Tha Kha Floating Market: a photo essay

The traditional floating market of Tha Kha draws buyers and sellers from all over the province of Samut Songkhram, Thailand, southwest of Bangkok. For over 100 years, the market – tha means pier, kha means stuck – has been a scene of vibrant bustle, a hub for traders selling mostly agricultural goods and items made within the community.

Bangkok-based photographer Athikhom Saengchai traveled to the Tha Kha market to photograph the mostly female vendors who sell goods on the water. He also captured other locals who cook food and make traditional products like baskets handwoven from coconut palm; coconut sugar; and miang kham, traditional one-bite snacks wrapped in leaves.

A local vendor wears a traditional hat made of nipa palm as she sells bananas in a boat at a floating market. — A local vendor wearing a traditional hat made of nipa palm leaves. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Two coconut bud stems, a knife and a broom made of the stiff midribs of coconut leaves at a traditional coconut-sugar house (left). An overhead view of a monk in saffron robes paddling a narrow boat (right). — Left: Two coconut bud stems, a knife and a broom at Tao Thai Doem 2, a traditional coconut-sugar house. Right: A monk from a nearby temple rows his boat to Tha Kha Floating Market to collect daily alms early in the morning. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet (2)

Coconut-palm weaver

Vipharat Rattanaphitak has been weaving coconut palms for over 30 years – a skill passed down from her mother. Originally, they mostly made wide-mouthed baskets, but have adapted to the times by making hats and cone-shaped covers used for keeping flies off of food.

Vipharat Rattanaphitakuses fronds from the coconut palm. She must wait until a tree is cut down to collect the fronds – for they cannot be dried beforehand. Rather, they have to be woven as they are harvested; otherwise, the fronds become too stiff to work with.

A weaver in their studio creating baskets from dried palm fronds. — Viparat Rattanapitak weaves baskets in various styles using coconut leaves at her Tha Kha Floating Market stall. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Once the weaving is complete, a coating of oil is applied to protect against mold and increase durability. Each product is handmade, requiring significant time and skill.

Currently, no one from the younger generations in Rattanaphitak’s family is continuing this craft, given the patience and dedication it requires. It seems that her generation may be the last in her family to carry on the tradition of coconut-palm weaving.

In another nod to changing times, Rattanaphitak now drives to the market instead of taking a boat, as she did before. The canals are often cluttered with trash or water hyacinth, making boat travel slow.

Fruit and vegetable seller

Another seller leaves her home at 4am and rows nearly 2 hours from Don Manora to the market, where she sells fruits and vegetables, some of which she grows herself. In the past, floating markets operated according to a tidal calendar known as nat kham: incoming tidal currents make paddling easier during the market hours, which concluded before the currents switched directions. Today, floating markets remain most active early mornings.

A close-up shot of a female vendor wearing a wide-brimmed hat at a floating market. — Somchai Laophan, a fruit and vegetable vendor at Tha Kha Floating Market. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Fresh produce including pandan leaves and bananas is placed on a narrow boat, ready to be sold at a floating market. — Locally grown pandan leaves, banana flowers and bananas on Somchai's boat, all to be sold at Tha Kha Floating Market. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Snack seller

Since shopping can make anyone work up an appetite, snack sellers are key part of the market scene. Shoppers can fuel up on bua loi (sticky rice dumplings floating in a warm, sweet coconut milk soup) or sticky rice filled with banana and taro. Soups flavored with nam phrik phao (a paste made from dried chilies, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, tamarind and palm sugar) are also popular.

A woman in a straw hat sits on a boat in a floating market selling snacks being heated on a grill. — Kloi Simueang sits on her rowboat with grilled sweet sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (khao niao ping). Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet.

An overhead view of a woman grilling food wrapped in banana leaves on a boat in a floating market. — Kloi Simueang grills sweet sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (khao niao ping) on her rowboat. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Traditional “boat noodle” seller

Perhaps nothing is as representative of floating markets as “boat noodles” (kuai tiao ruea), the noodle soup sold from small vessels. Here, a noodle vendor uses a family recipe and cooks over a charcoal stove – as she’s done for 50 years. Her business remains strong, and she believes the market will continue. Still, she worries that fewer young people will want to sell from boats, leaving mainly older vendors.

A female vendor on a boat, preparing food, smiles. — Khao Khachen sits on her noodle boat. She has been selling noodles at Tha Kha Floating Market for over 50 years. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

A close up of a female vendor preparing noodles on a small boat. — Khachen seasoning noodles with fish sauce on her rowboat. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Miang kham seller

Miang kham are traditional Thai snacks that contain a mix of sweet, spicy, sour and salty components. Common ingredients include roasted coconut, peanuts, ginger, lime, shallots, chili and dried shrimp; the final mix comes wrapped in wild betel leaves. Originally from Northern Thailand, miang kham are now found throughout the country, as well as Laos – and beloved everywhere for their big burst of flavor delivered in a small, tidy package.

Chilies and ginger provide the heat; a squeeze of lime adds acidity. Coconut and peanuts add crunch and texture, while a sweet-and-salty sauce brings all the seemingly disparate ingredients together.

Not all vendors at floating markets are on boats; some have set up stalls on land by the canals. While sellers on boats don’t have to pay fees, land sellers must pay to rent space, which varies by property owner.

A person prepares a sweet-savory snack from multiple ingredients. — Wanida Phngpit, a miang kham seller at Tha Kha Floating Market, prepares the traditional sweet-savory snack. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Khanom khrok (Thai coconut pancake) seller

Khanom khrok are little cakes made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and various sweet and savory toppings. Cooked in a hot iron mold, they have an outside that’s crispy – but the filling (which can include scallions, corn and taro) is soft, warm and creamy. This khanom krok vendor works in her garden during the week, cultivating coconuts to make the tasty hotcakes at the market on weekends.

A vendor pours batter into a mold to prepare pancakes. — Left: Somchit Tonueang makes traditional coconut pancakes (khanom khrok) for sale at Tha Kha Floating Market. Right: A close-up of the khanom khrok. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet (2)

An uncertain future

A woman in a brightly printed shirt looks into the camera aboard a boat in a canal. — Thanida Silueang, a former village chief of Tha Kha. She has been playing an active role in promoting the Tha Kha Floating Market for over 10 years. Athikhom Saengchai for Lonely Planet

Looking to preserve Thailand’s tradition of floating markets, this former village head established the weekend Tha Kha market with support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who helped by improving walkways and enhancing the canals to promote boat trading. Gradually, the market gained recognition as a tourist destination, generating income for the community.

However, as with many other floating markets, its long-term prospects are in doubt. The younger generation shows little interest in the meager living made from selling on the water; instead, they’re turning to land to seek higher-paying jobs. The current crop of vendors at the Tha Kha Floating Market consists mainly of older individuals who enjoy the atmosphere, meeting tourists and engaging with people. They mostly live nearby and don’t require much for their daily expenses.

As the number of boat vendors continues to decline, community leaders are hoping to encourage more young people to participate and preserve the way of life in Tha Kha.