Visit Maeklong Railway Market by Rental Car in Bangkok
- Sanra Refira
- Aug 4, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 29, 2023
The beach and the mountains are great places to spend your holiday, but what about the view from the motorway? If you need a shortcut and have no intention of packing a swimsuit or a warm coat, then I suggest you take your friends out of town by car. Fortunately, as an ASEAN citizen, you can use your home country's driving licence in Bangkok. However, if you are the kind of person who likes to drive like a local, I would recommend getting an international licence. First and foremost, you need to know if there are any special rules that only apply in that country. In Jakarta, there is the odd-even traffic rule. It's a rule where vehicles with odd number plates are only allowed during rush hours on odd calendar days, which is what happens to even numbered days. There are no such rules in Bangkok, but look out for the colour of the kerb. If you find it, red-white means no parking or no stopping. Yellow-white curbside means you are allowed to drop off for temporary loading or at least turn on your hazard lights, and black-white means you can stop or park if there is only a parking line. The same rules apply to the rest of the roads.
Language has always been an obstacle when it comes to complicated issues. It took me 45 minutes to rent a car. I spoke directly to the owner on the phone and then she handed the phone over to talk to her staff who were in front of me. I hired an automatic Nissan Almera for ฿1298, optional insurance ฿200 and a deposit of ฿5000 (which will be returned if you return the car in perfect condition). Check every nook and cranny of the car and take some pictures of any dents before you use it to avoid a false claim, check the lights, rear view mirrors, fuel level and what type of fuel is in the tank. If everything is perfect, then you are free to explore.
I went to the infamous Maeklong Railway Market in Samut Songhram. It was about an hour and a half to two hours from Bangkok. In such a short time from the city, there are big differences and it turns out that Bangkok is one of the cities that has a big economic gap. I went there without using a motorway, but it looked like a motorway, the only difference being that motorcycles are allowed. I was surprised because the minimum speed of four or more wheels must be 80 km/hour, but there is a special place for motorcycles passing, which I think was dangerous. This explains why Thailand ended 2017 with the title of "country with the highest road death rate" in a World Atlas report by Coconuts Bangkok. The flyover U-turn caught my attention because in Jakarta, the U-turn is usually an underpass. I can say that Bangkok's traffic jams are much worse than Jakarta's because their red lights take an average of 150 seconds, while in Jakarta it takes less than 60 seconds. However, the Thais have more patience. They always form a queue when there is a traffic jam. They queue neatly in the middle of traffic, even for motorbikes. They don't honk for a second because it shows disrespect to others, even if it's not their fault. In my driving experience in Jakarta, people always honk in every situation, along with a bad attitude if it makes your emotions go crazy. Well, psychosocially, the hour-long traffic makes you angry.
A short story about Maeklong Market, it was the same market as others but what makes it special is that it is right next to the railway. When the train comes, people quickly fold up and move their goods away from the railway and the train passes through normally with the very minimum speed. I could say that I was 15 centimetres away from the wagon. I think it was dangerous because it is possible for an irresponsible person to do something violent to the railway. But I still suggest you go there if you happen to be in Bangkok because it was a remarkable experience. A little advice, make sure you know the train schedule and find the best places to enjoy the view. Choose wisely where you want to enjoy the view. Do not stand right in front of their merchandise because they can throw you away. I suggest you choose a place to eat about an hour before the train departs or arrives. You can enjoy Thai food while watching the train go by. I had Pad Thai for ฿60 and coconut ice cream for ฿50. We returned to town in the afternoon. Before you return the car, you need to fill up with petrol. In Bangkok there are Esso, PTT, Shell and Caltex and my rental car uses type 91 petrol. It cost ฿455 for your 17 litres. Without any dents, my ฿ 5000 was returned the next morning.
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