Bang Luang

Charansanitwong Road soi 3. Open daily 10am-5pm.
Just 500 meters from the busy Charansanitwong Rd., Bang Luang is the coolest, quietest market in the big bad city. Started by an artist, Chumpon Akpanthanont, who renovated an old wooden house into an art gallery, it now attracts more and more tourists every weekend. In turn, its growing popularity has encourage people in the community to renovate their beautiful old homes.
Highlights: The performers from the dearly missed Joe Louis Theater stage Thai traditional puppetry performances everyday at 2pm (except Wed). There are art classes like water painting or traditional printing for a mere B50. Foodies can buy from vendors in their boats on the canal, or just walk across the bridge to devour gway jab and sticky rice with mango at the riverside shop on the corner.

Bang Nampueng

Prapradaeng, Samut Prakarn. Open Sat-Sun 8am-5pm.
It might be situated out of Bangkok but this market is really easy to access. Busy only on the weekend, it extends down a narrow concrete walkway along a tiny canal. Like all markets, there’s a lot of great food, but you’ll also find herbal products and other goods.
Highlights: The hoi tod served in tiny cups and the guay tiew ruea are the most popular items. You can also break a sweat by renting a rowboat to cruise along the canal (B20 per hour). As it’s nearly Songkran, Prapradaeng is also one of the biggest splash sites in town. Be aware of the fact that they will host Songkran the weekend after (Apr 16-17).

Talingchan

Talingchan District Office. Open Sat-Sun 8am-4pm.
Talingchan floating market is tucked away in a suburb sometimes called Klong Chak Phra. It’s a great spot to feel like you’re outside of Bangkok, even though it’s just 30 minutes from the CBD. The market sits on the banks a small canal connecting the larger Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals. The market itself is started in 1987 with only five bamboo rafts but now, thousands of shoppers swarm the riverside shops and stalls every weekend.
Highlight: The pontoons, which have been set up with little tables and chairs, bob up and down as the boats cruise by. There, you can stock up on moo satay, kanom jeen, grilled seafood, Thai desserts, fresh fruits and vegetables from vendors’ gardens. Our favorite? The mee krob Mae Lek and the kanom bueng yuan in front of the entrance.
Bonus: From here you can visit two floating markets—Wat Saphan and Lat Mayom—as part of a one-hour boat tour (B90 for adults, B50 for kids). There are some live fish, turtles and eels available in this market that you’re meant to release to make merit. Talingchan market itself also has live Thai classical music, making your shopping there a moment lost in time.