Exploring Chiang Khan Walking Street, the Hidden Vintage Night Market
Chiang Khan Walking Street is a popular attraction for Thais who want to escape the city.
Chiang Khan is a district bordering on the beautiful Mekong river located in the Loei province of Northern Thailand. I recently took a 4 day trip there with the intent of exploring the old town’s walking street (also known as Chai Khong Road).
There aren’t many things to do in Chiang Khan, but in the list of the few things that there is to do, taking a leisurely stroll down this 1km road is at the top of that list. That and taking a short trip to Chiang Khan Skywalk.
Settling in
After a grueling 8 hour drive (yes I chose to drive all the way from Bangkok to Chiang Khan…), I was ready to lay on the hotel bed and close my eyes.
By the way, unless you really like driving, don’t drive the 600km from Bangkok to Chiang Khan. I only did so because I planned stop at a couple of provinces along the way. It’s a little difficult to get to Chiang Khan as it’s in a remote part of Thailand. So if you are planning a trip there, I recommend checking out my article on how to get to Chiang Khan.
Anyways, back to settling in.
Chandra Varin Hotel
A charming little hotel.
The hotel that I stayed at was Chandra Varin Hometel, a cozy little guesthouse. The whole building is in the same style as the rest of the architecture of this area. A nice addition is the little communal table out front where you can sit down and eat any food and drinks you bought from the night market. If you are looking for more accommodations or would like to splurge on a luxury hotel then check out my article on the Top 5 Best Accommodations in Chiang Khan.
The rooms are basic but it gets the job done.
The room itself was good and has all the basic amenities you need. I will say that the mattress was a bit hard, sleeping was fine but not the best.
A little story, on my second night here, there was (what I assume) an old man in the neighboring building that was making weird shouting noises all night, maybe he was crazy or high on drugs… That night I kept being awoken by this man’s shouting. Other than that this hotel was fine.
An Overview of Chiang Khan Walking Street
The old wooden buildings are very charming, giving this place a lot of character.
From here I’ll be interchangeably referring to Chiang Khan Walking Street as Chai Khong Road as it is the actual name of this street.
Chai Khong road is completely different to the loud and crowded markets you’d find in Bangkok or Phuket. Comparing to the infamous modern and hipster Jodd Fair Market, Chai Khong Road is much more relaxed and quiet.
Not many foreign tourists come here as well, you’ll mostly see Thai tourists who took a weekend trip here to escape the stresses of the city.
At both ends of the street you will find traditional Thai temples where the you can give merits. These will play a big role in the traditions of this road later on.
Old Wooden Architecture
I wonder how long these buildings have been here for?
Every single building, guest house, café, restaurant, etc… are all made out of wood. That’s because it is what it is, Chiang Khan Walking Street stands as a reminder of the past when things were more simple, when globalization and international commerce didn’t have a drastic effect on the way people live.
The old wooden architecture gives this road it’s signature charm and as mentioned before, this leads to the area having this slow, relaxing, and peaceful nature where you can forget about all the troubles and stresses of your city life.
The Views of the Mekong River
When the sun is starting to set, the atmosphere is just immaculate.
Step into one of the many tiny alleys and you’ll end up on another street that stretches the entire walking street. But the special thing about this street is that one side of it is open to the beautiful Mekong River.
Chiang Khan Walking Street is is situated directly next to the Mekong River. This means that many cafés and guesthouses are conveniently located right on the riverbank to give you a gorgeous view of the calm flowing water as well as the plains of Laos on the opposite side.
Cycling Along the Street
At this point you might be thinking something along the lines of “That sounds like a lot of walking…”. Well, yes. The walking street is fairly long and will take you quite a bit of energy to walk from one end to the other.
But one saving grace is that there is a convenient way to traverse Chai Khong Road’s many twists and turns.
Bicycles
Conveniently, the main way to get around here (aside from walking) is renting a bike. Many hotels and guesthouses offer bicycle rentals for free, all you have to do is ask the staff at the front desk.
This will make navigating the narrow streets and alleyways a little easier.
Rod Song Thaew - Pick Up Trucks
Although not directly related to the Walking Street, you can find a number of pick up trucks that can get you to various tourist attractions. The ones you see around the walking street are more like Tuk Tuks rather than trucks.
You’ll often hear the driver advertising a popular attraction in the area, The Chiang Khan Skywalk. A glass bridge sat atop a mountain overlooking the Mekong river.
Plentiful Cafes
This particular café has a great seating area at the back with a great view of the Mekong river.
Of course, you can’t have old town vibes without having cafés. They just go together so well like bread and butter.
It’s no surprise that for such a chill area there are many cafés, and I mean many. I swear you can’t take 10 steps without encountering another café. It’s not a bad thing no, every café is decorated with their own unique theme. I found one decorated with all sorts of vintage retro UK and US paraphernalia.
