The world's most dangerous market
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Imagine a train going right through a busy market filled with tourists and locals alike! We’re not kidding; it’s a moment you won’t forget.
Maeklong railway market
A marketplace with a working railway track through it.
If you’re driving from Bangkok to Hua Hin (which takes about 2.5 hours), make sure you schedule a stop in Maeklong Railway Market in Samut Songkhram, some 60km away from the capital. Locals call it Talad Rom Hoop Market, which translates to “Market Umbrella Pulldown” but tourists call it Scary Market (read on to find out why)
But if you look down on the road, you’ll realise that you’re actually walking on train rails! And when you hear a siren, it’s time to step back into safety and let the action unfold. One moment, locals are shopping for the vegetables; the next they are waiting patiently at the side while stall keepers are scooping up their baskets and boxes of goods with a rather lackadaisical attitude about the whole exercise.
Slowly, a yellow train makes an appearance! It’s a tight squeeze with the train travelling at about 15mph and a few inches away from your face. It barely touches the stall awnings and if stall keepers aren’t fast enough to pick up their goods, that’s OK as the train goes over a basket or two of fruits and vegetables along the way. And as soon as the train is gone, vendors start displaying their goods again and everything is back to normal,
Trains run through the market eight times a day from Ban Laem Station. So make sure you check the schedule so you don’t miss the train! And if you’re up for it, why not buy yourself a train ticket and be part of the action of going through the market as well
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With its unique architecture and red-and-cream pavilion, the Hua Hin Railway Station is one of the most photographed landmark. If you take a train from Bangkok to Hua Hin (which takes about four hours and cost roughly 300 baht for a non air-conditioned 2nd class ticket), this is your stop, which makes the long trip quite worthwhile.
