Talk:Damnoen Saduak/Listings

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Royal Thai Handicraft Centre (รอยัลไทย แฮนด์ดิคราฟ เซ็นเตอร์) This is situated at 240 Mu 6, approximately 11 kilometres from Bang Phae Intersection at Km. 15 on Highway 325. The centre contains teak sculptures in many forms for decoration or furniture such as wooden sculpted picture, living room suite, wine cupboard, and screen. There is a demonstration of making mulberry paper, sculpting wood, and there are souvenir shops selling various products such as bag, lamp and wooden products. It opens daily at 08.00 a.m.–05.00 p.m. For further information, please contact Tel. 0 3225 3010-14 or www.royalthairtc.com

Wat Luangpho Sot Thammakayaram (วัดหลวงพ่อสดธรรมกายาราม) This is situated in Tambon Phaengphuai, on Bang Phae-Damnoen Saduak Road. From Bang Phae, the temple is on your left, 10 kilometres before you arrive at Damnoen Saduak Intersection. The temple’s ordination hall was constructed near the end of the Ayutthaya era, and it was the place to keep jade Buddha images in different gestures. Inside the temple, the learning garden and royal permanent forest garden is located with an area of more than 200 rai (320,000 square metres). This temple received the 1st prize for the outstanding forest garden from the Royal Forest Department in 1996. In addition, it is the provincial Pali language school. There is an exhibition concerning Lord Buddha’s relics and instruction of meditation and practice of Dhamma for Thais and foreigners is given on Sundays at 09.30 a.m.–02.30 p.m. The training course will be held for 2 groups each year. For further details, please call Tel. 0 3225 3632 ext. 190, 220 or www.dhammakaya.org

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (ตลาดน้ำดำเนินสะดวก) Well-known as Khlong Ton Khem Floating Market, is one famous attraction of Ratchaburi, approximately 80 kilometres from Bangkok. Around 1866, King Rama IV commanded to dig Khlong Damnoen Saduak with a distance of more than 32 kilometres connecting the Mae Klong River at Bang Nok Khwaek to the Tha Chin River at Pratunam Bang Yang. There are several small canals, so people in Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon can commute to visit each other conveniently.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market was first known as a tourist attraction in 1967 in the picture of the floating market crowded with small rowing boats which contained necessary products for living. We could see tradesmen, who dressed in dark-coloured clothes with a hat made of palm leaves like farmers, rowing boats to sell and exchange products in the period when the waterway was the main transportation route. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market opens early in the morning until noon. Wat Prasatsit Floating Market, where we still can see traditional ways of life, opens early in the morning until 08.00 a.m. For more details, please contact the Tourism Public Relations Centre of Amphoe Damnoen Saduak at Tel.      0 3224 1023

Touring along the canal and admiring Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (ล่องคลองชมตลาดน้ำดำเนินสะดวก) Rental boats are available at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Each rowing boat costs Bt 300 and each long boat Bt 400. The long boat can contain 8 passengers, and it takes about 1 hour to bring them to see orchards and the process of producing fresh sugar palm sap beverage. For more information, please contact Yuwanda Pier at Tel. 0 3224 1392, 08 6668 9471, 08 9161 0909.

Talat Nam Damnoen Saduak Kao or Khlong Lat Phli (ตลาดน้ำดำเนินสะดวกเก่าหรือคลองลัดพลี) This is located at Wat Rat Charoen Tham (Wat Sun). This old Damnoen Saduak floating market has been revived to be active again. There are boats selling hygienic fruits and vegetables, noodles, traditional coffee, etc. A boat tour offers a chance to witness ways of life, local culture of 8 tribes, traditional massage, health treatment with a herbal compress and a herbal sauna, and OTOP products. For more information, contact the Damnoen Saduak District Office at Tel. 0 3224 1204.

How to get there: By car: From Bangkok, tourists can travel to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market by 2 routes as follows: By Bus: Air-conditioned bus Bangkok-Damnoen Saduak leaving the Southern Bus Terminal, on Borommaratchachonnani Road. The first bus departs at 5.00 a.m. taking about 2 hours. Get off the bus at the Choeng Saphan Thanarat Market. At the market, tourists can take a Song Thaeo to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market which takes another 1 kilometre.
 * 1) Drive along Phetchakasem Road (Highway 4), passing Bang Khae, Rose Garden, Nakhon Chai Si, and Nakhon Pathom. After you arrive at Km. 83, turn left at the Bang Phae Intersection and drive along Highway 325 for about 25 kilometres. Cross the Thanarat Bridge and go straight on for 200 metres then turn right and go ahead for 1 kilometre.
 * 2) Drive along the Thon Buri-Pak Tho Route (Highway 35), a distance of 63 kilometres. Turn right into Highway 325, passing the town of Samut Songkhram, then turn into Highway 325 for about 12 kilometres. The entrance to the floating market is ahead of the Thanarat Bridge for 200 metres. Turn left and drive on another 1 kilometre.

In addition, tourists can travel by other buses, such as Bangkok-Ratchaburi, Bangkok- Phetchaburi (Old Route), and get off at Bang Phae Intersection. Then, take a Song Thaeo on the Bang Phae Intersection-Damnoen Saduak Route, which departs every 10 minutes.

Amphoe Damnoen Saduak

 * Ban Suk Chok Resort (บ้านสุขโชครีสอร์ท) 103/5 Mu 5 Damnoen Saduak (Tel: 254301, 254982), 36 rooms: 250-1,300 baht