Mae Klong Railway Market

Most visitors to Bangkok never make it over to the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, let alone a bit further afield, which is a pity, as there are some pretty cool attractions just west of town. One of these is the Mae Klong Railway Market, also known as the Umbrella Market, even though neither trains nor umbrellas are sold here, yet both feature prominently in what is certainly one of the most unique attractions to be found in Thailand. The Mae Klong Railway was built to transport goods from the fishing port of Samut Songkram into Bangkok and later became a passenger line. The local trains run that run through here are very slow, which is a good thing, as when the trains pass through tiny Mae Klong, there is almost no space for them to pass through the large market of Mae Klong, which sells seafood, clothing, and other goods. In fact the space is so narrow here that the vendors must fold up their umbrellas and awnings when the trains come through the market, in order for the carriages to pass through. This has brought the market to national attention and put it on the tourist map, as the trains coming through Mae Klong now stop in the station proper for ten minutes or so, while tourists climb aboard the front of the train and take pictures with it with the station and market surroundings as a backdrop.