The Floating Market Of Hatyai

When it comes to tourism, the Thais never fail to amaze me. They are a creative lot who would utilise whatever they have and churn them into money-making assets. Take the elephants for instance. Because elephants thrive in Thailand, the Thais have come up with elephant shows, elephant rides and tourist itineraries involving elephants. Even elephant dung have been turned into souvenirs in the form of photo frames etc.

The Klong Hae floating market was started not too long ago in 2008 by the town municipality of Klong Hae. It has successfully drawn huge crowds of tourists to an otherwise dull looking river in a non happening district of Hatyai.

The floating market is about 7km from Hatyai City and it is located beside a Buddhist temple called Wat Klong Hae (the floating market is on the right hand side of it). To get to this place you can take the cab or the tuk-tuk but it is not very cheap unless you get a group to share out the cost. We came in our own car as my cousins who are staying in the border state have now become experts at driving around Hatyai.

The activities start before you even reach the the riverside as the pedestrian street leading to the floating market is lined with small stalls on both sides selling a variety of foodstuff, clothing, souvenirs, etc. The photos below show some of the items you see along this street.

Hot dog roll with a stylish design

Sweet crispy snacks.

really huge BBQ squid

Miniature wall lamps.

 fighting fish

a 'cowgirl'  displaying her skill at using the whip

After the first section, the floating market comes into view. It is located along the riverbank on the opposite side of a bridge.

You do not really see any boats being rowed as all the boats were already docked by the riverside.There were about 50 of them.

There was a small descent to the riverside via this wooden bridge.

The boat vendors who are mostly Muslim women sell only food and drink. Tables, chairs and umbrellas are provided for visitors who want to dine by the riverside.

The food displayed are a real feast to the eyes. There is a wide variety of local cuisine and many are authentically Thai.

crunchy shellfish snacks

BBQ eggs

seafood satay

sweet desserts

noodle soup served in paper bowls

A practical way to exchange food purchased with money.

Food are labeled in Thai and English . Price tag is prominently displayed.

Sushi

Colorful desserts.

Drink stalls are a hit among visitors as the drinks are served in porcelain or bamboo containers which need not be returned. 

Do not be mistaken here. The vendor is not selling porcelain wares but ice-creams. The price of ice-creams vary according to the type of containers you choose. These porcelain containers are then sold together with the ice-creams.

My cousin chose this which cost 25Baht (RM2.50)

There is another section where you can continue to dine or shop. This section with roofs over it and with many small stalls are built on a higher ground and it resembles a marketplace.

The food items sold here are somewhat different from those sold by the boat vendors.

dumplings or 'Bak chang'

Colorful love letters

Thai appetizer for only 20baht. This set would have cost 100-200 baht in Thai restaurants in Malaysia

 fried vermicelli with prawns

beautiful handbag

The last section comprise a mini fun park. That's to keep the kids occupied.

The floating market is opened only 3 days a week, namely Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 9pm.

Nice place to visit especially if you are coming to Hatyai for the first time.

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