✅ Updated on 05.01.2026
What Makes the Mae Klong Market Famous
The Mae Klong market is popular with travelers because an active railway line runs straight through the middle of it. A passenger train passes directly between the stalls, turning an ordinary local market into one of the most unusual sights in Thailand.
Three minutes before the train arrives, a loudspeaker announcement warns everyone. Vendors calmly pull back their awnings and move their goods out of the way, clearing a narrow path for the train. The distance is measured very precisely — the carriages pass just centimeters from the produce, baskets, and tables.
At this moment, visitors line up along the tracks or sit in nearby cafés, watching the whole scene unfold.
👍🏼 My personal take: it’s a fun and memorable experience, and definitely worth the trip. I’ve been there several times and still find it fascinating.
The Market’s Real Name Isn’t Mae Klong
Mae Klong, is actually the name of the railway station where the train arrives. The market itself is called Talad Rom Hub, which translates from Thai as “the market of folding umbrellas.”
The name perfectly describes what happens here: as the train approaches, vendors quickly fold back their awnings and move their stalls aside, clearing the tracks so the train can pass straight through the market.
Where the Market Is Located
Talad Rom Hub is located about 80 km from Bangkok, in Samut Songkhram province. This is the smallest province in Thailand, best known for its coconut plantations and fresh seafood.
As of now, Thailand has 77 provinces. If you’d like to see the full list, I’ve written a separate article about them.
Train Schedule
The train passes through the market 8 times a day: 4 times toward Mae Klong station and 4 times in the opposite direction.
| Arrival at Mae Klong station | Departure from Mae Klong station |
|---|---|
| 8:30 | 6:20 |
| 11:10 | 9:00 |
| 14:30 | 11:30 |
| 17:40 | 15:30 |
Best Time to Visit
The best option timing-wise is to arrive at the market by train at 11:10, then stay to watch the departure at 11:30. This way, you can capture the arriving train both from inside the carriage and from outside on the tracks.
After that, the next train doesn’t come for about three hours. The crowds thin out, and you can explore the market at a relaxed pace without the usual tourist rush. That was exactly my plan — and it worked perfectly. 👍🏼
How to Get to the Market from Bangkok
There are several ways to get from Bangkok to Talad Rom Hub:
- By train — the most interesting option, and the one I personally recommend.
- By bus — buses should run from different parts of Bangkok, but I haven’t tried this option myself.
- On your own (car or motorbike) — I rode there from Bangkok on a motorbike; the road is in good condition and easy to follow.
- As part of a tour — a good choice if you prefer everything to be organized for you.
Day tours from Bangkok to Mae Klong can be booked on platforms like Trip.com or GetYourGuide.
Train Trip Plan from Bangkok to the Mae Klong Market
I followed this route myself, so you can be confident that all the details are accurate. I’ve also included a video showing how the trip went.
1️⃣ Departure from Wongwian Yai Station at 08:35
- Arrive at Wongwian Yai station about 15–20 minutes before departure.
- Buy a ticket at the ticket counter — it costs 10 baht (at the time of writing, online ticket purchases are not available).
- The train goes to Maha Chai station.
The journey takes about one hour, and it’s already an experience on its own. The train (technically more like a local commuter train) often runs with some doors open, so you can watch banana trees and rice fields pass by while warm air blows in your face.
2️⃣ Transfer from Maha Chai Station to Ban Laem Station
The train arrives at Maha Chai at 09:28. There’s a sign on the wall explaining how to get to Ban Laem:
- Walk to the ferry pier and buy a ticket for 3 baht
- Cross the river by ferry
- Walk from the pier to Ban Laem station
We walked at a relaxed pace, and the whole transfer took about 30 minutes. That’s more than enough time, since the train from Ban Laem to Mae Klong departs at 10:10.
On the ferry, you’ll be traveling alongside both tourists heading to the Mae Klong market and local Thais going about their daily business. By the way, motorbikes can also be transported on the ferry.
3️⃣ Arrival at Mae Klong Station at 11:10
At Ban Laem station, buy another ticket for 10 baht. The train departs at 10:10, and the ride takes about one hour. For safety reasons, during the final minutes the train slows down to roughly 10 km/h.
