Last Updated on March 1, 2023 by Sam
Bangkok is home to a number of floating markets, with the Taling Chan Floating Market being one of the biggest in the city itself. It’s one of the more accessible floating markets in the city, and is much more easily accessible than the popular Amphawa Floating Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. The market is only open on weekends, but conveniently there is a free shuttle bus that connects it to three other floating markets – including the lovely Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market. This blog posts covers everything you need to know about visiting the Taling Chan Floating Market.
Make sure to visit some night markets during your stay in Bangkok. Check out our guide to the Jodd Fairs Night Market – which is home to over 700 stalls!
How to get to Taling Chan Floating Market
Public Transport
The cheapest way to get to the Taling Chan Floating Market is via public transport. Unfortunately there is no MRT or BTS Skytrain station particularly close to Taling Chan Floating Market, with the closest station being the Bang Khun Non MRT Station.
Thankfully it’s easy to get from Bang Khun Non MRT Station to the market using the free electric shuttle bus. The free shuttle bus departs from outside Bang Khun Non MRT Station and stops at Song Khlong Floating Market, Taling Chan Floating Market, Southern Bus Terminal, Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, Flower Market Thailand, and Wat Saphan Floating Market.
You will need to take the MRT Blue Line to reach Bang Khun Non Station, so depending on where you’re coming from you may need to connect from another line or even from the BTS Skytrain. Prices will vary depending on where you’re coming from and your exact route, but generally it’s cheap to get around Bangkok by public transport.
It’s worth checking Google Maps to see the quickest way to Taling Chan Floating Market from your location via public transport. Some buses do run from central Bangkok to the market, so depending on where you are then a bus may be a better option.
The free shuttle bus departs from outside exit 3 of Bang Khun Non Station, and runs every 20-30 minutes from 9am until the last bus at 4.30pm. We recommend downloading the Viabus app and searching for the route ‘4 floating market shuttle bus’ for live updates of where the buses are, which will give you an indication of how long you will need to wait.
Please bear in mind that as the market is only open on the weekends, the free shuttle bus also only runs at the weekend.
Taxi
The easiest way to get to Taling Chan Floating Market is to take a taxi. Due to the market’s location slightly outside of the city centre, it can involve a few changes to get there via public transport.
Taxis are fairly cheap in Bangkok, although not quite as cheap as public transport of course. If you aren’t on a tight budget, it’s worth paying a little more for the convenience of a taxi.
It’s around a 15-30 minute drive from downtown Bangkok to Taling Chan Floating Market, and a taxi should cost around 150-350 Baht depending on your exact starting point. The best way to get a taxi is to use an app like Grab or Bolt, as that way you know exactly how much you will be paying before you book your ride.
Find out more about the best taxi apps to use in our guides to the best apps for travelling Thailand and the best apps for Bangkok!
Best time to visit Taling Chan Floating Market
As one of the most popular floating markets in Bangkok, it’s hardly surprising that the Taling Chan Floating Market can get quite busy. If you want to beat the crowds then it’s best to arrive earlier in the day if possible.
Taling Chan Floating Market is only open on weekends, with opening hours of 7.30am-6pm on both Saturdays and Sundays. By late morning the market is normally quite busy, so it’s best to try and arrive before then if you can!
Tips for visiting Taling Chan Floating Market
Don’t expect hundreds of boats – Like many of the floating markets in Bangkok, Taling Chan Floating Market doesn’t have loads of floating stalls. Some stalls do operate from boats in the canal, but this isn’t the case for the majority of stalls.
It’s still a fairly impressive market to visit, and you will see some floating stalls where vendors are cooking up food or serving fresh produce. The market may not be quite as floating as the name suggests, but it’s still worth visiting during your time in Bangkok.
Haggle for the best price – As is commonplace in markets around Asia (and much of the world), you will need to haggle to get the best price. Some stalls do have signs up indicating their prices are non-negotiable, so we wouldn’t recommend haggling there personally.
Be prepared to move on if a vendor won’t negotiate too much on price, as in some cases they will offer a better deal if they think you’re about to walk away.
Food and drink stalls – Taling Chan Floating Market is home to a variety of food and drinks stalls, so take the chance to try some delicious local food during your visit. Prices are normally very reasonable, so make sure to try a dish or two from some of the vendors.
Bring cash – As is the case with most market stalls in Bangkok, you will most likely need to pay in cash at the Taling Chan Floating Market. Make sure to have some smaller notes and coins available to pay with, as some vendors may not have change for 1,000 Baht notes.
Taling Chan Floating Market Tour – It is possible to arrange a tour of the Taling Chan Floating Market through Viator, but these tours are fairly expensive. Prices start at around 1,900 Baht ($58 USD) per person for a private tour, which is a lot of money considering it’s completely free to visit yourself (aside from transport costs).
Other floating markets to visit in Bangkok
There are several floating markets in Bangkok, so we recommend visiting more than one if you have the time. Amphawa Floating Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market are two of the country’s biggest floating markets, with the former approximately 50 kilometres outside of Bangkok and the latter around 100 kilometres from the city.
If you want to visit either of these markets then we recommend booking a tour due to their distance outside the city. Get Your Guide offer tours to both floating markets, and by booking online you can see exactly what you’re paying for and check reviews before you book.
One of the best options is to book Get Your Guide’s tour of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which also includes a visit to the Maeklong Railway Market. These tours cost just 1,000 Baht per person, with return transport from central Bangkok.
Click here to book a wonderful tour of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market through Get Your Guide!
Alternatively, Get Your Guide offer a great tour of the Amphawa Floating Market. Prices start at just 1,757 Baht per person and include a stop at the Maeklong Railway Market, as well as a firefly boat tour.
Click here to book a great day trip to the Amphawa Floating Market through Get Your Guide!
Of course there are also the other floating markets along the free shuttle bus route. The bus stops at three other floating markets – Song Khlong Floating Market, Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market, and Wat Saphan Floating Market.
It’s worth stopping at all three of the other floating markets if you have the chance, but if you have to choose just one then we would prioritise Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market. This is the largest and most impressive of the other floating markets on the free shuttle bus route, so it’s well worth taking the time to visit.
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