From barbequed chicken to foreign exchange you have it all here yet the format is not so familiar. It is organized around river canals.Damnoen Saduak floating market near bangkok is a place where you will see producers and buyers jostling in their rowing boats selling , buying and exchanging goods . Fresh vegetables and fruits are piled up on the boats as they move from place to place. This unique market place over time has turned into a major tourist attraction but if you observe closely you will still be able to see the pace of life of local people around this market.

In the 19th century the main canal was dug for irrigation of agricultural land in this province which was enhanced by a network of hundreds of small canals dug by farmers to connect their lands with the main canal. This network doubled up as an transporation system to take agricultural produce to Bangkok and nearby provinces. Even a few decades back Bangkok had a network of canals and was known as the Venice of the East . Now it is only paved road and Skytrain for Bangkok. So with crude oil touching USD 137 per barrel , even if Bangkok wants it will not be able to go back to its days of canals . I hope the community here and in other parts of Thailand will hold on to this format of vibrant market place and ecofriendly transport for some time to come.