Trip to Maeklong Market - 9/5/10

Market goodies

    We spent Sunday on a day trip with a friend to the Maeklong market about 70 km from Bangkok. To get there we took the BTS (rapid transit in Bangkok) to the easternmost station, found the non-rapid train station nearby, rode that train for about 45 minutes to Malachai where we caught a ferry across the river to the next train station and reached Maeklong after another hour on the train. Almost all of the train passengers were Thais going to the markets along the way; some returned with goods for their restaurants or for families, filling the aisles in places on the trip home. We returned home by the same methods of transportation. We calculated that we spent the equivalent of $2.50 for our transportation on this trip. Lunch costs less than $5.00 for the three of us so this all day trip was quite a bargain and an interesting glimpse into everyday life for many Thais.
    Our traveling companion is fairly fluent in Thai and we are inspired to get our lessons set up. Most Thais are delighted if you try to communicate with even a trace of skill at the language and having some fluency changes the experiences during trips like this. Just knowing terms like "how much", "too much", and restaurant terms makes interactions much easier.
      The Maeklong market sits ON the railway tracks; the train passes 8 times a day, and when it does,  the vendors rapidly move or roll their goods out of the way, but just barely.  Large piles of vegetables are reduced in height by picking off the topmost layers, and the train passes over the piles, with a minimum of clearance. Other vendors offer their goods from carts on wheels and roll out of the way and the overlying canopies are pulled back to allow the train to pass. It is amazing sight of efficiency and cooperation.
    We arrived around 11:30 am and wanted to experience the flurry of activity when the next train arrived at 2:30 pm so we wandered the town, visiting the temple which was quite active that day.  It is also the best place to find bathroom facilities in almost any town. We  took a short ferry ride across the river  to check out a building on the other side that looked rather regal. We thought it might be a government building or a small hotel but it was a private residence and a Thai movie was being shot there that day.
   At the bottom of this post is a link to some photos from the day. There are a couple of videos from the train but the best video is the last posted photo and  is of the market being moved, the train passing through and then the market being put back in place. You may have to push play, then pause to let it download to view this video.

 http://picasaweb.google.com/renhud/TripToMaeklongMarket090510?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTjwYT-9YrEEQ#

The train track and the market share tight quarters.