**The Bang Noi floating market has been given a complete renovation in anticipation of a return to its glory days of decades past **
Published: 16/05/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Brunch
Bang Noi floating market in Bang Khonthi district of Samut Songkhram province is not far from the much more famous and crowded Amphawa floating market, but it seems a world away. The smaller market at the head of the Bang Noi canal has a much more relaxed pace, though the municipality office of Tambon Kradang-nga is making an effort to promote it as a weekend tourist destination.
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“Our policy is to help locals earn more and promote tourism in a sustainable way,” said Mayor Somphop Rattanaphaiboon.
Bang Noi floating market lies at the intersection of the Bang Noi canal and the Mae Klong River, not far from the Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa floating markets, each situated on and named for canals which flow into the Mae Klong. As the Damnoen Saduak market opens in the morning, and Amphawa market opens in the late afternoon, local officials are promoting Bang Noi as a stop for midday meals and shopping.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says Bang Noi is a century-old market where vendors formerly met every third, eighth and 13th days of both the waxing and waning moons of the lunar calendar. Hundreds of vendors paddled their boats to sell a variety of farm produce such as fruit, betel nuts and leaves and rice from Ayutthaya and Sing Buri. It is believed that the market was the largest trading area for coconut sugar in Samut Songkhram during that period, said the municipality’s mayor.
“The market was even bigger and more crowded than the Amphawa floating market is today,” said Somnuk Thannyapanich in agreement with her mother, who is in her 80s.
“There was a wide choice of food and goods. The market sold just about anything you can think of,” said Ms Somnuk, who is a vendor at Bang Noi market and lives nearby.
Everything changed when roads were built in 1963 and traffic along the waterways dramatically declined as people began to rely on cars for transport. With fewer and fewer customers, merchants gradually stopped paddling their boats to Bang Noi market.
A row of shophouses along the canal banks is the only reminder of the market’s heyday. Most of the shops have closed down but a few remain open, including a pharmacy, a shop selling farm tools and a small printing house.
After evaluating the strengths of the old market the municipality put up an initial budget of two million baht for its renovation. The provincial government of Samut Songkhram also contributed 900,000 baht towards a new 1.2 million baht wooden bridge built to encourage visitors to explore both sides of the canal. The municipality also constructed a new merchant area along a narrow walking lane by the canal bank and two piers for merchants to tie their boats and sell food and goods to visitors.
On April 11, 2009, after more than 40 years of silence, Bang Noi market sprang back to life with an official opening ceremony organised by the municipality and the Bang Noi community . The market along the Bang Noi canal has been fully revived, with the added ambience of a walking street and a small floating market.
“The market gives me a chance to meet a lot of people,” said Preeda Kaewwan, the owner of a shop selling hand-made doorknob hangers, cloth cases for seat cushions and table cloths. The housewife who runs her small business to earn extra income has pictures of herself with various celebrities hung at her stall.
When you visit Bang Noi market, be sure to bring an empty stomach. Some top choices for lunch are grilled giant prawns from the Mae Klong River, ruam mit krata roan (crispy fried seafood pancake), boiled rice with shrimp, tasty noodle dishes and pork satay.
Also plentiful are fruit such as lychee, pomelo, starfruit, mango (the thong dam local variety), guava and banana. The fruit are cheap - a bunch of bananas is only 10 baht and one pomelo is 30 baht.
There are also goods from the Otop (One tambon, one product) programme in Samut Songkhram, such as shrimp paste from tambon Khlong Khon and coconut sugar from Bang Khonthi district, as well as souvenir T-shirts and postcards.
For a delicious local snack, check out the little stall in front of Samai Sin shop for a Chinese treat called Teochew roti, made from pan-fried sticky rice dough stuffed with peanuts, sesame seeds and brown sugar. It is a bit oily and sweet.
Next to the stall is a small pier where you can board an eight-seat boat to cruise the Bang Noi canal. The free cruise terminates at Wat Sai, a temple believed to have been built about 500 years ago.
At about two in the afternoon, local youths put on a puppet show at the market. Free courses in puppetry are offered to those who are interested.
Bang Noi floating market is about a 90-minute drive from Bangkok.
Homestay services along the canal are available.
*Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com *