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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Amphawa
อัมพวา
Spend a half‑day at the floating market; add an overnight stay if you want a quiet canal night.
Amphawa is a small canal town west of Bangkok, famed for its weekend floating market. A morning or early‑afternoon visit covers the market; a night adds a relaxed canal ambience and easy access to nearby attractions.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- อัมพวา
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cooler)
- Avoid
- Mar–May (hot, humid)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿800–1,200 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,200–2,000 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Fresh farm‑to‑plate meal (market) | ฿120 |
| Pad Thai noodle bowl (boat vendor) | ฿20 |
| Coffee at a canal café | ฿40–70 |
| Boat taxi (short ride) | ฿150–250 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BKK · Suvarnabhumi International Airport
- ≈ 1 h 30 min by minivan from Bangkok
Typical fares
- Bangkok → Amphawa minivan
- about ฿300 per person, 1 h 30 min (check)
- Boat ride on Amphawa canal
- about ฿150–250 per person, 30 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable; hire a small boat or rent a bike to explore the canals and orchards.
See and do
Known for
- Amphawa Floating Market
- King Rama II Memorial Park
- Chuchai Buri Sri Amphawa complex
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Damnoen Saduak Floating Market | Minivan from Victory Monument to Amphawa (15 min), then boat to Damnoen Saduak (≈ 30 min) | ≈ 2 h total |
| Ratchaburi town centre | Bus to Samut Songkhram, then songthaew (≈ 45 min) | ≈ 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Canal‑side boutique hotels
- Book a week ahead for weekend nights; walk to market.
- Local homestays
- Cheaper, often in traditional wooden houses near the market.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkŏr‑tôht |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkòp‑kun |
| How much is this? | อันนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่ăn‑níi raa‑kaa tâo‑rai |
| Can I have a receipt? | ขอใบเสร็จได้ไหมkŏr bai‑sèt dâi măi |
| Where is the bathroom? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhâwng‑náam yòo têe‑năi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Weekend market crowds create long queues—arrive by 13:00 for a smoother experience.
- Accommodation sells out on weekends; book early or stay in Samut Songkhram.
- Boat taxis are informal—agree price before boarding.
Generally safe; watch belongings in crowded market areas and negotiate boat fares up front.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Amphawa yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Amphawa Floating Market
- King Rama II Memorial Park
- Chuchai Buri Sri Amphawa complex
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Amphawa: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Amphawa, revision 5208407 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5208407
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/amphawa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.