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= Floating markets in Thailand =  Floating market TH(talātnām) EN(floating market) FR(marché flottant) is a marketplace where goods are sold from boats. The floating markets are well supported locally and mainly serve as tourist attractions. One of their purposes is to allow domestic visitors and international tourists to be able to experience the culture of riverside shopping.

History of Thai floating markets (origins).
In the past the areas adjacent to the rivers were the first to be populated. Thus most communities of Thailand  were built at the sides of rivers. The waterways served as means of transportation and the center of economic activity as well. Boats were mainly used for both local and regional trade, bringing goods from those that produced to those that could barter and trade. Such ways of life of the riverside communities, especially in the Chao Phraya River Basin increase number of floating markets. Floating markets became the hubs of the communities in the central plain of Thailand for centuries. In the Ayutthaya  Period (1350-1767) due to the existence of several adjoining canals, which were suitable for trading, they helped to gain popularity for this type of market. Early in the Rattanakosin  Period (1782-1868) this kind of market was still lively with the crowds. Nonetheless, soon after the region grew and Bangkok began to develop, road and rail networks were increasingly constructed in place of the canals. This resulted in people chose to travel by land instead of by water. Therefore, some of the floating markets were forced to move onto the ground, some were renovated and some were closed down.

Produce and fruit
bnail]] Ideally, floating market’s produce and fruit are normally grown from the nearby gardens or from the local orchards. Such produce are the assorted tropical fruits and vegetables like rambutan, mango , pineapple , dragon fruit , mango , star fruits, fresh  coconut and  durian.

Dishes(food)
Local dishes are cooked and prepared by the vendors from their floating kitchens located right on their boat. They offer variety kinds of food ranging from traditional Thai meat to vegetarian dishes like papaya salad  (Som tum). Boat noodles and traditional Thai dessert (Khanom wan Thai) such as  mango sticky rice  and coconut rice dumplings (Khanom krok) are also available for tasting.

Products
There are hundreds of locally produced merchandise that are available for purchasing and bargaining. The following merchandise are:
 * Handicrafts
 * clothes
 * Conical hats
 * Crafted candles
 * Thai silk
 * Post cards
 * Paintings

Social
Floating markets play an essential role in tourism industry.They help to promote and preserve the cultural characteristic and heritage of floating markets that have existed for centuries. Furthermore, the development of infrastructure and public utilities like electricity and water supply due to the increasing number of tourists also made locals’ lives to be more convenient and comfortable.

Economic
Economically, floating markets help to improve the standard of living by generating jobs, creating the income and also the employment opportunities to local people directly. For instance, locals work as hotel staff or tour guides. Moreover, the plentiful resources within the communities can be used by the locals to produce souvenirs or dishes for sale. As a result, these can benefit communities by providing more funds to further develop them.

Amphawa floating market
 Amphawa floating market  is not as large as Damnoen Saduak floating market but it is more authentic, with visitors almost exclusively Thais. It is an evening floating market but some stalls are opened at noon too. The market operates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1600 to around 2100 hrs. It is in amphawa district,  Samut Songkhram Province  (72 km from  Bangkok ). Moreover, due to its popularity, the food stalls have grown from the riverbanks and stretched far into the surrounding buildings. Another popular activity in Amphawa District  is to take a boat and watch the flickering  Firefly  at night, especially in the waxing-moon nights.

Damnoen Saduak floating market
 Damnoen Saduak floating market  in Damnoen Saduak District   is undoubtedly the largest and most well known floating market among Thai and foreign tourists. It is located in Ratchaburi Province, about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok. The market is open everyday from around 06.30 to 11.00 hrs but the best time to visit is in the early morning. The Floating Market is crowded with hundreds of vendors and purchasers floating in their small boats selling and buying agricultural products and local food, which are mostly brought from their own nearby orchards. It is a very attractive place for tourists to see the old style and traditional way of selling and buying goods.