The Smiling Albino Team went to Tha Kha and Amphawa Floating Markets on a training trip on Saturday, April 3, 2010. Here are a few shots from our day out!

Eve in a paddle boat at Tha Kha Floating Market

A food vendor at Tha Kha Floating Market

The Team on the Mae Khlong River

At Wat Bang Goong

Old house at Amphawa Floating Market

Ordering iced coffee at Amphawa Floating Market

A boy on the Mae Khlong train

Experience all of these places on our super cool Bangkok 1910 trip.

There must be a movement going on somewhere. Over the past 3 months we’ve received several requests for trips in which a father is taking his daughter on an adventure as a gift, either for finishing grad school, turning 18, or getting into the right post-grad program. This has been an interesting dynamic to observe. Over the past few years we have done quite a few mother-son trips, and hundreds of family trips, but virtually no father-daughter trips. Then 2010 rolls in and suddenly we’re doing four at once. Fantastic!

There are so many ways to maneuver a trip like this so that everyone gets what they want. One father-daughter adventure duo last month warned us that significant retail and entertainment time needs to be worked in or we’ll lose the daughter, but not at the expense of missing historical landmarks, or cutting short the cultural intrigue, or we’ll annoy the dad.

How we made this work.

Take our great Bangkok day trip, the Bangkok Multi-Transport Adventure for starters. In the morning we slid into a couple of the essential landmarks like the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. At the latter we arranged some private time chatting with a couple of senior monks. This relatively open dialogue was a highlight and both dad and daughter had a short list of great questions. From here we switched gears and went for lunch at the trendy teenage hangout of Center Point Siam Square. While our guide explained some interesting things about the modern youth movement in Thailand, they listened to Thai pop music, watched Bangkok’s version of Shinjuku punk kids strut their stuff, and had ice cream and coffee. The conversation focused on the parallel forces of maintaining traditional cultural identity while openly embracing the freedom and ideals of the west. Some shopping time was enjoyed, and after this we hopped onto a canal boat hidden between retail cloisters that the average visitor would miss. From here we ventured back to the old city, jumped into a 3-wheeled tuk-tuk for a frenzied scramble through Bangkok Chinatown, followed by a highlight for everyone: a private canal boat trip through Bangkok Noi and back to their hotel.

Significant cultural landmarks: CHECK

Interesting modes of transport to keep the adventure on a high: CHECK

Retail therapy: CHECK

Insight into local culture and ideas: DOUBLE CHECK

Take away value: high-fives with dad and daughter at the end of the day

This father-daughter combo rode mountain bikes, trained elephants, sipped cocktails in a chic Bangkok lounge, shopped, hiked through hill tribe villages, visited a school and lead an impromptu game of Frisbee in a village, and soaked up layers of culture with our guides throughout the country.

The same formula of managing the moment works for all of our adventures and uniquely enables Smiling Albino guests to enjoy the best of everything in a style they can call their own.

by Scott Coates

Here are some neat shots from a journey by bicycle, train and boat to the Mae Khlong area, near the Gulf of Thailand. You can see the full gallery here: http://photos.smilingalbino.com/Thailand-Photos/Floating-Markets/Mae-Khlong-Cycling-Trip/9982091_qtxRJ#682312430_o2bEi

Erika & Greg on the Mae Khlong Route train

Greg crssing a foot bridge over a canal

John finesses a narrow plantation path

Erika at Amphawa Canal

Check out the full gallery: http://photos.smilingalbino.com/Thailand-Photos/Floating-Markets/Mae-Khlong-Cycling-Trip/9982091_qtxRJ#682312430_o2bEi

Some shots taken on September29, 2009.

See more photos here: http://photos.smilingalbino.com/Thailand-Photos/Bangkok/Bangkok-at-Night/8247721_EzRe8#539446776_JYbsj

City Pillar

The Grand Palace

Phra Sumen Fort

Rama V Statue, Royal Plaza

See more photos here: http://photos.smilingalbino.com/Thailand-Photos/Bangkok/Bangkok-at-Night/8247721_EzRe8#539446776_JYbsj

by Scott Coates

Thailand is famous for markets. Small, large, along roads, under tin roofs, on canals, there’s a plethora of them. One of the most unique markets is Talad Rom Hoob, or the Railway Market. Located in the center of a small city, Samut Songkram, located about 80km southwest of Bangkok, the market is one of the city’s modern claims to fame.

Situated just a few kilometers from the Gulf of Thailand along the Mae Khlong River, which is formed upstream by the Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai Rivers from Kanchanaburi, the economy here revolves around fishing and agriculture. Water is the lifeblood with 391 major canals serving as transport lanes for small paddle boats and daily life. As the birthplace of King Rama II, the second King of the current Chakri Dynasty (Rama IX is the current King), the province has been a longtime tourist destination for Thais, but is catching on with foreign visitors.

