Where are the floating markets in bangkok area?

i'll be staying at a hotel in the phnom pheng (soi 29) station. and i was wondering how to get to the floating market?...what time should i leave in order to make most out of it? and what happens when i get there? do i just walk on a sidewalk?...is there any operating booth there that can provide boat tours? if so, what's the cost? is it possible to get around there and purchase things/food through just english? will the vendors be ok with us taking pictures with them?...and how much would a cab ride from where im at to the floating market cost?...also, what would i tell the cab driver?

The floating market that most people go to is actually outside of Bangkok in Ratchaburi, about a 85 km drive from Bangkok. The best thing to do is to take a tour. Your find tour agents all over the city and at most major hotels. I recommend you take the floating market in the morning and then on the way back to Bangkok the stop at the Rose Garden for a traditional and cultural Thai performance. It is a combined tour. They will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off at the end of the tour. See below link

Hi Sharon, there are a few floating markets in Bangkok. The more popular one is at Damnoen Saduak, out in Ratchaburi and is an hour plus away by bus. Most tour operators starts from 7am to pick up visitors to head out of Bangkok. This floating market close at 12pm, so the morning window is the only available slot. Once there, you can walk along the riverside to take pictures, buy from the boat vendors below, or at the riverside stalls.If you want, there are small boats for hire to take you along the boat-vendors to get you close to them. Rate between 100-300baht, depending on the boat operator.

Usually people do this floating market with the Aprime Rose Garden Cultural Show as it is along the way, making this tour a full-day event. There you can have buffet lunch and watch animal performance and Thai traditional dances. The tour ends in the evening back in Bangkok.

The other floating markets are at Taling Chan and Don Wai. However they are not the same as Damnoen Saduak. The market only come to life at about 3pm in Don Wai and continues till evening. See the link for it:
http://www.bangkoksite.com/NakhonPathom/...

Some blogs on the floating market is below:
http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php?blog...

Have fun. Get a tour operator to arrange the trip for you, hustle-free.