I had been hoping to visit a floating market while I was in Thailand but after doing a little research it seems that most if not all the floating markets are tourist orientated.

I have read a few posts that say the Damnoen Saduak is the best and least touristy but yet every guide book I pick up lists it as a tourist stop.

Does the traditional Floating Market still exist?? If so, how far must one travel to it?

But if the best option is to leave Bangkok at 5am to make it to Damnoen Saduak at the opening then so be it.

They are all touristy but Damnern Saduak can still be fun as long as you get there before the tour buses and leave when they arrive. I don't think you need to leave at 5AM however. if you leave at 6:30 or 7 you should be fine.

I agree. Happy Travels!

DS is very nice ...we leave bkk at 6:30 and you are fine...that is if you go by private car....you are a tourist after all??? so touristy??? you will love it...make sure you rent a small boat with a lady paddler and it is nice to be right down there in it...walk to the back of the market to get the cheapest lady driver...

Is the Market in Damnoen Saduak an actual functional market used by locals for daily produce and such or is the main commodity in the boats there postcards and tourist tshirts?

I am hoping the former rather than the latter!

We will also be in Chiang Mai. Are there such floating markets in the North as well?

I visited a floating market that was quite a drive south of Bangkok. Must have been DS. I think that glorialf described it well: touristy but can be fun. From my perspective, I thought it waste of time. Not total: the boat ride was enjoyable and the driver bought a couple of different fruits that I had never tried before. At least some, maybe most, of the souvenirs there can be had in Bangkok. The stuff would be in better condition in Bangkok; being outside in the heat and humidity, and under cover but still affected by rain, for weeks/months? takes it's toll.

If you are a shopper, it should probably be on your itinerary.

From there we drove to Kanchanaburi. On the way, we stopped at a place that sold hand carved teak wood furniture. The carving was being done right there. Beautiful pieces with price tags up to $18,000.

it is an actual market, but largely there for tourists...no local person would come there to do their shopping with thousands of tourists in the way...it does look authentic and steven spielberg is not there directing...it looks totally natural...i think the shopping is the same as in bkk...nothing much you want...

We went to Damnoen Saduak during our december trip. This was probably our only lousy day, well actually, half day. We were up early to be taken to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, 110 km southwest of Bangkok in Ratchaburi province. We stopped on the way at a house which was a coconut farm. This was specifically for tourists and we were encouraged to "buy products made of coconuts". We asked to leave and spent no more than 10 minutes.

It took about 2 hours by car to get to "the market". We passed through a town on the way which had it's own genuine outdoor market which looked local and interesting. I regret that we did not ask to stop. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is a tourist attraction that has been created to show tourists what the old, traditional lifestyle was for Thais who used to live, work, trade and shop on the river. These type of markets have become obsolete now. Many people find this day trip interesting. We found it to be staged, contrived and basically a waste of our time. Floating barges and boats filled with knock-off LV and Burberry, drinks in coconuts, little kids selling t-shirts and hats.

i have to chime in about the products for sale in the boats....unless something has changed in the last 10 months, 90% of the products for sale in boats were food related....on shore there are terrible stalls selling the usual tourist stuff, which is easily avoided....
everyone looks at things differently but i found this a worthwhile day....

i just took a 5X7 picture down from my wall of the market...i see about 35-40 boats in the water in this picture....every one has food stuffs in it or some have several people in them...not one has tourist products...FYI

Bob is right, most of the boats had food stuff and on the shore is where the tourist stuff is. My wife took an awesome pic of the floating market, lookd like something out of national geographic! its on our website, www.ajinterpreters.photosite.com
it was a cool place to see, but not sure if we would go again