🔄 Updated 7 Jun 2026
Amphawa sits in a small district of Samut Songkhram province, about 70-80 km from Bangkok, a little over an hour's drive. What sets it apart from a crack-of-dawn floating market like Damnoen Saduak is that this one runs in the evening, opening only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, roughly 10:00-20:30. The best stretch, though, is from mid-afternoon to nightfall, when the sun eases off, the crowds build, and the lights along the canal start coming on.
When to go and how to get there
Ask anyone who goes often and the answer is the same: get there before 4pm. That way you can wander the market before it packs out, grab a spot by the water in time, then take the firefly boat after dark. Roll in at 6pm on a Saturday and you'll be shuffling shoulder to shoulder with every riverside table already taken. Going too early doesn't pay off either, since the market is still quiet in the late morning and the food boats haven't come out yet.
- Driving yourself — from Bangkok take the Rama II road, about 1.5 hours. There are several private car parks dotted around the market, with parking around 50-100 THB per car. Lots fill fast on Saturdays, so arriving in the early afternoon makes finding a space much easier.
- Van / minibus — vans run from the New Southern Bus Terminal (Taling Chan) to the town of Mae Klong, from where you catch a songthaew (shared pickup) or motorbike taxi the last 5-6 km into Amphawa.
- Combine it into a Mae Klong day trip — Amphawa is close to Maeklong Railway Market (the market on the train tracks) and Wat Bang Kung, so you can easily fit all three into one day.
Always check before you head out
Amphawa only opens Friday to Sunday — go on a weekday and you'll find a quiet market with almost everything shut. The firefly boats also depend on the season and the water, so if you're going specifically to see them, check the market's Facebook page or ask at the pier ahead of time.
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Food from the boats, and the canal-side stalls Mae Klong locals point to
One of Amphawa's real charms is the vendors who paddle up and tie off at the bank to sell food cooked fresh, right there on the boat — savoury and sweet alike. You sit dangling your feet over the canal and order straight from the boat. Beyond the boats, there are riverside spots that have been around for years and that locals still actually eat at. We've picked these by popularity, with prices given as rough ranges since they vary by size and season.
Grilled river prawns
Amphawa's headline act: big river prawns grilled just to done, firm flesh, with the head fat oozing, dipped in tangy seafood sauce. You'll find them at plenty of riverside spots, and it's the one dish almost everyone who comes to Amphawa orders.
Mae Klong mackerel / mackerel boiled satia-style
Mae Klong's short, plump 'bent-neck' mackerel is famous for its rich, fatty flesh. Some shops do it as pla tu tom satia, simmered with tamarind and aromatics — a Mae Klong home-style dish you'll struggle to find elsewhere.
Grilled seafood from the boats
Squid, prawns, clams and crab grilled fresh on a brazier on the back of the boat, handed over with a punchy dipping sauce. Order a skewer or piece at a time — perfect for grazing as you walk.
Razor clams stir-fried 'phat cha'
Razor clams are a Samut Songkhram specialty from the Don Hoi Lot sandbar. Stir-fried phat cha-style with chilli and holy basil, or with chilli paste — bold and spicy, best with hot steamed rice.
Boat noodles
Small bowls with a dark, intense broth, ordered several at a time and lined up the way tradition demands. A good lining for the stomach before you tackle everything else — sold both from boats and at shops in the market.
Khanom krok / Thai sweets made fresh
Coconut-rice khanom krok straight off the griddle, khanom sai sai, takoh, thong yip and thong yot, all made fresh in the market — the whole lane smells of them. Eat them on the spot or carry some home as a gift.
Pad Thai / oyster omelette from the boats
Fresh-prawn pad Thai and crispy-edged oyster omelette, fried up hot on the boat. A classic of the food-from-boats lineup that people queue for.
Coconut sweets / Mae Klong palm sugar
Amphawa sits in the middle of coconut groves, so a lot of the sweets use fresh palm sugar — coconut-milk ice cream, khanom tan and blocks of palm sugar sold to take home.
Save room
Amphawa's food stretches the whole length of both sides of the canal, so don't fill up at the first stall. Order a little at a time and eat as you walk to try more of it. Bring small notes in cash too, since the little shops and many of the boats still run on cash.
Firefly boat trips — piers, departures and prices
Amphawa's after-dark highlight is taking a boat down the Mae Klong River and its side canals to see the fireflies clustered in the lamphu trees along the banks, blinking in rhythm like Christmas lights. Boats leave from several operators in the market — the municipal pier near the bridge over the canal, the Khun Ya pier, and small private operators who pick up along the canal-side.
- Departures — they start running from around 6pm onwards until about 9pm, and the trips after sunset give the clearest view of the fireflies.
- Price — a shared boat with other visitors runs around ฿60-80 per person; if you want a private boat to yourselves it's around ฿500-600 per boat (seats several people).
- How long — about 1 to 1.5 hours, and some operators throw in a stop at a canal-side temple to pay respects.
- What to bring — pack mosquito repellent and a windbreaker, since it gets cool out on the river at night, and keep a firm grip on your phone getting on and off the boat.
Fireflies have their season — straight up
Fireflies show up clearest in the rainy season, roughly May to October, and on dark-moon nights (the waning half of the lunar month). Go in the dry season or on a full-moon night and you may see fewer than you'd hoped. In recent years the numbers have risen and fallen with the state of the lamphu trees along the canal too. Even so, you still get a nighttime river cruise out of it, which is worth it in its own right — just don't expect it to match the postcards exactly.
Beyond the market, what else is there to do
Rama II Park (King Rama II Memorial)
Right next to Amphawa market, this is a park and museum commemorating King Rama II, who was born in Amphawa. Wander among Thai houses and a herb garden — quiet and calm, a good stop in the afternoon before the market gets busy.
Wat Bang Kung (the bodhi-tree chapel)
An old chapel completely wrapped in the roots of a huge bodhi tree, about 10 km from Amphawa. A popular spot for photos and paying respects that fits neatly into the same day trip.
Stay overnight at a canal-side homestay
Amphawa has plenty of wooden-shophouse rooms and homestays right on the water — open the window onto the canal, wake up and give alms to the monks who come by boat. It's a side of the place you miss if you only come for the evening.
Sample plan: an evening in Amphawa on a Saturday
If you've only got an afternoon-to-evening on a single day, Plan A is enough. If you can stay a night, go with Plan B so you catch the morning canal-side mood that day-trippers miss.
Afternoon to night, out late, no overnight stay
Stay one night and catch the morning canal-side mood
The honest word before you go
- Saturday evenings get very crowded — if you don't like being packed in, go on a Friday or Sunday evening instead and you'll have more room to walk.
- Parking fills fast — arrive in the early afternoon and it's easier and cheaper; by evening the lots near the market are full and prices go up.
- Fireflies aren't guaranteed — it depends on the season and the state of the lamphu trees, so ask at the pier whether they're showing clearly right now.
- Some food stalls cater to tourists — pick the busy ones with quick turnover and the food will be fresher.
- Bring cash — small shops and many of the boats still don't take transfers, so keep small notes and coins on you.
Plan a full Samut Songkhram trip — where to eat, what to see, where to stay
See the Samut Songkhram travel guide →