The mouth of the river, where flowers bloom

By Ayush Madan 

The road leading to Pak Klong Talat

In a city locked in a constant state of metamorphosis, few things remain as well preserved as Pak Klong Talat (meaning river mouth market). Exploring this historic flower market in Wang Burapha Phirom will send you back in time to the pre-industrial era of Thailand. Allow me to set the scene. On the streets, you will see dozens of boats docked and trucks parked, dispatching a fleet of workers, each carting a trolley full of fresh flowers to their destined flower shop. From the giant warehouses spilling out into the streets, watch a hundred pairs of swift hands making garlands, icing fresh jasmine flowers, and crafting bouquets. Nearby, motorcycles stand at the ready, waiting to load up fresh roses and lilies to make their rounds for the day.

Yodpiman Flower Market

THE TIMELINE

From a floating market in the early 1800s, to a fish market in the early 1900s, the place has been a trading site for centuries. Today, the market is known for its fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables, appealing to consumers and wholesalers alike. It is most busiest during midnight and 6am, when flowers are brought in from neighboring provinces like Nakhon Pathom to places as far away as Chiang Rai. At the break of dawn, local florists come to stock their shops for the day.

While the produce here has been the same for 60 years now, the market has undergone major regulatory changes. As a local shop owner told me, in the past, there were only one or two lanes of traffic going through the road. Outdoor street vendors occupied almost the entire street selling phuang malai (flower garlands), jasmine, and marigold. Since 2016, however, all outdoor vendors were forced to move indoors. This has caused most of the market to be concentrated in the Yodpiman Flower Market, a warehouse with countless stalls all brightly lit and neatly stacked in rows. Outside, along the streets of Chakkraphet Road, are hundreds more flower and fruit shops.

A street side shop on Chakkraphet Road

THE SPIRITS OF OLD TOWN 

Phuang malai kept on ice to preserve freshness

The scale of the place becomes puzzling before you start to ask the right questions. How can so many different flower stands and shops exist alongside one another? Especially when most of them sell Dok Mali (Jasmine), orchids, and roses! The answer is that many of these garlands are not just for the living. In fact, many are for the spirits that inhabit the shrines and temples that are present in every street and soi in this city. 

Phuang malai, specifically, are offered to statues of the Buddha, placed at spirit houses to honor local guardian spirits or ancestors, or presented to monks. It is quite common to see phuang malai hanging in your taxi or other Thai vehicles, where they are placed as an offering to Mae Yang — a protective spirit who is believed to safeguard the vehicle and its passengers from accidents. Originating from Hindu-Brahmin influences, Phuang Malai are made with jasmine for its purity and marigold for its prosperity. The act of phuang which means binding together flowers signifies the bond between the giver and receiver. They are seen across Thailand as a symbol of respect, love, and good luck.

Overall, this market is more than a popular tourist destination, it is the lifeblood of the economy of this neighborhood, and a quintessential element of the flower supply chain to the whole city. Whether you are headed to a temple, going to meet your lover, or simply need something to hang in on your car’s rearview mirror, Pak Klong Talad has you covered. You can easily get here via the MRT to Sanam Chai station, or take one of the many BMTA buses that regularly service the area.

Pak Klong Talad

Chak Phet Road, Wang Burapha Phirom Subdistrict, 

Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week