🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Ban Mai Market is a double-storey wooden shophouse market on the banks of the Bang Pakong River, dating back to the reign of King Rama V. You can walk straight through end to end, with the best food scattered in different corners — savoury dishes, sweets, old-school coffee, and produce straight from local orchards. The thing many people miss: the market is only fully open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (roughly 8am–5pm). On weekdays a few stalls open, but not the full lineup. If you're coming to eat properly, aim for a weekend.
Before you set off
Ban Mai Market is busiest from late morning to early afternoon, and several popular stalls sell out before 3pm. Try to arrive before 11am so you can try everything. Parking inside the market is limited too — on weekends, go early or park at Wat Sothon and continue to the market by local transport.
Day 1 — Eat your way through Ban Mai Market + pay respects at Wat Sothon
Century market + Wat Sothon + riverside dinner
Day one is about covering the market thoroughly and visiting the town's signature temple. If you arrive early and walk quickly, you might have time to squeeze in a riverside café before checking in — no need to rush yourself ragged. The fun of the century-old market is being able to wander at your own pace.
Book the activities in your Chachoengsao trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Food at Ban Mai Market you shouldn't miss
Pak mor steamed noodles
Thin steamed rice sheets wrapped around minced pork, topped with fried-garlic sauce. It's a Phanom Sarakham specialty you can find right here in the market — light enough to start a meal, and best eaten while it's still hot.
Hor jor rolls + pork-and-plum soup
Crispy-outside, soft-inside hor jor rolls are a staple of old Chinese markets, while the clear pork-and-plum soup is mellow with a gentle sourness — old-school dishes the market stalls have passed down for generations.
Egg-wrapped pad thai with river prawns
Pad thai folded in a thin egg wrap — some stalls use butterfly-pea egg for a striking blue colour — loaded with big river prawns from the Bang Pakong. A photogenic plate with bold flavour that earns its price.
Charcoal-oven egg cakes
Old-style egg cakes baked over charcoal, with a faint smoky aroma, crisp outside and soft inside. Made fresh and sold by the tray — far better eaten warm at the stall than taken home.
Old-school coffee at Pae Ia
A long-running coffee shop in the market, brewing traditional sock-filtered coffee. The wooden shophouse setting feels like time stopped — a good spot to rest your legs mid-crawl.
Fresh khanom pia pastries
Soft-crust pastries with a generous filling, made fresh in the market. Buy a few to snack on or carry home as a gift — several fillings to choose from, at friendly prices.
Fruit + orchard souvenirs
Chachoengsao is known for mangoes and seasonal fruit, much of it brought straight from the orchards — fresher and cheaper than what you'd buy in Bangkok. A great way to wrap up the trip is loading up on souvenirs.
Eat smart, don't fill up too fast
The market is longer than it looks. Buy small portions and share within your group so you can try more stalls without getting stuffed. Start with the salty savoury dishes, then finish with sweets and coffee.
Day 2 — Riverside café + last great stalls before heading home
An easy riverside morning, then back to Bangkok
If you only have a single day, just drop Day 2 and condense the main activities from Day 1 (market + Wat Sothon + riverside dinner) into one day — it makes a perfectly satisfying round-trip food trip from Bangkok.
Bang Pakong riverside restaurants for dinner
Chachoengsao's charm is being a town right on the Bang Pakong River, and come evening the riverside restaurants take centre stage — cool breeze, water views, and big river prawns. These are the spots locals and reviews bring up most often; pick one to book that fits your plan.
Ekkanek
A well-known Thai seafood restaurant in town. Crowd favourites are the big grilled river prawns and crispy lemongrass sea bass. Relaxed atmosphere, great for groups.
Ruen Rom Sai
A Bang Pakong riverside restaurant with a Thai Select award, offering an air-conditioned zone, an outdoor zone, and a floating raft section over the water — take your pick. Good for a long, leisurely dinner.
Mathurot Ruen Phae
A restaurant on a floating raft over the river, so you're genuinely sitting above the water with a classic river-town feel. Best for people who care more about atmosphere than flash.
Kin Lom Chom Pla 8 Riu
A much-reviewed riverside spot serving seafood and Thai dishes, with open river views. Good for photos and catching the breeze at sunset.
On reservations
At the popular riverside restaurants, the waterfront tables fill up fast on weekends. Call ahead and specifically ask for a riverside or raft table. Without a booking you may end up in the inner zone, where the view just isn't the same.
How to get there and plan it right
- From Bangkok — about a 1 hr 15 min drive via the motorway, or take the Eastern Line train to Chachoengsao station and continue to the market by songthaew or taxi.
- Best days to go — Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays, when the market is fully open. On weekdays a few stalls open but not the full lineup.
- Timing — arrive before 11am to try everything; several popular stalls sell out before 3pm.
- Parking — limited inside the market. On weekends, go early, or park near Wat Sothon and continue to the market by local transport.
- Budget — eating your way through the market runs about ฿200–400 per person; riverside dinner runs about ฿300–600 per person, depending on whether you order river prawns.
Want the full Chachoengsao guide — where to stay, eat and explore
See the Chachoengsao travel guide →