Nguyen Ky Anh is a travel blogger and also works in interior design. Photography is a parallel passion, helping him capture many moments through the lens of each destination and express his creativity, inspiring travel.
On this trip to Thailand, Ky Anh had a rather new experience, which was visiting Satun and Hat Yai - these are two peaceful provinces in Southern Thailand, few tourists choose to explore the South due to their geographical location and schedules often focusing on locations in Bangkok or Phuket... Stopping in Hat Yai, Ky Anh visited a traditional floating market called Klong Hae.
Floating markets are a unique cultural feature of Thailand. In Hat Yai, you can visit the famous Klong Hae floating market.
In Thailand, each market has its own unique characteristics, from the way of selling, the items on display to the culinary experience. In particular, the floating market is also a place to preserve the typical cultural features of the Thai people, where people live and earn a living in harmony with the river nature.
“I traveled to Klong Hae floating market by bus, because according to my schedule, I would go to Satun first, then to Hat Yai, the whole trip was by bus from the city center,” Ky Anh said.
Unlike other common floating markets, Klong Hae floating market has many boats docked near the wharf so you can freely walk around and choose goods.
Located about 4.5 km from the city center, there are many taxis (tuk-tuk) around Klong Hae floating market, so traveling to the market is very easy. Visitors can come to the market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 3 pm to 9 pm.
Unlike other common floating markets, Klong Hae floating market has many boats parked near the dock so you can freely walk around and choose goods. Here, there are many stalls selling things such as: clothes, souvenirs, jewelry, accessories and food along both sides of the road until you reach the main market. When you cruise to the main market, you will be able to see about 50 - 60 bustling boats parked along the riverbank, selling grilled and fried seafood, noodles, drinks, snacks, fruits and many other diverse foods...
Mango sticky rice - a Thai specialty at a small shop on Klong Hae floating market
At this famous Klong Hae floating market, you cannot miss the food stalls on boats selling many typical Thai dishes such as: tomyum, mango sticky rice, noodle dishes and fish dishes, fast food... With these typical Thai dishes, visitors should try them once, the products will surely captivate the taste buds.
Ky Anh also emphasized: "You should pay attention because this is an area of the Muslim community in Thailand, so they will say no to pork, but other types of meat are normal."
The people here belong to the Muslim community in Thailand so they will say no to pork, but other meats are normal.
Besides, you can also buy souvenirs when going on a tour of Thailand in the nearby night market with Thai clothing items and beautiful jewelry at affordable prices from only 70,000 VND - 100,000 VND each, which tourists can freely choose.
When asked by Travellive about the differences between the floating markets of Thailand and the floating markets of Western Vietnam, Ky Anh shared: “I see that there are quite a few similarities in the form of centralized trading. In Klong Hae, the sellers will anchor their boats in a fixed location to trade until the end of the day, not moving the boats on the river like in Vietnam. In Vietnam, there are no areas for direct dining on the spot, but in Klong Hae, the land is completely reserved for trading and shops, with an outdoor free-for-all dining area.”
Some drinks and fast food are sold on the floating market.
In addition, the Hat Yai floating market model is somewhat different from other floating markets in Thailand in that the cargo boats are docked close to the shore so visitors can freely get on and off to choose goods.
Floating markets are places that preserve typical cultural features of the Thai people, where people live and earn a living in harmony with the river nature.
If you have the opportunity to visit Southern Thailand, don't forget to experience Klong Hae floating market to discover the unique culture of the land of golden temples and the livelihood of people living in the river region.
