Khoi Ki Old Market

Khoi Ki Old Market runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings on Voradet Road, a riverside street in Ratchaburi town that was once the province’s main trading artery. “Khoi Ki” is Teochew Chinese for “riverside” — the name for the row of shophouses that stood right against the Mae Klong bank when this was a working river port, shipping goods including Ratchaburi’s famous dragon-pattern ceramic jars downstream by boat. The current walking-street market, set up by the municipality to bring life back to the district, first ran in April 2009 and now operates weekly, 16:00–21:00. Entry is free.

Many of the shophouses lining the street date from the reign of Rama V through Rama VII — roughly the 1870s to 1930s — giving the market a genuinely old backdrop rather than a built-for-tourists replica. Stalls set up along the pavement and inside a few of the ground-floor units sell local snacks, grilled skewers, and Thai desserts alongside handicrafts and secondhand goods; it leans toward a relaxed local weekend market rather than a polished shopping strip, and a few reviewers note the goods are more everyday than the curated craft markets you’d find in Chiang Mai or Pai. A children’s art corner and foot-massage stalls round out the evening.

Watch out: the street is walking-only during market hours, so nearby parking fills quickly after about 5pm — arrive earlier if you want a close spot, or expect a short walk in from a side street.

Insider Tip: Go for the riverside setting and the food stalls rather than expecting a big shopping haul — the real draw is walking a genuinely old trading street at dusk with the Mae Klong beside you, not the range of goods on sale.

Most vendors take cash only, and comfortable shoes help on the uneven pavement sections. It combines easily with Wat Mahathat Worawihan or the Ratchaburi National Museum, both a short drive away in central Ratchaburi, if you’re building a fuller day around the weekend market rather than a single evening stop.