I stumbled upon this charming little place near Pattaya quite by chance while en route to Silver Lake from Soi Siam Country Club Road. The route took us through Huay Yai, and while passing through a little village named Ban Chak Ngaew my wife proclaimed there is a Chinese Walking Street here which we must visit.
Ban Chak Ngaew has a community of Chinese origin dating back more than 100 years. The “Walking Street” is the focal center of the village. The village and its Walking Street have actually been quite heavily promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
It was quiet when we visited during a midweek afternoon. The most obvious charm of the village was actually the people. And for the villagers, the highlight of their afternoon was the strangers from out of town.
If I told you we got a warm welcome at Ban Chak Ngaew, that would be a huge understatement. As soon as we entered Walking Street, we were greeted with joyful welcomes and the traditional Thai Wai and inquiries about where we came from. We were even given food completely free of charge and informed we must return on Saturday.
Ban Chak Ngaew is one of the friendliest places I have visited in Thailand. For that reason alone, I recommend you make a detour if you are passing that way. The best time to visit, though, is Saturdays between 10 AM and 8 PM when Walking Street hosts a weekly food market.
How to get to the Chinese walking street in Ban Chak Ngaew near Pattaya?
You can get directions using this Google map of the Chinese walking street in Ban Chak Ngaew, aka the 100 Year Old Chinese Market.
It’s one of the more off the beaten path places in Pattaya, but no need to worry if you don’t have your own transport; you can find details of cheap taxi booking apps in this getting around Pattaya guide.