Pak Khlong Talat (, ) is a market in

Wang Burapha Phirom Subdistrict Wang Burapha Phirom is a ''khwaeng'' (subdistrict) of Phra Nakhon District, in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2017 it had a total population of 11,427 people. History Its name is after Wang Burapha Phirom, a former palace of Prince Bhanurangsi Savangw ...

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, that sells

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

s, and

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

s. It is the primary flower market of Bangkok and has been cited as a "place of symbolic value" to Bangkok residents. It is on

Chak Phet Road Chak Phet Road at front of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha. Chak Phet Road (, ; sometimes spelled Chakkraphet or Chakphet) is a road in Wang Burapha Phirom Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, with a total length of 1,120 m (3,674 ft). I ...

and adjacent side-streets, close to Memorial Bridge. Though the market is open 24 hours, it is busiest before dawn, when boats and trucks arrive with flowers from nearby provinces. Its location by

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...

near the southern end of Khlong Lot, hence the name 'Pak Khlong Talat', literally means "the market on the mouth of the canal".

History

During the reign of

Rama I Phutthayotfa Chulalok (born Thongduang; 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), also known by his regnal name Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (now Thailand) and the first King of Siam from the reigning Chakri dynasty. He asc ...

(1782–1809), the site was a

floating market A floating market is a market (place), market where goods are sold from boats. Originating in times and places where water transport played an important role in daily life, most floating markets operating today mainly serve as tourist attractio ...

. By the reign of

Rama V Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his ...

(1868–1910), it had become a

fish market A fish market is a marketplace for selling Fish as food, fish and fish products. It can be dedicated to wholesale trade between Fisherman, fishermen and fish merchants, or to the sale of seafood to individual consumers, or to both. Retail fish ma ...

."Night Shopping"
'Bangkok Post'' (20 April 2006) The fish market was eventually converted to today's produce market, which has existed for over 60 years.Sukphisit, Suthon. "A Tale of Two Markets". ''

Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...

'' (11 November 2006). The market's focus has shifted from produce to flowers as the Talat Thai market on the outskirts of Bangkok has become a more attractive site for produce wholesaling. Most of the flowers sold in the market are delivered from

Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom (, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in central Thailand, the former capital of Nakhon Pathom province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathommachedi. The city is also home to Thailand's only Bhikkhuni temple W ...

Samut Sakhon Samut Sakhon (, , is a city in Thailand; it is the capital of Samut Sakhon province. It is also part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Toponymy Samut Sakhon was formerly called Tha Chin (Chinese Pier) probably because, in the old days, it had ...

, and

Samut Songkhram Samut Songkhram (Pronunciation) is a city in Western Thailand region, the capital of Samut Songkhram province, a route to the south of Thailand. It is from Bangkok and has a population of 25,623 people as of 2023. Toponymy The word "samut" ori ...

Provinces, though flowers that require cooler growing temperatures may come from as far away as

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

Chiang Rai Chiang Rai (, ; , ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai was established as a capital city in the reign of King Ma ...

. The market's produce selection is extensive and is delivered from across the country. The market accommodates both consumers and wholesalers and has a wide variety of customers. Many local

florist Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related s ...

s visit the market in the early morning hours to stock their shops for the coming day.Kazmin, Amy. "A night of scented breezes". ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'' (1 May 2004). The urban poor who make a living stringing and selling ''

phuang malai ''Phuang malai'' (, ) or ''malai'' (, ) are a Thai form of floral garland. They are often given as offerings or kept for good luck. Origins Phuang malai may be derived from the Tamil term “poo maalai” which has the same meaning. It is a ...

'' (flower garlands) buy sacks of

jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...

and marigold blossoms. Though the market is documented in guidebooks, it receives few foreign tourists. In 2016, outdoor vendors at Pak Khlong Talat were forced to move indoors.

