Amphawa floating market: which days it is open, what the evening is like and whether you can see fireflies

Amphawa is open Friday to Sunday and on public holidays

Wikivoyage's Amphawa guide says the floating market is open at weekends only, Friday to Sunday. Thai Wikipedia gives Friday, Saturday and Sunday and public holidays, in the evening period from 12:00 to 20:00, and says Amphawa subdistrict municipality revived the market, which was officially founded on 11 August 2004. So on a Monday to Thursday, check what is open before you make the trip.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand wrote in 2020 that Amphawa is quite busy at weekends, because of the riverfront markets that attract day trippers from Bangkok, and suggested checking it midweek before the weekend crowds. Wikivoyage says there are enormous queues at the pedestrian bridges over the canal. Expect more people on Saturday and Sunday, and go early in the afternoon rather than late if you dislike queues.

The best time of day: after noon, best around 15:00

Unlike Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa is an afternoon market. Wikivoyage says it starts to get going around noon and is at its best around 15:00, and that you can therefore combine the two in one trip: Damnoen Saduak in the morning, Amphawa in the afternoon. Thai Wikipedia puts the opening hours at 12:00 to 20:00, so there is time to stay into the early evening, and many stalls line both sides of the canal.

Evening lighting has been used there, but as a festival and not as a regular programme. The Tourism Authority of Thailand reported that a ten-day evening programme, Neramit Amphawa, ran from 11 to 20 September 2026, from 16:00 to 22:00, across the market and King Rama II Memorial Park. It does not say it will return. Treat 20:00 as the market's normal end, and check the hours of a specific shop if you plan a late dinner.

Fireflies: what the sources say, and what they do not

English Wikipedia says that at night, tourists will see the beauty of fireflies under the lamphu trees, and Thai Wikipedia lists watching fireflies glow around lamphu trees among the activities. The same Thai article adds a warning: because of development, the fireflies have begun to disappear, along with other problems such as bank erosion, rubbish, traffic jams and changes to the old architecture.

We found no official source for a firefly season, for the best months or for a guaranteed time of night, so we do not give any. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's September 2026 festival used firefly-inspired lighting effects, which are decoration, not insects. If fireflies are the reason you are going, ask the boat operator before you pay, and treat any promise as a possibility. A daytime visit to the market is the part that is reliable.

Boats on the canal and what they cost

The Tourism Authority of Thailand's 2020 article says that a private boat tour at Amphawa starts at 500 baht, and that a shared tour with other visitors starts at only 50 baht a head, with space for up to 10 people. The tour takes about 1 hour and winds along the market, the small canals and the Mae Klong River, passing some temples. English Wikipedia gives the same figures, undated: 500 baht or more for a private boat and 50 baht per person.

Weekend canals can be crowded. The Thaiger reported in August 2023 that a boat sank during a concert on the canal at Amphawa, with no injuries, and the incident prompted discussion of capacity limits on water-based events. Ask for a life jacket, and do not board a boat that is clearly overloaded. Ask the boatman for the price, the length of the trip and the route before you step in, as you would at any floating market.

What to eat, and how to check what you buy

Wikivoyage says eating is a major activity: there are many merchants in boats preparing food in front of you, seafood is popular, and Thais buy different dishes from different merchants and share them. Its undated figures are about 120 baht for a meal of fresh farm products and 20 baht for a bowl of pad thai or other noodles from a boat, so treat them as a rough guide only.

Check what you buy. The Thaiger reported in January 2025 a buyer's complaint that a 250-baht box of steamed crabs bought at Amphawa held mostly shells, and the vendor replied that each box is weighed at 500 grams before it is opened and offered a refund if the situation seemed unreasonable. It is one account. A simple habit is to ask the price first, look at what goes into the box, and keep your receipt.

Getting there, and whether to stay the night

English Wikipedia puts Amphawa about 50 km from Bangkok, less than an hour and a half away. The Tourism Authority of Thailand wrote in 2020 that a minivan, from Mo Chit bus terminal in the north or Sai Tai Mai in the south, is usually the cheapest option, for a drive of nearly 2 hours. Wikivoyage describes a minivan from Victory Monument, or a bus to Samut Songkhram town and a songthaew on from there, of about 15 minutes.

Wikivoyage says Amphawa is immensely popular with Thai visitors, so expect all hotels to be sold out at weekends, and advises booking at least a week ahead, with homestays as an alternative. It also lists King Rama II Memorial Park, built at the place believed to be his birthplace, as open daily from 08:30 to 17:00, an undated entry. If you plan to stay a night, book before you decide the rest of your route.

High tides in October and November 2026

Check the water before you travel. Thai PBS World reported on 28 October 2026 that high tides swelled the canals of Samut Songkhram and flooded riverside homes, walkways and shops at Amphawa Floating Market, which residents called the worst tidal surge in decades. It said provincial authorities issued a flood warning for low-lying areas for 27 October to 5 November. The Nation reported water in Mae Klong Market on the same day.

The Nation also said the Office of the National Water Resources asked for close monitoring from 28 to 30 October, and that a separate alert from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation covers Bangkok and six central provinces from 27 October to 5 November. We have no report of how long vendors will stay closed, so if your date falls in that period, check the news and ask before you go.

Amphawa and our day trip

Our day trip does not go to Amphawa. Our Maeklong and Damnoen Saduak tour costs from $25 per person and takes about 7 hours: you walk Maeklong Railway Market, ride a longtail boat through the canals at Damnoen Saduak, visit Wat Bang Kung and return to Bangkok. It runs in the morning, around the train, so it does not leave time for an afternoon at Amphawa. The price includes transport, an English-speaking guide, the boat ride and drinking water.

It suits you if you want the two famous morning sights without arranging coaches. It does not suit you if Amphawa, the evening or the fireflies are the point; for that, go on a Friday to Sunday by yourself. Our guide to floating markets near Bangkok compared sets Amphawa beside the others, and the Maeklong guide explains the train timing.

Practical checklist

• Go from Friday to Sunday or on a public holiday, and arrive in the afternoon, ideally around 15:00.
• Check the flood warning and the news if your date falls between 27 October and 5 November 2026.
• Ask the boat operator for the price, the length of the trip and the route before you board.
• Do not count on fireflies; ask the boat operator, and treat it as a possibility.
• Book a hotel at least a week ahead if you want to stay at a weekend.

Questions and answers

Read next

• Floating markets near Bangkok compared: Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa, Taling Chan and Khlong Lat Mayom
• Damnoen Saduak floating market tour from Bangkok: what it costs, what is included and what you pay on the day
• Maeklong railway market tour: when does the train pass through, and how does our tour time it?
• Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong: times, packing and seasons