Sandwiched between the bus and train stations, literally on and along the train tracks, Talad Rom Hoob is a one of a kind that must be seen to be believed. Like most Thai food markets, vegetables, fruit and ready-to-eat dishes abound, with prices per kilo clearly displayed and everything being very fresh, fresh, fresh. The train tracks serve as the walking area for customers until of course the train comes…

The Mae Khlong Route which runs from the town of Mahachai (about a 1 hour journey) has been in operation since 1901, serving as a vital lifeline between the Gulf of Thailand and Bangkok. With modern highways and the popularity of cars not as many people use the train today as once did but it’s still quite popular with locals going between the two centers, many of who connect to a second train in Mahachai which goes to the capital. The ride is free for Thai citizens as a government service and 10 Baht (about $0.30US) for foreigners – a true bargain and great way to see some nice rural scenery on the way.

The train makes the journey four times per day in each direction and when it pulls in or out of Mae Khlong Station the real fun begins. Vendors scamper to fold up umbrellas, awnings, pull their stalls back (most are on wheels) and make sure their goods do not get run over by the train. They have the process down to a science and it only takes about 30 seconds to set up or tear things down. The train literally hangs over vegetables as it goes by with retailers knowing how close to the tracks they can leave things without them getting damaged.

The market is a great stop after visiting one of the many floating markets nearby (Damnoensaduak, Aphawa, Tha Kha) as you can easily pass through Samut Songkram on your way to/from Bangkok. To find the market drive through town and stop at (not on but nearby please) the train tracks which you have to pass over when driving through town. Walk down the tracks towards the sea and you’ll walk right into the thick of things. Truly a unique market and experience.

Want to see the market in the most comprehensive and fun way possible? Email Smiling Albino and we’ll make it happen.

by Scott Coates

The image of women in colorful clothing, wearing large woven hats, plying their wares from small boats, is an iconic Thai image.

Until roughly 30 years ago canals played a much larger role in daily Thai life than they do now. People lived along their edges, relied on them for transport, washed their dishes, clothes and selves in them. They truly were the lifeblood of communities – the highways of yesteryear. Progress has its price and many canals, especially in city centers, have been filled-in and paved-over since the early 1980s, making way for cars and a faster paced life.

While tourism posters for Thailand regularly feature pictures of floating markets, few remain and even less are truly authentic. The most famous, Damnoensaduak floating market, is located just over 100km southwest of Bangkok and is open seven days a week. It’s not much more than a bunch of shops built on land along the edge of the canal, selling the same tourist souvenirs you’ll find on any corner in Thailand, but you’re paddled around on a boat. If seeing a floating market is a must and your travel days limited, this might be the only option. Other, more authentic options do exist though.

While designing a new Smiling Albino experience, Bangkok 1910, which will focus on Bangkok and its greater basin from the perspective of 100 years ago, we visited a lesser-known floating market that recently caught our attention.

Tha Kha floating market (named after a long water grass native to the area) is also about 100km southwest of Bangkok and midway between Damnoensaduak and the town of Samut Songkhram. Follow a series of signs 6km from the main Rama II highway and you’ll quickly slip back in time as you make your way over canals and through lush palm plantations. Until recently Tha Kha only opened six days per month: on the 1st, 7thand 12th days of the Thai Lunar Calendar, which change month to month. Recently they’ve decided to also open every Saturday and Sunday in an effort to attract people wanting to see a real, authentic floating market. This is a welcome addition to the overcrowded and overdone floating market scene of the last 20 years.

Starting about 06:00 until roughly 11:00, mostly women row small wooden boats from their canal-side homes to Tha Kha. Traditionally people would meet to trade produce and sell extra to neighbors and friends. This is still the case here. Buy a snack and watch as vendors trade with each other in between selling to visitors along the canal’s edge. Here the market comes to you. Boats are equipped with scales and lots to sell. One wonders how they get it all there without tipping? From a boat selling one simple item like cucumbers, to one equipped with a gas burner selling hot noodle soup with all the fixings, it’s truly incredible what can be done with and from a small wooden boat. Slowing down is the best way to enjoy the market. Take a seat, stand on the bridge over the canal, sample lots of snacks and be amazed at this traditional activity as it was way back when.

A nice addition is the recently formed association of boaters in the area who offer charming paddled excursions through small subsidiary canals. Sounds of birds fill the air, the air is thick, lush palms are everywhere and you’ll see people living much like they have for hundreds of years.

