Bangkok: Tha Kha Floating Market & Banyan Tree Temple

The wooden boats still creak at Tha Kha, where Bangkok's floating market hasn't turned into a photo stop

You arrive at a floating market that still operates for locals, not tourists, and spend the morning on a paddle boat watching fruit and fish trade hands from wooden boats. You visit a centuries-old temple wrapped inside a Banyan Tree's roots, stop at a coconut plantation to see palm sugar made the old way, and finish with lunch on the river. Your guide speaks English and handles the timing, so you show up and move through the day without arranging transport or figuring out which market is which.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Thaka Floating Market and Nearby Sites

• Explore Thaka Floating Market
• Visit Wat Bang Kung temple
• Lunch by Mae Kong River

The experience

The sound hits you first: water lapping against wooden hulls, vendors calling to each other across the narrow canal, the paddle of your boat cutting through without any engine noise. Tha Kha Floating Market operates only on weekends, and that's the whole point. Unlike Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa, which fill up with tour groups by mid-morning, this Bangkok floating market still moves at the pace of actual commerce. Locals buy and sell fruits, meats, fish, and vegetables from their wooden sampans the way they have for years: no performance, no staged moments. Your English-speaking guide navigates you through on a paddle boat, and the rhythm is slow enough that you can actually watch what's happening instead of just photographing it.

After the market, the tour stops at a coconut plantation where a farmer makes palm sugar using the traditional method: the kind of detail that doesn't make it into most Bangkok itineraries because it's not a landmark, just someone's work. Then comes Wat Bang Kung, a temple built centuries ago that's now almost swallowed by the roots of a massive Banyan Tree. The tree's roots have grown so thick and so far that they've become the structure itself. The temple sits inside this tangle of wood and shadow. It's the kind of place where you understand why people say "the last of its kind" without it feeling like marketing.

Lunch is at an open-air restaurant right on the Mae Kong River, where you get a Thai set menu and the river breeze while you eat. By then you've been moving for a few hours (the paddle boat, the plantation, the temple), and sitting still with actual food tastes like the right ending. The whole day runs around four to five hours, which is enough to see what Tha Kha is without the exhaustion of a longer tour.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup (standard for Bangkok tours), an English-speaking guide throughout, a paddle boat ride at Tha Kha Floating Market, a stop at a coconut plantation to watch traditional palm sugar making, entry to Wat Bang Kung temple, and a Thai set menu lunch at an open-air restaurant on the Mae Kong River.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturday and SundayDeparts at 07:00

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Outside KFC Restaurant, Chamchuri Square building, next to Samyan MRT Underground Train Station”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by I Asia Thailand

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see how a floating market actually works instead of how it's been arranged for visitors: the weekend-only schedule and smaller crowds are what keep it that way.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2).

Does Tha Kha Floating Market operate every day?

No, it runs weekends only, except on Buddhist holidays. That's why it stays quieter than the other floating markets near Bangkok.

How is Tha Kha different from Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa?

Tha Kha is less visited by foreign tourists and still functions as a working market for locals. The other two are larger and busier with tour groups.

What's included in the tour?

English-speaking guide, paddle boat ride at the floating market, and a Thai set menu lunch at a riverside restaurant.

How long does the tour take?

Around four to five hours from start to finish.

Is there a temple on this tour?

Yes, Wat Bang Kung, which is surrounded by the roots of a massive Banyan Tree that has grown around the structure over centuries.

Can infants go on this tour?

Yes, infants can join but must sit on an adult's lap.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You'll be on a paddle boat and walking short distances between stops.