Ratchaburi Province Guide: History, Towns and Local Products
For many visitors Ratchaburi means one thing: the floating market of Damnoen Saduak, where women in straw hats paddle boats full of fruit and noodles. But the province also has one of Thailand's best-known pottery traditions, the glazed dragon jars fired in the kilns of its provincial town.
This guide looks at the canal, the kilns and the older Dvaravati past, tours the ten districts from the Mae Klong River to the Tenasserim hills and lists the products the province sells. There is also a short section for producers who want to sell online.
Ratchaburi
Floating Markets and Dragon Jars
A province west of Bangkok where boats still sell fruit on a canal dug for a king, and kilns still fire jars painted with dragons.
By the SnapSellGo Thailand Desk · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Made in Ratchaburi
Specialities of Ratchaburi. Makers from the province are setting up shop.
Placeholders for now, showing what Ratchaburi is known for. Listings from local producers will replace them.
Why Ratchaburi lives on canals and kilns
Damnoen Saduak is named after its canal, dug from 1866 on the orders of King Mongkut to link the Mae Klong and Tha Chin rivers. Farmers settled along its banks, and the boat market that grew up there is now one of the most photographed places in Thailand.
In town, Chinese potters began making large glazed water jars in the 1930s, decorated with dragons. The ong mangkon, or dragon jar, became a symbol of the province. Much older is Khu Bua, a Dvaravati town with brick temple foundations, and to the west the hills of Suan Phueng rise towards the Myanmar border.
Damnoen Saduak
A floating market on a canal begun in 1866.
Dragon jars
Glazed jars painted with dragons, fired in Ratchaburi kilns.
Khu Bua
The remains of a Dvaravati town.
Suan Phueng
Hills and forest on the way to the Myanmar border.
How Ratchaburi came to be
Ratchaburi's past runs from a Dvaravati town to a royal canal and a Chinese pottery trade.
- 7th–11th centuryKhu Bua is a town of the Dvaravati culture.
- 1866Work begins on the Damnoen Saduak canal, ordered by King Mongkut.
- 1930sChinese potters start making glazed dragon jars in Ratchaburi.
- TodayDamnoen Saduak is one of Thailand's best-known floating markets.
Ten districts from the Mae Klong to the hills
Ratchaburi has 10 districts and about 870,000 residents. These are the ones visitors meet first.
| District | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Mueang Ratchaburi | The dragon jar kilns and the Mae Klong riverside. |
| Damnoen Saduak | The floating market and the canals around it. |
| Suan Phueng | Hills, Karen villages and resorts near the border. |
| Photharam | Khao Chong Phran, where bats leave the caves at dusk. |
| Ban Pong | A market town and rail junction in the north. |
Festivals and seasons worth planning around
Ratchaburi is busiest in the mornings and in the dry season. Plan with these in mind.
Local specialities and the OTOP programme
OTOP labels a product by the tambon, or sub-district, that makes it, and in Ratchaburi the best known is the dragon jar, a glazed stoneware jar once used to store water and now made in every size, from garden pots to small souvenirs.
The orchards around Damnoen Saduak grow fruit, including grapes, pomelos and coconuts, and the canal markets sell them fresh along with coconut sugar and local sweets.
Looking to buy? The carousel above fills with real items from Ratchaburi as local makers list them. Selling? SnapSellGo takes no cut of your sales.
Short on time? Damnoen Saduak at dawn. Into crafts? A dragon jar kiln in Mueang Ratchaburi. Love nature? The bat flight at Khao Chong Phran. Buying local? A small glazed dragon jar.
Good to know before you go
Where is Damnoen Saduak floating market?
In Damnoen Saduak district of Ratchaburi, about two hours west of Bangkok. It is busiest early in the morning.
When was the Damnoen Saduak canal dug?
Work began in 1866 on the orders of King Mongkut, to link the Mae Klong and Tha Chin rivers.
What is a Ratchaburi dragon jar?
A glazed stoneware jar decorated with dragons, first made in the province by Chinese potters in the 1930s. It is a symbol of Ratchaburi.
What is Khu Bua?
The remains of a Dvaravati-period town in Ratchaburi, with brick temple foundations and finds displayed in local museums.
Sources: Wikipedia entries for Ratchaburi province, Damnoen Saduak floating market, Damnoen Saduak canal, Khu Bua and dragon jars (ong mangkon). Most festivals follow the moon, so their dates change from one year to the next. Cover photo: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market by Niwat Tantayanusorn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.