Don Wai Market

Don Wai has traded on this bend of the Nakhon Chai Si river for over a century, and it is a food market first - a covered wooden structure on the bank packed with stalls, of which the signature is ped phalo, duck stewed in a five-spice and soy broth until dark and tender, sold whole or by the piece and eaten with rice or noodles. Around it are fruit from the orchards this district grows, Thai sweets, dried and preserved food, grilled river fish, and a large number of stalls selling snacks to take home, which is what most of the Bangkok visitors come for. The other half is the boats: converted rice barges run cruises up and down the river from the market, typically two hours with a buffet on board, past temples and riverside houses. It is busy at weekends with Bangkok families and quieter midweek. The market is a daytime operation and closes in the late afternoon.

What you actually see

• The stewed duck - ped phalo in five-spice broth, the market's signature.
• The wooden market - a covered structure on the riverbank, over a century old.
• The barge cruises - converted rice barges running the river with a buffet.
• The orchard fruit - produce from the surrounding Nakhon Pathom growing district.

When to go

November to February. Weekends bring Bangkok families and the full range of stalls; weekdays are quieter with fewer open. It closes in the late afternoon.

Honest expectations

A daytime market that shuts by late afternoon. Very crowded at weekends. The boat cruises are basic buffet trips rather than scenic journeys. Little English.

Nearby

The Rose Garden and Wat Samphran are close; Nakhon Pathom's great chedi is west.