The northern parts of Thailand are known for great coffee and in Chiang Khan Walking Street that is no exception. As Arabica coffee beans are grown in this region, you’d be really missing out if you didn’t take a moment to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the many cafés here.
If I had more time, I would definitely devote an entire day to just exploring all the different cafés in Chiang Khan Walking Street.
You might notices that all of these places serve Kai Krata or fried egg in a skillet, of Vietnamese inspiration. This is a signature dish in this region and it is eaten for breakfast along with bread.
Kai Krata is like a jacked up version of the classic sunny side up eggs.
It’s essentially 2 fried eggs topped with Vietnamese and Chinese sausage as well as some minced pork. Splash on some black pepper and soy sauce and you’ll have a hearty protein filled breakfast to start off your day with a smile.
Dip a piece of toasted bread into the egg yolk and oh my… Heaven.
You NEED to try it when you come to Chiang Khan. Or not necessarily Chiang Khan, any part of northern Thailand will do. It’s like a staple dish there.
The Vibrant Night Market Scene
A lot of colorful things that catch your eye.
When the sun sets and the vendors start setting up their stalls, this is when Chiang Khan Walking Street starts to come alive. You’ll find numerous shops and stalls selling clothing items, foods, and trinkets.
A fun little thing is, while strolling along the street I noticed some people holding bottles of beer wrapped in paper bags, some even had straws coming out of them. Further exploration led me to discover that some stalls will sell you beer by the bottle for you to casually sip on while walking.
There are also quite a few performers who will come out and play live music and or dance. I even came across this little young girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, who was singing beautifully and playing on her guitar.
Combined with the warm orange lighting and the clear night sky, the environment is absolutely beautiful and it feels like you’ve been transported 40 or 50 years back in time.
Street Food Stalls
Unfortunately, there aren’t many street food carts or stalls here.
Of course you can’t forget about the food stalls, no Thai market is ever complete without an aunty selling tantalizing foods on the aside of the street.
These little shrimps are sold at almost every street food stall.
One thing you’ll see plenty of are little shrimps impaled on a skewer, these things are popular in Chiang Khan Walking Street and I recommend you give them a try when you come across one. They come in different sizes and the taste is salty, brine-y, shrimp-y, and meaty.
The vendor will ask you if you would like it to be dipped in Thai seafood sauce, if you like sour and spicy then go for it.
Vibrant yellow, these squids will definitely make you stop and take a look.
I’ve come across this vendor selling huge pieces of squid, my advice, avoid the small ones on the bottom row. It’s pieces of squid combined with lumps of gelatinous squid cartilage. It tastes awful, partly due to the texture being so nasty. Not sure if the one I got that day had been sitting out in the sun too long, even Thai seafood sauce could not save it.
In these parts of Thailand, Khao Jee is definitely my go to snack.
Another favorite street food snack around the northern regions of Thailand is Khao Jee which are sticky rice patties dipped in egg and grilled over charcoal. This one is simple but I very much enjoy it. You can pair it with other dishes just like normal sticky rice as well.
Clothing and Souvenir Shops
Old fashion is modern fashion.
Much like other markets in Thailand, you’ll find an assortment of apparel on offer at the various stalls in Chiang Khan Walking Street, from tote bags, dress, hats, and even sunglasses. What’s cool here is unlike in the city, these items are retro and vintage in design.
I’m not a big fashion person myself so I didn’t care much for it. But if you like clothing then there are plenty of shops selling t-shirts with vibrant designs for you to check out
In addition there are also many stalls selling trinkets made out of wood, such as utensils and phone stands.
Morning Alms to Monks
Another highlight of Chiang Khan Walking Street is that every morning at around 6am, monks from the nearby temples would walk through the street collecting alms.
Almost every hotel will provide guests with baskets of items to so that the guests can partake in this event. In a way, it is really eye opening to be part of this little event.
As the monks walk by in the early morning breeze, You’ll appreciate all the simplicities of life.
And that is what makes Chiang Khan’s Walking Street so engaging and attractive in the first place. To able to enjoy the simple and quiet pleasures of life.
Details about the Walking Street
Chiang Khan Walking Street is open throughout the day but really picks up in activity at around 5pm onwards. The shop keepers will close their stores at 10pm.
There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and clothing stalls for you to enjoy. The highlight being the chill atmosphere.
Location: VMW6+R8Q, Chai Kong, Chiang Khan, Chiang Khan District, Loei 42110
Looking for Things to Do in Chiang Khan?
Chiang Khan Walking Street - Take a stroll down memory lane in this vintage walking street
Chiang Khan Skywalk - Inch your way through this see-through glass bridge
Phu Thog - Hike up the Phu Thog mountain and enjoy the scenic views of the Mekong River
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price
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