Exploring Ban Mai 100-Year Market: Thailand’s Hidden Riverside Gem

The Ban Mai 100-Year Market (also known as Talat Ban Mai or Baan Mai Riverside Market) is a historic riverside market located in Chachoengsao Thailand, along the west bank of the Bang Pakong River on Supakit Road.

It is renowned for its preserved antique wooden shophouses and traditional Sino-Thai architecture, offering a glimpse into Thailand’s early 20th-century community life. The market features over 120 wooden shophouses and stalls, many of which are two-story structures built facing the river, creating a labyrinthine layout that evokes the charm of a bygone era.

It is particularly famous for its waterfront setting, where visitors can enjoy riverside dining, boat rides, and a vibrant atmosphere filled with local vendors selling souvenirs, handicrafts, fresh produce, and street food. The market is open primarily on weekends and public holidays, making it a popular day-trip destination from Bangkok. It has become a hub for cultural tourism, attracting history enthusiasts, foodies, and filmmakers due to its authentic, unaltered appearance.

The old-style homes and shophouses date back to the reign of King Rama V (late 19th to early 20th century), with a unique traditional way of life influenced by Chinese settlers. The area feels like a living museum, with narrow alleys, wooden row houses, and a serene riverside vibe. It has been used as a filming location for Thai period dramas and movies, such as Yu Kab Kong (Life with Grandpa), Nang Nak, and Chao Sua Siam, enhancing its nostalgic appeal.

Stalls offer a mix of everyday items like Thai kitchen utensils, clothing, cheap plastic toys, local snacks, and souvenirs such as “Ban Mai” T-shirts and homemade soaps. While not always unique for Western visitors, it emphasizes local produce and handicrafts, supporting small enterprises.

The market shines as a street food paradise. Popular spots line the riverbank, serving affordable Thai specialties from local vendors.

Easily combined with visits to Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan (a famous temple with the revered Luang Phor Sothon statue), Khlong Khuean Ganesh International Park (known for its elephant-shaped island and Ganesh statue), and other Chachoengsao sites like the City Pillar Shrine or floating markets.

The market’s origins trace back over a century to the early 1900s, during the reign of King Rama V (Chulalongkorn, 1868–1910), when it was established as a bustling Sino-Thai settlement at the confluence of the Klong Ban Mai canal and the Bang Pakong River—a vital waterway for trade leading to the Gulf of Thailand. Chinese immigrant groups, including Hokkien, Chaozhou (Teochew), and Hakka communities, played a key role in its development, settling here for commerce via rowing boats, gondolas, and passenger ferries that dominated transportation at the time. King Rama V himself visited the area on January 25, 1907, underscoring its early significance as a prosperous trading hub for local produce, goods, and waterborne commerce.

By the mid-20th century (1904–1974), the market evolved as a core community center in Chachoengsao, adapting to changing times while retaining its wooden structures and riverside layout. However, as modern transportation grew, its prominence waned. In 2004, the Baan Mai Conservation Club was formed by local residents to preserve the site’s heritage, leading to a revival. With support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and government funding for small and medium enterprises, original shophouses were restored and reopened. This effort transformed the market from a fading local spot into a self-sustaining cultural attraction, emphasizing tourism while maintaining trade in local goods. Today, it stands as one of Chachoengsao’s oldest communities, celebrated for its “living history” and distinct antique allure that sets it apart from more modern Thai markets.

This market offers an enriching, affordable escape into Thailand’s cultural past, blending history, food, and community in a picturesque riverside setting.

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