# Tha Phae Gate and Chiang Mai's Old City walls > Tha Phae Gate is the eastern and best-known gate of Chiang Mai's moated, walled Old City. It was first built in 1296 when the city was founded; today's brick gate is a 1985–1987 reconstruction. Entry is free. The Sunday walking market starts here. Twenty minutes is enough, but it's the best starting point for a walk. Web page: https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/tha-phae-gate - City: [Chiang Mai](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai), Thailand - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - Opening hours: Open 24 hours; Sunday market in the evening - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — a public square - Sunday market: Sunday evenings — west from the gate along Ratchadamnoen Road - Reconstruction: Today's gate was rebuilt in 1985–1987 - Festivals: Songkran in April and Yi Peng / Loy Krathong in November, on the square - Where: The east side of the Old City, at the start of Tha Phae Road - Nearby: The Night Bazaar about 1 km east, Wat Chedi Luang 10 minutes west - Coordinates: 18.78775, 98.99324 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1296** — the gate was first built under King Mangrai, Chiang Mai's founder (source: English Wikipedia) - **Chiang Rueak** — the gate's original name, after a nearby village (source: English Wikipedia) - **1985–1987** — the municipality and Fine Arts Department rebuilt today's gate (source: English Wikipedia) - **Old photo** — with archaeological evidence, it guided the Lanna-style brickwork (source: English Wikipedia) - **Outer gate** — once stood further along the same road; it was demolished as the city grew (source: English Wikipedia) - **Ping River** — a trade route led from the gate to the river — hence its importance (source: English Wikipedia) - **Sunday** — the walking market on Ratchadamnoen Road starts here (source: travel guides) - **≈ 1 km** — to the Night Bazaar, east along Tha Phae Road (source: OSM) ## What is Tha Phae Gate? **Tha Phae Gate** is the eastern and best-known entrance to **Chiang Mai's Old City**, a square ringed by a moat and remnants of brick walls. It was first built in **1296**, when **King Mangrai** founded the city, and was then called **Chiang Rueak** after a nearby village. A trade route ran from the gate to the Ping River. The walls and gates were dismantled and rebuilt many times. Today's crenellated brick gate is a **1985–1987 reconstruction**: the municipality and the Fine Arts Department recreated it from historical records, archaeology and an old photograph. So it isn't original, but a faithful Lanna-style copy. ## The square, market and festivals In front of the gate is a large **square** where people feed pigeons, take photos and meet up. On **Sunday evenings** a **walking market** runs west from here along Ratchadamnoen Road — food, crafts, souvenirs and music, almost as far as Wat Phra Singh. The city's biggest festivals happen on the square: **Songkran** in April, with water fights along the moat, and **Yi Peng / Loy Krathong** in November, when lanterns float into the sky and little flower-and-candle rafts onto the water. It gets very crowded then. > **Start your walk here** Tha Phae Gate is a handy start for exploring the Old City on foot: Wat Chedi Luang is 10 minutes west, Wat Phra Singh 20 minutes and Wat Chiang Man 10–15 minutes north-west. Cafés, massage shops and guesthouses line the moat. Pigeon feed on the square costs a little — keep an eye on your bag. ## What to see - **The crenellated gate** — the Old City's main symbol. - **The moat and wall remnants** around the Old City. - **The square in front of the gate**, with pigeons and street performers. - **The Sunday walking market** on Ratchadamnoen Road. - **Tha Phae Road** — temples and shops all the way to the Night Bazaar. - **Festivals** — Songkran and Yi Peng on the square. ## How to get to Tha Phae Gate 1. **By red songthaew, Grab or tuk-tuk** to Tha Phae Gate — the main landmark for drivers. 2. **From Chiang Mai airport** — 15–20 minutes by taxi. 3. **From the Night Bazaar** — about 1 km west along Tha Phae Road, 15 minutes on foot. 4. **From Wat Chedi Luang** — about 10 minutes east on foot along Ratchadamnoen Road. 5. The gate stands at the junction of Tha Phae Road and Moon Muang Road. ## How long do you need? The gate itself takes **15–20 minutes** — a photo and a stroll along the moat. But it's the best **starting point** for a walk round the Old City and a good place to end the evening: the market on Sundays, or the cafés around the square on other days. In the morning the square is nearly empty and the light is soft; in the evening the gate is lit. ## Is Tha Phae Gate worth it? Yes: it's Chiang Mai's symbol and the most convenient place to start a walk — and on Sundays, the gateway to the city's main walking market. The YesGo take: the gate itself is a reconstruction, so you won't spend long on it. The value is in the square, the market and the festivals. If you're not in town on a Sunday, stop by on the way to the temples. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Sunday evening — the walking market - [ ] A route round the Old City temples - [ ] Comfortable shoes - [ ] An eye on my bag on the square - [ ] Evening — on to the Night Bazaar ## Chiang Mai history: compare and choose Historic sights in Chiang Mai rated by YesGo. - [Tha Phae Gate](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/tha-phae-gate) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · free - [Wat Chiang Man](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chiang-man) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Wat Umong](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-umong) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · free - [Wat Chedi Luang](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chedi-luang) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 40–50 baht - [Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple)](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-sri-suphan) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 50 baht - [Wat Phra Singh](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-phra-singh) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · grounds free; Lai Kham ≈ 20 baht - [Wat Phra That Doi Suthep](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/doi-suthep) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 30 baht, funicular ≈ 20 ## An evening in Chiang Mai Wat Chedi Luang by day, Tha Phae Gate towards evening, then the Night Bazaar. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Wat Chedi Luang](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chedi-luang) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 40–50 baht 2. [Tha Phae Gate](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/tha-phae-gate) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · free 3. [Chiang Mai Night Bazaar](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/chiang-mai-night-bazaar) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Good to know Tha Phae Gate is the Old City's east gate. Tha Phae Road is the street running east from it towards the river. Hotels and hostels named Tha Phae are simply places to stay nearby. ## Tips - The best photo is from the square in the morning, before the crowds. - In the evening the gate is lit up. - On Sundays the market starts right here. - Pigeon feed costs money — watch your things. - Nearby: [Wat Chedi Luang](https://yesgo.io/thailand/chiang-mai/wat-chedi-luang), 10 minutes on foot. ## Questions ### Is there an entry fee at Tha Phae Gate? No — it's a public square. ### Is it the original ancient gate? No, today's gate is a 1985–1987 reconstruction on the site of the 1296 gate. ### When is the Sunday market? Sunday evenings, west from the gate along Ratchadamnoen Road. ### Which festivals take place at the gate? Songkran in April and Yi Peng / Loy Krathong in November. ### How do I get there? By songthaew, Grab or tuk-tuk to Tha Phae Gate; 15–20 minutes from the airport. ### How far is the Night Bazaar? About 1 km east, 15 minutes on foot. ### How long do you need? 15–20 minutes, but it's the starting point for an Old City walk. ### What's nearby? Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man and the Night Bazaar. ## How we checked There's no official website. The gate's history and reconstruction are from English Wikipedia, which mentions both 1985–1986 and 1985–1987; we give 1985–1987 as the fuller period. We don't dwell on the gate's defensive role. The Sunday market and festivals come from guides; we don't give exact lunar-calendar festival dates. Distances are from OSM coordinates. ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Tha Phae Gate: founding in 1296, former name, 1985–1987 reconstruction, outer gate, trade route to the Ping River - 2026 travel guides — Sunday market, festivals on the square (unofficial) - OSM — gate coordinates and distances to nearby sights - YesGo general facts for Thailand — transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. 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