Thailand attracts thousands of tourists from around the world every single year. The country has exotic beaches, grand temples, Michelin-star restaurants and more to explore. We recently came across one such tourist spot in Thailand that took us by surprise. It's a food market set on the railway tracks. You heard us. Referred to as Rom Hup Market, it is situated near Maeklong Railway Station in the Samut Songkhram province. According to the official website of Thailand Tourism, it is locally referred to as Siang Tai Market, which literally means 'life risking' market.
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Why Hoop Rom Market Is Called Life-Risking Market?
As per the Thailand tourism website, Hoop Rom Market is a common fresh market, selling seafood, vegetable, fruits, fresh and dried food, meats and other miscellaneous goods. It remains open 6.00 a.m. -6.00 p.m. Here, the stalls are attached to the Mae Klong-Ban Laem railway, "which is a short railway line running from and to Mahachai and Mae Klong".
The vendors at the market put out the canvas to prevent the extreme heat and sun rays. "The shelters stick into the railway where visitors walk and do their shopping. When each signal of the arriving train rings, chaos happens: vendors will rush to close their parasols and canvas, along with clearing all goods that will obstruct the coming train at a great speed," the website reads.
It further states that the vendors re-open the parasols and canvas once the train passes. While it is a common practice for the locals and the vendors, the tourists get amazed by the whole situation, the website adds.
Recently, a person named Erik Solheim, took to Twitter to share a clip of the market and how people disperse when a train passes. "Maeklong Railway Market, Thailand: a marketplace with a railway track through it," the caption reads.
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Watch the video clip here:
Maeklong Railway Market, Thailand 🇹🇭 a marketplace with a railway track through it 🛒@RebeccaH2030
pic.twitter.com/MDR3CkK6EL— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) January 23, 2023
The video went all over the internet, garnering almost 43k views and hundreds of likes, retweets and comments. "This is the original version of online shopping," a person wrote. Another comment read, "Growing up, we used to have this along the Railway line in Mushin. In fact, they sit and sell between the tracks. It is the railway horn that disperses them. I saw new guard rails when I went home recently and notices everywhere, which is good."
"Not really a positive feel...this is too dangerous and against the safety norms...", read a third comment.
How did you find this unique market setup in Thailand? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.