🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Amphawa differs from most floating markets because it's an evening market, not a morning one. People only really start strolling in the late afternoon, and once the sun softens it gets busiest. The most fun part is walking along the Amphawa canal and looking down at the vendor boats parked below, cooking fresh — grilling and stir-frying, the smell drifting up. Just point, order, and sit down to eat right by the water.
The food here falls into three main groups: grilled items from the boats (prawns, squid, shellfish), one-plate street food (boat noodles, oyster omelette, pad thai), and the Thai sweets and desserts Amphawa is known for. We run through each group below.
The dishes worth trying
Grilled river prawns
Amphawa's star. Big river prawns grilled over charcoal straight from the boats, the orange head fat oozing out, dipped in a tangy seafood sauce. The large ones aren't cheap, but they're what people come to Amphawa for and happily pay up. Best with a cold beer by the canal at sunset.
Boat noodles
Small bowls with a rich, dark broth, pork or beef, soft offal, topped with fried garlic and chili flakes. Just a few baht a bowl, so it's easy to order several. A good starter to line your stomach before going in on everything else.
Oyster omelette (hoi tod / or suan)
Crispy-edged, soft-centred batter loaded with plump oysters, bound with egg, eaten with Sriracha chili sauce and fresh bean sprouts. A night-time dish fried hot and sending its smell down the whole lane — pick a stall with big oysters that fries it fresh in front of you.
Grilled squid / grilled scallops
Another group of grilled boat items that's every bit as good as the prawns. Grilled squid is soft and sweet with a nam jim jaew dip; grilled scallops come in the shell with garlic butter. Cheaper than prawns and perfect to nibble on as you walk.
Mae Klong mackerel (pla tu)
Mae Klong is mackerel country — the short ones with the bent, broken-looking neck, rich sweet flesh. In Amphawa you'll find pla tu both fried in fish sauce and steamed, eaten with chili dip and hot steamed rice. A homely flavour the Mae Klong locals are proud of.
Pad thai with fresh prawns
Pad thai wrapped in egg with fresh river prawns, stir-fried in a hot wok on the street, well-balanced and not too sweet. A popular night-time dish that's easy to find all over the market.
Stir-fried razor clams (hoi lod pad cha)
Razor clams are a specialty of nearby Don Hoi Lot. Here they're stir-fried pad cha style with chili and holy basil, bold and punchy, the clam meat crunchy and sweet. A classic beer snack at the riverside restaurants.
Fried bananas / khanom sai sai / Thai sweets
Amphawa's desserts really stand out — hot fried bananas and taro, khanom sai sai wrapped in banana leaf, khanom krok, thong yip and thong yod, and coconut ice cream. Stroll and snack on these to finish before you head home, and everything's cheap.
How to order grilled prawns without getting stung
River prawns are priced by size and weight. Before you order, ask clearly for the price per kilo or per prawn, then watch the weighing. Genuinely big prawns running into the hundreds of baht each is completely normal here. On a tight budget, go for medium prawns, or have grilled squid and shellfish instead — just as filling and tasty for less.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Samut Songkhram food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Riverside restaurants the locals recommend
If you don't want to eat standing up and would rather settle in for a long meal by the Mae Klong river, Amphawa has plenty of sit-down spots with good atmosphere. Most do fresh seafood and made-to-order Thai food, with river views, and some have live music. These are the places locals tend to bring their guests (double-check opening days and hours on each restaurant's page first, as some only open during market days).
Jao Samran (Je Samran)
A well-known spot on the Mae Klong river in Amphawa, with wide water views and live music. Standout dishes: grilled river prawns, stir-fried razor clams, fish-sauce fried chicken wings, fried mackerel.
Ranjuan Amphawa
Thai food from a Mae Klong grandmother's recipes, focused on local ingredients. Signature dish: steamed crab claw with sour fish-sauce chili. The feel of a Thai house by the water.
Krua Som-O Wan Amphawa
Known for pomelo salad and seafood dishes, using Mae Klong pomelo — a local specialty. Bold flavours, easy riverside seating.
Suan Nopparat Amphawa
A well-rated riverside garden restaurant. Standout dishes: fried sea-blite (chakram) leaves and grilled river prawns. Shady, relaxed and friendly, with easy-on-the-wallet prices.
An evening eating plan
Amphawa is most fun if you pace it well — arrive in the late afternoon, graze your way through until dusk, then finish with a firefly boat trip. Here's an order that lets you eat plenty without filling up too fast.
Late afternoon to dusk — eating along the canal
Which day to go
Amphawa Floating Market only opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday plus public holidays, from evening until around 10pm. For fewer people, pick Friday or come in the late afternoon before the Bangkok crowd trickles in. Saturday evening is the most packed.
Things to know before you eat
- Carry cash — most boat vendors and small stalls take cash only. Some have PromptPay, but don't count on every one having it.
- Ask the price before ordering, especially prawns and seafood charged by weight, and watch the weighing closely.
- Come in the evening, not the morning — Amphawa is an evening market, lively after 3pm. If you want a morning floating market, head to nearby Tha Kha Floating Market.
- Parking fills fast on weekends — arrive before 3pm, or park at a nearby temple and walk in.
- You can stay the night — Amphawa has lots of riverside homestays, so if you want to watch the fireflies at a relaxed pace without rushing the drive back, staying over is a good option.
Plan a full day of eating around Samut Songkhram
See the Samut Songkhram guide →