A train runs through crowded market in Thailand so closely that vendors have to pull back their awnings and shoppers step away from the tracks just moments before it arrives. Then, incredibly, the train squeezes straight through the middle of the market.
Great Big Story takes us inside the famous Maeklong Railway Market, where this extraordinary routine is part of everyday life. What looks like an ordinary bustling market can transform into an active railway within seconds.
The Entire Market Changes When the Train Arrives
For most of the day, the railway line looks more like a narrow shopping street than an active train route. Vendors display fruits, vegetables, seafood and other goods beside the tracks, while shoppers walk directly along the railway.
But when the warning sounds, everyone knows exactly what to do. Vendors quickly retract the awnings hanging above their stalls and move anything that might interfere with the approaching train.
Seconds later, the reason for all that preparation becomes obvious. The train moves directly through the market, passing astonishingly close to stalls, produce and people waiting beside the tracks.
Perhaps the most surprising part comes after the train has passed. Almost immediately, the awnings come back out, shoppers return to the tracks and the market resumes as though nothing unusual happened.
Why We Loved This Video
Seeing a train runs through crowded market in Thailand is one of those travel moments that almost looks staged until you realize this is a real railway and a real working market.
We especially love how calmly the vendors handle everything. To visitors, having a train squeeze past your produce from just a few feet away seems extraordinary. For the people working at Maeklong Railway Market, it’s simply part of the daily routine.
Colorful, chaotic and wonderfully unusual, this is exactly the kind of place that reminds you how fascinating everyday life can look in another part of the world.