Less is definitely more then it comes to Tha Kha. There are about 50 boats over a rather small area, but this is the real deal. Lets hope the extended days of operation don’t bring the tour buses.

Want to go to Tha Kha with Smiling Albino? Send us an email and we’ll make it happen!

See some more photos from the market.

Chatuchak on a canal – with a little more style

Vintage Amphawa, circa 2009

Last Sunday, Nan (our UK-Thai intern-connoisseur-culture-guru-food-master) and I took a quick trip down to Amphawa in Samut Songkram province. The town of Amphawa has become a local darling amongst Thais as a nostalgic step back in time to the dreamy canal life of early 20th central Thailand. Apparently 60 years ago the town was a thriving site for canal-side, a predecessor to our modern – and slightly more commercialized – floating markets. Part of the appeal is that it reports to be uncorrupted by commercialism like so many other aesthetically-challenged market attractions in Thailand. So, after much heralded fanfare we finally went down the check out the fuss.

The town of Amphawa itself is non-descript, except for those nice canal-side lanes and of course the buzzing commercial center along the narrow stretch of the Mae Khlong River. This is the Amphawa that everyone is talking about. On a busy weekend this single stretch of canal, straddled on both sides with shops galore, food galore, and floating seafood hawkers galore, could almost be described as Chatuchak on water, but with a little more style. A quick walk through the main retail strip revealed no one selling English Premier League jerseys. We really liked it!

The old market strip

There are a few spots around town that suffer some chaotic weekend traffic, but not like Bangkok. Visitors are mostly Bangkokians escaping the congestion and street-side retail madness of the city for the canal-side retail madness of Amphawa. The market district featured the greatest selection and variety of Thai food I have probably ever seen in one place, including hundreds of different types of Thai sweets and desserts – many of which I tried and enjoyed – sold from crammed riverside stalls and wooden kiosks. Traditional coffee and Thai iced tea, old wooden buildings and shop fronts, lots of vintage furniture and nostalgia shops, etc., and one outrageously narrow little shop selling paper and cloth animal-figure mobiles. It is just wide enough for one person to walk down. The store is jam-packed with two customers and nearly intolerable if an employee is also present. Thankfully the shop’s single employee stayed out in the front of the store, encouraging people to heed the sign above the door in Thai saying ‘please don’t stand in front of the door and take photos of our little shop’. Who could resist? I took two photos.

some great eats at Amphawa Ha Hae

Amphawa has many claims to fame, including having the best sugarcane juice and coconut milk in Thailand. This point shouldn’t be overlooked, for in a country with such a highly cultivated sense of taste, coconut milk especially forms an integral part of many Thai dishes and its world famous curries. So, Amphawa’s coconut milk is the gold standard and the locals spare no effort to produce dozens, hundreds of different kinds of traditional Thai snacks and desserts with it.

We made real efforts to meet real locals, not just merchants from Bangkok who’ve capitalized on Amphawa’s growing popularity to set up shops, but the locals who’ve been there for generations, some of whom actually remember Amphawa as it was in the post-war era. The change took place with the construction of south Bangkok’s major highway program to Petchburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. Bridges were built, canals closed, road traffic moved from the river-side communities to the new expressways, and Amphawa quickly became a forgotten town from a different era. Though it never lost its stature as a food capital, its floating markets were quickly overshadowed by larger commercial markets such as Damnern Saduak. As one local, Mr Ouan from the Kumpan Restaurant pointed out, the floating market style of trade you see at Amphawa more closely reflects the traditional Thai floating market, in which hawkers would line the banks of canals and sell to local businesses and residents, rather than the modern boat-to-boat versions we see today. Not that one is more authentic than another, but the re-invigorated modern Amphawa certainly retains some nice threads of the past. Mr Ouan then took us a few blocks from the main market street to his family’s wooden house along a wider stretch of the Mae Khlong River. He was a fountain – or river – of knowledge and seemed genuinely intent on making sure we knew how seriously local families are in preserving their native town. This was refreshing. We then met some other local business people manning local shops, photo stalls or ice cream booths, seemingly unfazed by the swarms of visitors around them, and carrying on cheerily on their own terms. It was like meeting members of an unofficial fraternity called Friends of Amphawa. They love where they live and seemed quite thrilled that we liked it too.

fish cakes

Another interesting thing was the lack of western visitors. You could count them on one hand. Again, the presence of western tourists does not by any means diminish the authenticity of the location you’re visiting, but more so the flock of Thais taking part in the weekend festivities can’t help but leave an impression on the visitor that this is a special place, a local place.

