If you’re looking for a day trip that feels both chaotic and charming, take the local route from Bangkok to Samut Sakhon (Mahachai), then push on to Samut Songkhram (Maeklong) and finish at Amphawa Floating Market. This isn’t the polished, air-conditioned way of traveling. It began in the dark hours before dawn and ended with the sun setting over river markets. A day stitched together by buses, trains, ferries, and the occasional tuk-tuk, all for the cost of a few coins.

The Early Hours: From Bang Chak to Wongwian Yai

My alarm went off at 3:00 a.m. the city still wrapped in silence. Staying at AllDay Hostel near Bang Chak BTS, I walked over the footbridge to the bus stop outside of Viva Garden Residences. A non-AC local bus rolled up, still cool in the morning air. Fare: 8 baht.

The bus carried me into Siam Square, where Bangkok was barely awake. After crossing the pedestrian bridge, I caught another ride at the Osotsala bus stop this time an AC bus to Wongwian Yai (Don Muang) for about 15 baht.

Wongwian Yai to Mahachai: Finding the Hidden Station

Finding Wongwian Yai train station is like spotting a secret door in plain sight. I had to ask a local vendor who pointed me down a narrow lane that looked nothing like an entrance to a railway. By 5:25 a.m., the small station was buzzing, commuters, vendors, travelers.

The ticket to Mahachai (Samut Sakhon) cost just 10 baht. The ride itself was slow, rattling, and perfect. Out the window, Bangkok’s concrete faded into stretches of shrimp ponds and paddy fields, glinting under the first light of day.

Mahachai Market & Pier: A Morning Maze

Mahachai greeted me with its market built on the tracks, stalls piled with seafood, voices rising with the morning rush. I didn’t take many photos here, mostly video, but the memory is vivid. I grabbed breakfast from a street vendor (nothing fancy, but the kind of food that carries you for hours).

From the market, I walked to the Mahachai Pier. For just 3 baht, the ferry cut across the river. I caught one of my favorite shots of the day here: the sunrise reflecting off the water, a giant Buddha statue (Somdet Ong Phra Pathom Phra Potra) standing guard on the bank.

Ban Laem to Maeklong: The Famous Market Train

On the other side, Ban Laem Station felt almost sleepy compared to Mahachai. A 10-baht ticket carried me further into Samut Songkhram. Along the way, I saw endless stretches of shrimp farms, I think, though quiet without the hum of aerators.

Then came the sight I’d been waiting for: the Maeklong Railway Market. As the train rolled in, barriers dropped, cars stopped, and tourists crowded with cameras ready. Vendors packed up in seconds, pulling back awnings and baskets. Riding straight into that chaos was surreal, the kind of moment I had only seen on screens before.

I even joined a group of foreign travelers on the side tracks, waiting for the train to inch out again. The train crawled so slowly you could see every smiling face leaning out the windows.

Maeklong to Amphawa: By Blue Tuk-Tuk

Outside the station, I hopped into one of the blue tuk-tuks (a converted Hilux). Fare: 60 baht to Amphawa. The ride was short and you could really feel the local vibe.

Amphawa Floating Market was already alive: bridge crowded with people, longtail boats cooking seafood right on the river, the air thick with smoke and chatter. I joined a boat tour (about 50–60 baht) a slow ride along the river, stopping by temples and riverside houses.

The sun hit my face, the breeze cooled my skin, and I leaned back on the boat, smiling with my eyes closed. Just a simple moment, but it’s the one that stayed with me.

Closing the Loop: Back to Bangkok

From Amphawa, I traced the journey in reverse: tuk-tuk back to Maeklong, train to Ban Laem, ferry across to Mahachai, and the final train to Wongwian Yai. By the time I reached Bangkok, the city was alive again, while I was carrying a full day in my memory, markets, shrines, ferries, and all.

Practical Notes (Backpacker Budget) — Full Round Trip

Outbound (Bangkok → Mahachai → Maeklong → Amphawa)
• Bus (non-AC): Viva Garden → Siam Square — 8฿
• Bus (AC): Osotsala → Wongwian Yai — 15฿
• Train: Wongwian Yai → Mahachai — 10฿
• Ferry: Mahachai Pier → Ban Laem — 3฿
• Train: Ban Laem → Maeklong — 10฿
• Blue tuk-tuk: Maeklong → Amphawa — 60฿
• Boat tour (Amphawa): 60฿
Outbound subtotal: 166฿

Return (Amphawa → Maeklong → Mahachai → Bangkok)
• Blue tuk-tuk: Amphawa → Maeklong — 60฿
• Train: Maeklong → Ban Laem — 10฿
• Ferry: Ban Laem → Mahachai — 3฿
• Train: Mahachai → Wongwian Yai — 10฿
• Bus (AC): Wongwian Yai → Osotsala — 15฿
• Bus (non-AC): Siam Square → Viva Garden — 8฿
Return subtotal: 106฿

Estimated Grand total (day trip): 272฿

Why This Trip Matters

It isn’t just about saving money, it’s about seeing Thailand the way locals do. You trade air-conditioned vans for rattling trains, polished tours for crowded ferries. It’s messy, yes, but it’s also where the real charm sits.

See my Ayutthaya adventure as well!