The first “right” street in Bangkok was built in 1862. Before and for a long time afterwards, all transports took place almost exclusively on the river and the Klongs. In the early morning, the peasant women met and stopped with their boats floating markets. Bangkok was rightly called the “Venice of the East”. It is hard to imagine for the European. The Thais are sitting in long narrow boats laden with flowers, fruits, vegetables and many other goods and trying to sell the goods.

A colorful, wild jumble that astonishes the foreign spectators. It is not uncommon for the goods sold one under the other to be processed and resold by the new owner in his boat for a delicious meal. The ingenuity is seemingly limitless.

The photos shown here are from our trip in 1984. At that time, the Floating Markets in Bangkok still served to provide the population with essentials. Today, however, the original markets are no longer in Bangkok but rather in Damnoen Sudak, about 100 km from Bangkok. This trip can be done by taxi, bus or organized in groups. But you should arrive there in the early morning hours to experience the market in its natural form, without the tourist crowds.