My Wonderful Town.: ตลาดน้ำดำเนินสะดวก DAMNOEN SADUAK FLOATING MARKET

สืบเนื่องจากวันหยุดยาว 7-9 กุมภาฯ 2552 ที่ผ่านมา เราวางแผนกันว่าจะไปเที่ยวกาญจนบุรี ไปนอนค้างซักคืน ออกเดินทางวันที่ 8 เพราะวันที่ 7 ไปไม่ได้ มีคนต้องทำงานวันเสาร์ และร้านอาหารของแม่ก็ยังต้องเปิดขายตามปกติ กว่าจะได้ออกเดินทางจากกรุงเทพก็เกือบจะ 8 โมงเช้าเข้าไปแล้ว ขับรถมาเรื่อย ขึ้นทางด่วนมาลงตรงพระราม 2 มุ่งหน้าสู่ตลาดน้ำดำเนินฯ ก่อนต่อไปยังเมืองกาญฯ ตลาดน้ำเช้าๆ คนเยอะจริงๆ ยิ่งเป็นวันหยุดยาวแบบนี้ คนก็ยิ่งมากกันเยอะ ทั้งคนไทยและคนต่างชาติ ของกิน ทั้งคาว หวาน ผลไม้ ก็มีเยอะเสียเหลือเกิน โดยเฉพาะผลไม้ที่นี้อร่อย ตามแบบธรรมชาติไปเลย ไปลงเรือกันเลยดีกว่า ค่าเรือที่นี้ 30 นาที 300 บาท ถ้าชั่วโมงหนึ่งก็ 400 บาท ครับ

Damnernsaduak is believed to be one of a well-known and an attractuve travelling sites. Historically, Damnoenssaduak was actually the name of the canal dug in the reign of King Rama IV by the military men and the people of Rajburi, Samutsakorn and Samutsongkram Province directed by Phayasrisuriyawong, the minister of Defence. In those days without rivers and canals, transportation was almost motionless; King Rama IV with his great concern over the country's future economic growth, he finally had the canal dug to connect the Taachin River in Samutsakorn Province and Maklong River in Samutsongkram Province together.

Nowadays Damnoensaduak is one of a provincial district of Rajburi Province. Most people live densely along both sides of the canal from one end of the canal to another.The majority of this people are agriculturists. They grow several different kinds of fruit and vegetable for examples oranges, grapes, papayas, cabbages, bean, onion and etc. The land in this area is naturally fertile. Apart from providing transportation, Damnoensaduak Canal also provides farmers with adequate water for agricultural purposes for the whole year around. More than 200 small canals were dug by local peasants to connect with it to get water to splatter their land. Moreover; these small canals also become protitiouus ways of taking their agricultural products to the markets in neighbouring provinces and Bangkok.

Day in and day out from about 8 a.m. to about 11 a.m. the Floating Market is routinely crowded with hundrreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small rowing boats selling and buying or exchanging their goods. What they purchase are particularly food, fruit and vegetable which mostly brought from their own orchards. They usually travel on their small rowing boats. however; today the long-tailed boats pushing by engine become very popular. People tend to use them instead. Anyhow because of the shortage of fuel today long-tailed boats are quite unavailable compared to a few years ago.

Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi about 109 kilometres south of Bangkok or approximately 2 hours drive.

How to Get There

By Car: From Bangkok you can take Highway No. 4 (Phetchakasem Rd.) and turn left at Km. 80 for another 25 kms. along Bangpae-Damnoen Saduak Rd.

By Bus: There are public buses both air and non air-conditioned leaving from the Southern Bus Terminal. Pinklao-Nakhonchaisi Rd. for Damnoen Saduak every 40 minutes from 06.00 hrs. onwards. Fare is around Baht 49 (one way) for air-conditioned (tel . 435-5031) and Baht 30 for normal buses (tel. 434-5558). The most suitable time to be at the market is from 08.00-10.00 hrs.

Arriving at Damnoen Saduak, you can either walk on the passage along the canal on the right hand side or take a both at the pier nearby to Floating Market area at the price of Baht 10 per person. Those who want to see all the three of the Floating Markets, Ton Khem, Hia Kui, Khun Phithak may hire a boat at the price of Baht 300 per hour. It is recommended that the fare should be settled before starting off.

The visit to this market, especially noted for its fresh fruits from surrounding orchards, can be combined with a tour of the great chedi in Nakhon Pathom or Rose Garden which is on the same route, the show time at the Thai Village in the Rose- Garden is at 15.00 hrs. and admission fee is Baht 190 per person. This trip can be arranged through a travel agency or tour counter in most of the hotels in Bangkok.