Various members of our Smiling Albino team have been back and forth to Amphawa, Mae Khlong and Khlong Kone at the Gulf of Thailand a lot recently in preparation for our cool nostalgia trip called ‘Bangkok 1910′. This vintage excursion is a nice way to enjoy a couple of days experiencing old Bangkok, Chinatown, and also Amphawa, the traditional floating markets, etc.

Now back in Bangkok, I am eager to get back down to Amphawa again. After all we missed the evening market hours and boat paddling excursions that have become popular. Besides, every Thai person I’ve talked to since then has scolded me for not bringing back some of Amphawa’s legendary desserts and snacks. It is as good a reason as any. Be back soon….

by Scott Coates

Wat Trimit and Yaowarat's gate

Since moving to Asia in 1999 we have always designed our trips by hand, from the ground up. What exactly does that mean? We’re glad you asked!
Rather than finding partner travel companies and ‘piggy-backing’ on their existing trips Smiling Albino founders Dan/Scott personally hit the road with our guides, friends and Team to plan each trip, each part, select every restaurant, snack stand, hotel, to ensure totally original and authentic experiences, each and every time. We read books, chat with friends and work our contacts to locate the secret gems in each area and find an innovative way to put it all together.

At the moment we’re putting the finishing touches on a new Yaowarat (Chinatown) walking trip in Bangkok. While we’ve lived here for quite a long time and our guides are experts in the area, we wanted to step-things-up-a-notch and create a truly one-of-a-kind, highly fun program. Here’s how it comes together:

A quiet backstreet

The Team at our office met a few weeks ago and talked about the elements that make our trips legendary: interesting hosts, inventive routing, tasty food, a myriad of drinks, a mix of transport, all inclusive, insider corners and of course fun.
We then had a look at our library and dove-in to books with potentially useful info/routes/tips.
Maps were printed and rolled-out as we peered over them, suggesting routes, talking about little alleyways we know, favorite snack stands, a secret tea shop, fortune teller’s house and so on.
Next we contacted our friend, a longtime Yaowarat resident, and got him to take us to his favorite spots this past Sunday. Quick notes were made along the way and on-the-fly maps to help remember the many, many turns.
Back to the office to relay the day’s details to the Team on Monday morning and further hash-out possible plans. Maps were marked with potential routes and ‘must see’ spots.

Kids getting a free ride on a drink cart

Two Team members will hit Yaowarat on Tuesday/Wednesday scouting four possible routes, making notes, gaining historical knowledge and most-importantly talking to locals to get insider details/history/fun facts (residents speak Mandarin and Hokkian – good thing our Team does too!).
Wednesday night we’ll have a meeting to go over the findings, then plan a couple final routes to try on Thursday when Scott will join Team members in Yaowarat putting the finishing touches on the routes.
A must is that we ensure local transport is utilized at the right times to ensure we never wait in traffic.
After all this is done we’ll write Trip Notes for our Team of guides/hosts, map it out, take the guides/hosts on a day checking out the trip then serve it to you, hot, fresh and guaranteed to be the newest and best trip on the travel shelves.

Be sure to visit our Day Trips soon as this trip will be ready for consumption July 1.

by Scott Coates

Having lived in Thailand since 1999 I’ve been to most markets in Bangkok but it’s surprising the number of new places that continue to pop-up.

Pratunam Market (literally meaning ‘Watergate’ due to the canal that runs through the area) has been famous for years for its street-side and alley markets. Teeming with clothes, bags and everything else under the sun, it’s one of the city’s most vibrant venues for shopping, people-watching and great deals. The last few years have seen a couple proper malls open in the area, notably Platinum Fashion Mall which specializes in clothes/fashion at wholesale prices.

A friend from Singapore was recently in town and wanted to ‘shop for inexpensive fashion’. Having never been to Platinum Fashion Mall we headed in that direction. Wow, what a lot of people and stuff! Eleven floors make up Platinum and it’s a paradise for shoppers (notably females) who love deals and lots to choose from. To get the best price you usually have to buy at least three items but things are priced to sell. Belts for 100B ($3.5US), simple dresses for 200B ($7US) and on it goes. Be sure to bring a cool drink and your love for crowds and more crowds as this place is packed, especially on weekends. That said, there’s something for everyone here that loves clothes and fashion (again, notably females).

Another noteworthy and quite famous place in the area among tech experts/fanatics is Pantip Plaza, a large shopping center devoted to IT, computers and electronics. From name-brand hardware to knock-off software it’s all here. Again, crowds can be large so bring your patience and love for being around others.

Bangkok certainly reigns as SE Asia’s shopping headquarters and the Pratunam area is sure to fill your bags with lots of neat stuff, go easy on the wallet and give you a good look into Thais and their love of shopping.
Ready, set, shop!