This is the perfect moment to take great photos and wave to the people waiting right on the market, as the train slowly makes its way through the stalls.
What to See at the Market Besides the Train
Of course, the main attraction is the moment when the train passes through the market. You can watch it from nearby cafés — it’s completely free, and all you need to do is order a drink or some food.
✅ But there’s more to Talad Rom Hub than just the train.
Souvenirs
The market has a wide selection of souvenirs. If you’re looking for gifts to bring back from Thailand, this is a convenient place to shop and find something authentic.
Coconuts and Coconut Products
Samut Songkhram province is famous for its coconut plantations. Because of that, coconuts here are very cheap — usually 10 to 25 baht per piece. You’ll also find coconut sugar and other coconut-based products sold throughout the market.
Seafood
The second thing Samut Songkhram is known for is seafood. The sea and river are both nearby, so everything is extremely fresh.
The most popular fish here is platu (Thai short mackerel, with the stress on the second syllable). It’s used in many local dishes, and Mae Klong platu is considered the gold standard. The price is around 90 baht for a pack of six.
Amphawa Floating Market
Many tours include a visit to Amphawa Floating Market as part of the same trip. It’s best to go there closer to sunset, as it’s an evening and night market.
If you visit the Mae Klong market on your own, getting back to Bangkok by train or bus on the same day can be difficult. In that case, it makes sense to stay overnight near the market and return to Bangkok the next day at a relaxed pace.
✅ Good hotels nearby: House of Passion, Chuchaiburi Sri Amphawa, Ban Mae Arom.
You can get to the floating market from the local bus station.
How to Get Back from the Mae Klong Market to Bangkok
If you visit the Mae Klong market on your own, there are two easy ways to get back to Bangkok.
🚌 By Bus
From the Samut Songkhram bus station, buses to Bangkok run until 6:00 PM. They go to several locations, including Ekkamai, BTS On Nut, Chatuchak, and others.
Ticket price: 100-120 baht
Travel time: about 1.5 hours
This is the simplest and most straightforward way to return to Bangkok.
🚉 By Train
You can also return by train using the same route you took to get there, with transfers along the way:
Mae Klong → Ban Laem → Maha Chai → Wongwian Yai
Below is the current train schedule.
| Ban Laem → Mae Klong | Mae Klong → Ban Laem |
|---|---|
| 07:30–08:30 | 06:20–07:20 |
| 10:10–11:10 | 09:00–10:00 |
| 13:30–14:30 | 11:30–12:30 |
| 16:40–17:40 | 15:30–16:30 |
| Wongwian Yai → Maha Chai | Maha Chai → Wongwian Yai |
|---|---|
| 05:30–06:23 | 04:30–05:24 |
| 06:25–07:27 | 05:20–06:17 |
| 07:00–08:00 | 05:55–06:54 |
| 07:40–08:39 | 06:25–07:29 |
| 08:35–09:28 | 07:00–07:58 |
| 09:40–10:36 | 08:00–09:03 |
| 10:40–11:39 | 09:35–10:32 |
| 12:15–13:10 | 10:40–11:39 |
| 13:20–14:15 | 11:45–12:44 |
| 14:25–15:22 | 13:15–14:14 |
| 15:25–16:27 | 14:25–15:19 |
| 16:30–17:26 | 15:25–16:20 |
| 17:00–18:02 | 16:00–16:56 |
| 17:35–18:36 | 16:30–17:29 |
| 18:35–19:30 | 17:35–18:26 |
| 19:10–20:04 | 18:10–19:02 |
| 20:10–21:00 | 19:00–20:00 |
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no definitive answer. What we do know is that the Ban Laem–Mae Klong railway line opened in 1905. The market developed around the tracks over time, but there’s no reliable information confirming whether it existed before the railway was built.
Because the railway itself is what attracts visitors. People come specifically to see the train pass through the market, and at the same time they buy food and souvenirs from local vendors. For the sellers, this makes the market a profitable and highly advantageous place to trade.
