Rustic charm Old markets making a comeback

Traditional Thai markets, both the floating and inland kinds, have gotten a new lease on life as new generations of visitors have shown renewed interest in them. During the recent months, for example, more tourists have been seen visiting the floating market at Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi.

Old-fashioned inland markets, with their picturesque rows of wooden shophouses, are also coming back to life. Don Wai Market in Nakhon Pathom has been especially popular. The reason for its resurgence has less to do with tourism, however, than with its fame as a place to get good things to eat.

There is a stall there famous for its ped phalo or Chinese-style stewed duck and for the noodle dish made with it. A few years ago people started flocking there on weekends and holidays to enjoy the old fashioned atmosphere and the duck noodles, which were gaining a reputation as the best in the area.

As the market became more popular, more vendors selling other kinds of food invaded the place. Today there is a wide variety of food available, including Vietnamese food.
The two markets are getting renewed interest from tourists because they offer a glimpse of traditional Thai life.

Thailand, a century age, was famous for its network of canals. Paddle boats darted back and forth on the water, and houseboats were mooted along the banks. There were large communities of floating homes then and commerce was conducted using boats.

Most of Bangkok's inland markets are believed to have originally started as floating markets. As the communities around them grew, these floating markets expanded. Vendors who once sold their wares in houseboats moved to the shore and set up wooden shophouses. Then new businesses, like tailors, barbers, pharmacies, bookshops, gold shops and coffee shops,, sprang up, relegating the waterborne trading to the sideline.

The death knell for most of these floating markets came with the advent of efficient road systems. As traders shifted from boats to trucks to ferry their goods, the importance of waterways and floating markets began to wane. Eventually, water borne moved from the river to set up shop inland.

But thanks to tourism, there has been an upsurge in interest in traditional floating markets, especially the one at Damnoen Saduak. Today, Damnoen Saduak is a thriving market with busloads of foreign tourists visiting the place everyday.

Even inland markers like the Talaad Don Wai are making a comeback, due largely to the Thais' passion for cheap but good food and for rustic ambiance. Indeed, most people visiting these markers, some of which are in far-flung areas, aren't only looking for good food but also fresh air and atmosphere.

Riverside markets coming back to life include those of Amphoe Bang Lane, Nakhon Pathom and Talaad Khlong Suan on the bank of Khlong Prawate Burirom on the border between Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao.

Located on the bank of the Nakhon Chaisri River, Amphoe Bang Lane offers many things including fruits freshly harvested from nearby orchards.
Another century-old market at Baan Mai n Chachoengsao is getting renewed attention. The market, located nest to the pier at Amphoe Amphawa on the bank of the Ta Chine River, is regularly visited by tourists who enjoy its cool breeze.--TATnews

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