We began the day at Damnoen Saduak floating market, about 100km south-west of Bangkok, finding our way through the crush of boats loaded with fruit and local crafts. The floating market is busiest early in the morning.
Then it was on to Bangkok to get ready for New Year’s Eve. We saw the new year in on board an Alangka river cruise, watching fireworks light up the city skyline from the deck.
Good to know
- Damnoen Saduak: the floating market is about 100km south-west of Bangkok and is busiest between 7am and 9am, so go early. It winds down by lunchtime. Tourism Authority of Thailand
- New Year on the river: Bangkok’s official countdown fireworks have been held on the Chao Phraya at ICONSIAM in recent years, so a river cruise is a good way to see them. Book well ahead. ICONSIAM
- Alangka cruises: dinner cruises still sail most evenings from Asiatique.
We checked these details in October 2026. Times, prices and rules do change, so it’s worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.