Tha Kha Floating Market: Market Days, Hours & Tips

Tha Kha floating market is a small morning market in Amphawa district, Samut Songkhram, where villagers sell fruit, vegetables, Thai food and coconut sugar from rowboats. It opens only on certain days of the Thai lunar calendar, the 2nd, 7th and 12th, and by some accounts on weekend mornings, from about 6am to noon. Sources disagree on exactly which lunar days count, so check locally before you go. Day tours from Bangkok rarely include it; it works best as a morning add-on to a night in Amphawa. Our Amphawa floating market tours are the closest organized option.

Card headed Lunar Days 2, 7 and 12: Tha Kha trades from rowboats on set days of the Thai lunar calendar, from about 6am to noon

Where Tha Kha is

Tha Kha is in Amphawa district, Samut Songkhram, in the same canal country as Amphawa floating market and the Maeklong Railway Market. It is a small working village market, held in the morning on set days only.

When Tha Kha is open

Tha Kha follows the Thai lunar calendar. It is held on lunar days 2, 7 and 12, and the sources do not agree on more than that:

Wikipedia says only on those days of the waning moon, which would mean about three market days a month.
Other sources say on those days of both the waxing and the waning moon, which would mean about six market days a month.
Some sources add that it also runs at weekends, roughly from 6am or 7am until noon.

We could not settle the conflict, and we do not want you to arrive at an empty canal. Before you go, ask your homestay or hotel in Amphawa, or a local Thai contact, whether the market is on that morning. A Thai lunar calendar app or website will convert lunar days to dates, but local confirmation is safer.

Whichever day you go, go early. It is a morning market, from about 6am to noon, and the boats are busiest in the first hours.

What you find at Tha Kha

Tha Kha is a working rural market on a much smaller scale than Damnoen Saduak. Vendors sell from rowboats on the canal: fruit and vegetables from local gardens, cooked Thai food, and coconut (palm) sugar. It is a market for buying and eating, and the coconut sugar is the thing most visitors take home.

	Tha Kha	Amphawa	Damnoen Saduak
Market days	Lunar days 2, 7, 12 (plus weekends, by some accounts)	Fri–Sun	Daily
Time	Morning, about 6am–noon	Mid-afternoon to evening	Morning, about 7am–noon
Selling from	Rowboats	Mostly canal-side stalls	Boats and canal-side stalls
What is sold	Fruit, vegetables, Thai food, coconut sugar	Seafood, noodles, desserts, barbecue	Food and many souvenirs
Boat hire price	No reliable figure found	Firefly boats reported about 60–80 baht per person	Set per pier or operator, negotiated
On tours from Bangkok	Rarely	Often	Almost always

We found no reliable recent price for a rowing-boat ride at Tha Kha, so we do not print one. If boats are offered, agree the price and duration before you board.

How Tha Kha fits into a trip

Because Tha Kha is a morning market and Amphawa is an afternoon and evening market, the two fit together over two days. The natural plan is:

Arrive in Amphawa on a Friday or Saturday afternoon and spend the evening at the market, with a firefly boat if you like.
Sleep in Amphawa.
If the next morning is a Tha Kha market day, go early, then return to Amphawa or continue to the Maeklong Railway Market.

None of the tours on this site lists Tha Kha in its itinerary. It is a self-arranged add-on, and the simplest way to reach it is a driver or ride arranged through your accommodation in Amphawa. We do not have verified transport details or fares, so ask locally the evening before. Our where to stay page covers staying near Amphawa, and the Amphawa guide covers the evening market.

Amphawa district was among the areas hit by floods in October 2026, so check current conditions locally before traveling.

Tours near Tha Kha

If you want a guided day in the area and can skip Tha Kha itself, the featured Amphawa Boat Ride & Railway Market: Multi-Lang Private Tour is a private trip with hotel transfer and a guide in your language (English, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French or German). You board the train at Ban Kalong and ride into the Maeklong Railway Market, visit Wat Bang Kung and finish at Amphawa with a boat trip. It costs from $138 per person for about 7.5 hours, holds 5.0 from 39 reviews, and offers free cancellation (our review). It is an afternoon and evening tour, so it does not reach Tha Kha’s morning trading. Because it is private, you can ask the operator before booking whether any change to the route is possible, but do not assume it.

For a lower price, the shared Maeklong Railway & Amphawa Floating Market Day Trip runs Friday to Sunday from $44 per person, with a firefly boat included (our review).

Frequently asked questions

What days is Tha Kha floating market open?

On the 2nd, 7th and 12th days of the Thai lunar calendar. Sources disagree on whether that means the waning moon only or both halves of the month, and some add weekend mornings, so check locally.

What are Tha Kha floating market’s opening hours?

It is a morning market, from about 6am to noon. Arrive early for the busiest trading.

Is there a tour to Tha Kha floating market?

None of the tours on this site includes Tha Kha. Most visitors arrange it themselves while staying in Amphawa.

How do I get to Tha Kha floating market?

Tha Kha is in Amphawa district. The practical way is to stay in Amphawa and arrange a driver through your accommodation for the morning.

What should I buy at Tha Kha?

Coconut (palm) sugar, along with fresh fruit and cooked Thai food sold from the rowboats.

Ready to book?

The closest organized trips are the Amphawa floating market tours; pair one with a night in Amphawa, or see live availability.

Tha Kha Floating Market Guide

Amphawa Boat Ride & Railway Market: Multi-Lang Private Tour