July 21, 2026
Wat Bang Kung Temple was a quick stop along the way to the Train Markets. What makes this unique is the Temple is completely enclosed by roots of four giant trees (a banyan, bodhi and others). From the outside, it looks like nature has swallowed the building. Inside the chapel is a golden Buddha image, that locals still visit to pray. It was quite active during our short visit there. The Temple dates back over 250 years and survived the Burmese invasion.
The grounds have hundreds of life size Muay Thai statues commemorating the martial arts training that once took place there.
The Train Markets at the Maeklong Railway Station started years ago when this area by the water was a huge farming and fishing community that sent there harvest into Bangkok via the train. Today the tracks are flagged by vendors selling all sorts of produce, fruits and souvenirs to tourist who come to see this occurrence, eight times a day, when the train squeezes past their stalls and they have to pull in their goods and awnings to avoid getting crushed, more by the tourist, then the Train! There is a warning horn well in advance of the entry and the train moves at a glacial pace. It was scorching hot at the 2:30 pm show, a mob scene and not terribly exciting to witness at all! Just another item off the list - that I would recommend skipping to anyone, in the future!
