Walking Ratchaburi's Old Town
Along the Mae Klong River

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Ratchaburi is a town plenty of people drive straight past on their way south without stopping. But once you walk through the old quarter by the Mae Klong River, you'll see there's far more to look at than you'd expect: old shophouses still trading as shops, a market that has done business since your grandparents' day, old temples facing the water, and a new wave of coffee shops bringing the old streets back to life. We've laid this route out as a loop so you don't have to keep backtracking.

Koh Yi Kee Old Market — the heart of the quarter

If you start anywhere, start at the Koh Yi Kee Old Market on Woradet Road, on the market side of the Mae Klong River. The name 'Koh Yi Kee' comes from Teochew Chinese and means 'by the water', which fits exactly, since this was once a row of timber houses pressed right up against the river. It has been a trading street alongside Ratchaburi for generations. These days it turns into an evening walking street lined with food stalls, snacks, old-fashioned sweets, and handmade goods.

The Old Town Ratchaburi — old warehouses turned community space

A few steps from the Koh Yi Kee market is The Old Town Ratchaburi, the new landmark that has breathed life back into the old quarter. It's a cluster of buildings and warehouses over a hundred years old, renovated with the original frames and walls kept intact, now opened up as cafes, restaurants, and shops. The mood is vintage: bare concrete walls, old timber, warm light, and the whole zone is fun to photograph as you wander. It opens daily from late morning, so it's a spot you can visit even on a weekday when the market isn't running yet.

Century-old shophouses and the stories along the street

The real charm of Ratchaburi's old town isn't any single check-in spot. It's walking along Woradet Road and the lanes around it, looking at the old shophouses still standing. Some belong to the Crown Property Bureau and keep their original character almost unchanged: timber doors, old shop signs, moulded plasterwork above the windows. Many still trade as pharmacies, gold shops, and grocery stores run for generations. Walk slowly and look up at the upper floors now and then, and you'll catch details that anyone driving past will never see.

• Woradet Road — the main street of the old quarter, with shophouses lining both sides, running continuously to the market and cafes.
• The Mae Klong riverside embankment — there's a walkway along the water with views of the boats and the far bank, breezy and cool in the evening.
• The small community lanes — try turning into a side lane and you'll find old timber houses and the real daily life of the neighbourhood.

Riverside temples worth stopping for

Ratchaburi's old town has always sat along the river, so its important temples face the water. They're all a short walk from the market quarter.

Cafes on the Mae Klong — watch the river drift by

Ratchaburi is a cafe town Bangkokians love driving out to, especially the spots right on the Mae Klong River where you can sip coffee and watch the water slide slowly past. Several are within walking distance of the old quarter.

Coffee around here mostly runs about 60–90 THB a cup, and cake slices about 70–120 THB, no more than a Bangkok cafe, but with a river view and old-town atmosphere thrown in.

The dragon-jar city — the story that makes Ratchaburi, Ratchaburi

Say Ratchaburi and people picture the dragon jars — the brown-glazed water jars with dragon patterns that have been part of the town for nearly a century. It began around 1933 when Chinese craftsmen who'd migrated and settled here found that Ratchaburi's clay resembled the clay of their homeland and was well suited to pottery. They set up jar kilns that grew into the province's signature product. As you walk through town you'll see dragon jars set out as photo-friendly landmarks in several corners.

Ratchaburi National Museum

Within the old quarter is the Ratchaburi National Museum, housed in the former provincial hall. The building itself is fine old architecture worth a look. Inside it tells the story of Ratchaburi from the Dvaravati era, its pottery, and the way of life of the Thai Song Dam people and other ethnic groups in the province. Entry is cheap, and it makes a good stop before or after the market to understand the town a little more.

A real half-day on foot — the route we'd take

Getting there and walking it comfortably

• Private car — from Bangkok take Phetkasem Road, about 100 km, an hour and a half. Park near the old provincial hall or by the market and walk from there.
• Van / coach — vans run from the Southern (Sai Tai Mai) terminal to Ratchaburi all day. Get off in town and walk, or take a motorcycle taxi into the old quarter.
• Train — the Southern Line passes Ratchaburi station. Get off and take a short ride into town. Good for anyone who enjoys the train atmosphere.
• All on foot in the old quarter — the market, cafes, and temples are all within walking distance. Wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella or hat for the afternoon sun.