🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Trok Ban Chin sits inside Tak's municipal area, near Taksin Road on the same side as the Ping River. It started as a community of Chinese-descended merchants who traded by boat, linking Bangkok, Burma and the northern towns. When river trade faded, the lane went quiet with it — but the old wooden houses stayed, and recent restoration has made it pleasant to stroll again. It's a quarter for people who like a slow pace more than a crowded check-in spot.
Trok Ban Chin — old wooden houses by the Ping
The lane itself is narrow, with rows of houses in a mix of styles on either side — old Thai forms, Chinese designs, and Western-style buildings from the reign of King Rama V. Many belonged to the original merchant families and are still lived in, and a few are open as small heritage spaces you can step inside. Walking from one end of the lane to the other takes about 15–30 minutes if you don't stop for photos.
- The Chaiyanan family house — a two-storey wooden home with a lovely fretwork balcony, now used as a political party office with a small library. It's one of the most photogenic houses in the lane.
- The blue Sophanodon family house — a Western-style gingerbread wooden home in blue with white trim, once used to host visiting officials.
- Luang Borirak Prachakorn's house — a blend of Thai, Chinese and Western architecture, with plenty of old objects kept inside.
- Story boards along the lane — signs explaining the history of each house; read them slowly and you'll piece together how the quarter came to be.
The best time for the prettiest walk
Morning light from 08:00–10:00 and the late afternoon from about 16:30 onward give you soft light and less heat. Midday sun is harsh and the shadows of the houses fall hard. Come on a weekday and the lane is very quiet — you can wander and shoot photos without waiting for people to clear.
Want more out of Tak? Book tours & activities
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.
What to eat in the lane
Trok Ban Chin isn't a packed restaurant strip, but there are a few long-standing old shops to drop into as you walk, and the prices are still genuinely local.
Pad Thai Trok Ban Chin
An old-school pad thai shop in an old wooden house with around five tables. Soft noodles, an old recipe — pair it with noodle soup or wonton noodles if you like. It's the spot most people walking the lane end up stopping at.
Small cafes in the old quarter
Around the lane and along Taksin Road, a handful of wooden-house cafes open here and there — good for a rest after walking. They tend to open and close on the owner's schedule, so check the shop's page first if you're set on a particular one.
The Shrine of King Taksin the Great
A short way from Trok Ban Chin, along Charot Withi Thong Road, stands the Shrine of King Taksin the Great, set on a rise near the tourism office. This is the first shrine to King Taksin in Thailand. The building is a four-gabled pavilion enshrining a statue of the king slightly larger than life, seated on the throne with a sword laid across his lap, and a war-horse statue out front.
King Taksin was once the governor of Tak before he reclaimed the kingdom and founded Thonburi, so the people of Tak feel a deep bond with him. The shrine is both a place of worship and a spot with a wide view over the town, with a shady Twelve Zodiac Garden around it to sit and rest.
- Opening hours — daily, roughly 06:00–17:30. No entry fee.
- Dress — it's a place of worship, so dress modestly; avoid spaghetti straps and very short shorts.
- Offerings — there are stalls selling flowers, incense, candles and offering sets near the front of the shrine.
- Getting there — about 5–10 minutes by car from Trok Ban Chin, or you can fold it into the same route as the temples in town.
A half-day route through the old town
Trok Ban Chin + breakfast
King Taksin Shrine + the riverside
If you have a full day
Tak's old town only takes half a day. Walk Trok Ban Chin and the King Taksin Shrine in the morning, then move on to the temples in town or drive out to Bhumibol Dam in the afternoon — it makes a tidy single-day trip.
Want a full-day Tak itinerary? We've already laid one out.
See the Tak travel guide →