Valaichchenai (Tamil: வாழைச்சேனை Valaichchenai; Sinhala: වාලසේන / වාලච්චේන waalasena / Valaichchena) is a town in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It could also be spelled as Valaichenai or Valachchenai. The world-famous Pasikudah Beach is located about 3 km east of Valaichenai along the Indian Ocean. Pasikudah beach is famous for shallow and calm sea water.

Valaichchchenai has Tamil communities and also some Muslims communities. Tamil people are the majority here and some Muslim people live in the west of the Valaichchenai Main Street, respectively. There were banana, coconut and paddy plantations which provided the main income along with some fishing. This was changed with the establishment of the paper manufacturing plant.

It has a railway station on the Broad gauge system of Sri Lanka Railways.

There are several schools in Valaichenai including:

• VALAICHENAI HINDU COLLEGE (NATIONAL SCHOOL) also known as First school of Valaichenai
• Valaichchenai Ayisha Balika M V (Valaichchenai Ayisha Mahalir M V)
• AN-NOOR NATIONAL SCHOOL
• Kalkudah namagal vidyalayam
• Peththelai Vipulananda Vidiyalayam
• Chndrakanthan vidyalayam
• Vani Vidyalayam
• Karuwakerni Vigneswara Vidyalayam
• Vinayagaapuram Vinayagar Vidyalayam
• Sri Krishna School

• The American Batticaloa Development Fund, provided electricity connection to Sri Krishna School

7°55′10″N 81°31′53″E / 7.91944°N 81.53139°E / 7.91944; 81.53139