Maeklong railway market
A marketplace with a working railway track through it.
Imagine a train going right through a busy market filled with tourists and locals alike!
We’re not kidding; it’s a moment you won’t forget. Plus, we reveal more things to
encounter and experience in Hua Hin, a beautiful seaside resort city in Thailand.
If you’re driving from Bangkok to Hua Hin (which takes about 2.5 hours), make sure
you schedule a stop in Maeklong Railway Market in Samut Songkhram, some 60km away
from the capital. Locals call it Talad Rom Hoop Market, which translates to
“Market Umbrella Pulldown” but tourists call it Scary Market (read on to find out why).
At first glance, it looks like any typical open-air market in Thailand.
The market is filled with stalls displaying juicy fruits, fresh vegetables,
a variety of spices, herbs, seafood and plenty more.
But if you look down on the road, you’ll realise that you’re actually walking on train rails!
And when you hear a siren, it’s time to step back into safety and let the action unfold.
One moment, locals are shopping for the vegetables; the next they are waiting patiently
at the side while stall keepers are scooping up their baskets and boxes of goods
with a rather lackadaisical attitude about the whole exercise. Tourists are of course
the most excited as they set up their cameras so they don’t miss the action.
Slowly, a yellow train makes an appearance! It’s a tight squeeze with the train travelling
at about 15mph and a few inches away from your face. It barely touches the stall awnings
and if stall keepers aren’t fast enough to pick up their goods, that’s OK as the train goes
over a basket or two of fruits and vegetables along the way. And as soon as the train is gone, vendors start displaying their goods again and everything is back to normal, just like it
has been for generations before the railway was set up in 1905
(yes, that’s how long this has been going on for!)
Trains run through the market eight times a day from Ban Laem Station.
So make sure you check the schedule so you don’t miss the train!
And if you’re up for it, why not buy yourself a train ticket and be
part of the action of going through the market as well.
