Ayutthaya Floating Market, With A Tiger

Was it the Ayutthaya Floating Market?

This floating market just outside Ayuthaya, Thailand, was so remarkable, so odd, so strange yet delicious, that it needs its own little post, to keep it separate from the real world.

This place was crazy, annoyingly, I can’t remember the name, but if you’re in Ayuthaya, Thailand, you’ll probably come across it, it may just be called Ayutthaya Floating Market.

Don’t confuse it with the Ayuthaya Klong Sabua Floating Market and Water Theatre, which was shut when we were there. Maybe there is a genuine floating market in Ayutthaya, if so, we missed it, if you know please tell us, we’ll check it out next time.

What you get at this place is a totally man-made floating market, boats drift around on muddy waterways giving punters a ride. A series of vendors’ boats are tied up at the central floating food court. We had pad thai for four, seated on mats on the ground.

Before you get to the floating market part of the attraction, you pass through an area of sweet shops, amusements and trinket stalls. It’s all very modern, very clean. The place was packed with Thai school groups when we were there, it seemed to be far more popular with locals than with tourists.

The (Possibly) Drugged Tiger

There is also a collection of fairly sad-looking elephants waiting to give you a ride. It wasn’t great.

All this was OK, if a little cheesy, what really upset me was the tiger. You see these poor animals all over Thailand, and other parts of Asia, chained and kept in a tiny fake cave, lolling around all day so that we can take home a holiday photo.

Is it supposed to make us look brave?

Look at me fearlessly patting the semi-conscious tiger. Don’t think so.

Or is it a souvenir of the time we encountered one of the most beautiful animals in the world?

I see no beauty here.

PLEASE don’t go there, don’t hand over your money, it’s nasty and needs to be stopped.

Thankfully, this sort of thing is much rarer today.

The Best Bit About This Floating Market

While we were eating our pad thai, the kids noticed a commotion across the water. Men with swords. How exciting! so they took off to find out what was going on.

It turned out they were a very friendly bunch of men with swords, the actors from the show that was due to start, a dramatisation of the Siam Burma wars.

I can’t give you any more details, as it was all in Thai, but we sat through the whole show. It was quite remarkable.

There was a lot of rousing music and smoke, knife tricks and stage blood. Most of the show consisted of sword fights, we were sat in the front row and were showered with sparks each time swords clashed.

The children, being boys, loved it, kid heaven. Lots of snarling, grimacing and posturing. The actors were brilliant at what they did and seemed to take a shine to the boys, they posed for photos with them at the end and presented them with plastic swords of their own.

So, my suggestion for today is, go to this place, it’s interesting, entertaining and different. Stick around for the show, it’s great, these guys deserve a big tip, they were fantastic. It’s a different side of Thailand, less touristy and more touristy at the same time, if you know what I mean.  Isn’t it why we travel, to really get a feel for a destination? But could you do me, and the tigers a favor, please, please, please don’t support tiger abuse.

Thanks.

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