Yodpiman River Walk

250px, Terrace of Yodpiman by Chao Phraya River in daylight. Yodpiman River Walk, usually shortened to Yodpiman (, ) is a good atmosphere community mall on the diversion of

near Memorial Bridge. Yodpiman can be considered as part of Pak Khlong Talat. It is located behind Pak Khlong Talat, the building has three floors in a

colonial style American colonial architecture includes several building design styles associated with the colonial period of the United States, including First Period English (late-medieval), Spanish Colonial, French Colonial, Dutch Colonial, and Georgian ...

with serving restaurants, cafés, bakeries, banks, souvenir shops, clothing stores, and there is a

terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

for walks and sightseeing along the banks of the Chao Phraya River. From this terrace, looking at the opposite (Thonburi side) you can see Santa Cruz Church, ''

ubosot The ordination hall (Pali: ''sīmā'') is a Buddhist building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual (''upasampadā'') and other ritual ceremonies, such as the recitation of the Pāṭimokkha. ...

'' (ordination hall) of

Wat Prayurawongsawat Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawihan, known in short as Wat Prayun is a 19th century wat, Buddhist temple complex, located near the Memorial Bridge, Bangkok, Memorial Bridge (Thonburi side) in Bangkok, Thailand. History The temple was built during th ...

and

Wat Kalayanamitr Wat Kalayanamitr Varamahavihara (, , ) is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Bangkok, Thailand. The temple is located in Wat Kanlaya sub-district, on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple was established in 1825 by Chaophraya Nikonbod ...

, three Thai-style white pavilions that is the head office of City Law Enforcement Department,

Wichai Prasit Fort The fortifications of Bangkok consist of several series of defensive structures built to protect the city during the late Ayutthaya Kingdom, Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin Kingdom, Rattanakosin periods. The earliest structures were built when Ba ...

and ''

prang Prang may refer to: Places * Prang, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a town of Charsadda District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan * Prang Besar, an old name for Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia * Prang Ghar Tehsil or Pran Ghar Subdivision, a subdivis ...

'' (Khmer-style pagoda) of

Wat Arun Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan ( ) or Wat Arun (, "Temple of Dawn") is a Buddhist temple ('' wat'') in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand. It is situated on Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple ...

clearly. Formerly, its location was once a

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...

and an old port that is around 50–60 years old, include used to be a flower market since 1961. Until in early 2016, it has been upgraded to a new landmark of

Rattanakosin Island Rattanakosin Island (, , ) is a historic area in the Phra Nakhon District in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River to the west and various canals to the east that were dug to serve as moats for what was originall ...

and Chao Phraya River. Moreover, Yodpiman Riverwalk is also a pier for

Chao Phraya Express Boat The Chao Phraya Express Boat ( ''Ruea Duan Chao Phraya'') is a transportation service in Thailand operating on the Chao Phraya River. It provides riverine express transportation between stops in the capital city of Bangkok and to Nonthaburi Pro ...

with designated pier number N6/1, it can be considered as a pier in the middle between Rajinee (N7) and Memorial Bridge Piers (N6). From here you can take a boat to other nearby attractions such as Tha Tian,

Wat Pho Wat Pho (, ), also spelled Wat Po, is a Buddhism, Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Grand Palace. Known also as the Temp ...

etc.

Transportation

The market is served by

Bangkok Mass Transit Authority Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (, ), also known as BMTA ( ), is the main operator of public transit buses within the Greater Bangkok area. It is the largest city bus system in Thailand. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority offers bus and van r ...

bus lines: 1, 2, 3, 7ก, 8, 9, 12, 33, 42, 47, 53, 60, 73, 73ก, 82 It is close to

Sanam Chai Station Sanam Chai station (, , ) is a Bangkok MRT rapid transit station on the Blue Line. The station is located underground under Sanam Chai Road. During the excavation of the site to build the station, multiple historical artifacts were found, such as ...

on the MRT's Blue Line, as well as having access to three piers of the

: Memorial Bridge (N6), Yodpiman (N6/1), and Rajini (N7)

References

External links

* {{Visitor attractions in Bangkok Retail markets in Bangkok Food markets Flower markets category:Buildings and structures on the Chao Phraya River Phra Nakhon district