serves locals. That actually is what most people love about this market. It feels so authentic and portrays the real daily life of Thailand.

Visiting the market

The market is located about an hour to hour and a half away from Bangkok by car, in the Muang Samut Songkhram District. It’s easily accessible by car, tour bus or by the same train, which passes through the market. Taking the train might just be the most exciting part of the whole experience.

The market is open every day of the week from early morning 6:20 am to 5:40 pm. The best time to visit the market is during the early hours when the goods are the freshest and the daily heat hasn’t kicked in yet.

Passing through the market in the train

It’s a thrilling experience to sit in the train, that cuts across the market. You can take the train from Ban Laem Station to the Maeklong Station and it runs several times a day.

When taking one of the most exciting train rides to Maeklong Umbrella Market, there’s also a very scenic way that builds up to the market. The one-hour journey takes you through Samut Sakhon, the leading province in sea salt farming in Thailand, passing several sea salt farms, the view out the window is covered with while salt flats and salt piles. A sight to behold.

It’s an amazing view that will become even more special, once the passengers inside the train hear the loud horn. That’s a sign for the vendors of the market to start moving their products off the tracks and a notice for train passengers, to stand up by the windows and get their cameras ready.

Once the train actually passes the market, people inside the train and those standing outside in the market watch the train and market pass right in front of their noses, share excited looks and pose for the photos taken from both sides.

Once the train stops, it’s time to get out and explore the vibrant and unique market. Don’t forget to wait to see the train passing through the market from outside, as it leaves the station!