You are literally inches away from the train passing by you and for that, its a must visit!
Imagine a market with loads of fresh fruits, loads of amazing seafood and unlimited Thai desserts. Now imagine a full sized train with passenger cars zipping through the center of the market only inches away from the vendors and their goods. Welcome to Maeklong Railway Market or otherwise known to the Thais as the "Umbrella Market."
Two hours west of Bangkok lies a traditional market that has been here for 100 years. This unique place has been around since 1905. It is found in the province of Samut Songkhram, located on the Gulf of Thailand. Fishing was (and still is) one of the main livelihoods of the people who lived here, and the market was another way in which to sell their goods.
This railway runs for nearly 67 kilometres (42 mi) between Wongwian Yai, Bangkok, and Samut Songkhram. The line consists of two sections: the eastern Mahachai Line, which runs between Samut Sakhonand Wongwian Yai with 18 stations, and the Ban Laem Line, which runs between Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram with 15 stations.
How to get there by train? Bangkok to Maeklong Station
1. First go to Wongwien Yai or Talat Phu train station in Bangkok
2. then onto Mahachai station (10 baht).
3. Next take the ferry (3 baht) across the river to Ban Laem Station.
4. Once at Ban Laem please note that there are one of four daily trains to Maeklong Station. When I went I wasn't aware of only four trains going from Ban Laem to Maeklong and I missed one train and had to wait 2 1/2 hrs for another one
5. Pay another 10 baht and get on the train from Ban Laem to Maeklong
What else to do in Samut Songkram? There a quite a few temples around and loads of seafood restaurants on the river near by with killer menus and prices.
My advice is take a minivan or bus to the Amphowa Floating Market about 15 minutes away. This market has a variety of tasty, cheap food with lots of cafes, souvenir shops, Thai massage places and canals to take boats rides. You can do a group boat ride and pay 50 baht each for a 30 minute ride around the canals and the river.
Why should you take the train? I'd say if you are tired of traffic and want to move slower and enjoy it more, I'd take the train. Each leg of the train rides are only 1 hour and you can take photos, walk up and down the train and see the scenery. You do have to take the boat to get over to Ban Laem but its an interesting experience seeing all the massive fishing boats and Mahachai seafood market (one of the biggest in Thailand). Also it cost me 23 baht to get from Bangkok to Maeklong, in my book that's basically free!
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