South of Bangkok & beyond: January 2009

I have read of a market in Samut Songkhram along a railway line, where vendors scramble each time to clear the way for a train's passage. Having passed through the town a dozen times, it never occurred to check it out until recently.

Well, it must be within the heart of the town as a market and not difficult to locate once you find the road crossings. It turn out to be a short walk from Wat Ban Laem & the street foods I often stop by for.

Market stores indeed line up their goods right to the edge of the railway line. Prefab slabs were laid over the gravel to serve as walkways. But how could a train pass through such a narrow market alley even at 1/2 normal speed? Well, the other end of the market is the railway station, so the train would slow to a halt 200m away.

Canopies are stretch over supported by poles to provide shelter from the weather elements

There wasn't a train passing during my stopover, only to witness 4 men delivering a refrigerated steel store along the tracks.

Stopping to take a break - it must be pretty heavy.

Up it went again down along the tracks.

I reckon thousands of tourists must have been here before and surely photos posted on the internet. Samples from Google search:
A vendor raised the pole to retrieve the canopy...