Also known as the walking street, this pleasant market used to be restricted to Sundays but it has become popular enough to rate the full weekend. Starting in mid-afternoon Ratchadamneon road from Phra Pokkao Road to Tha Phae Gate is closed to traffic and open for business. Take a stroll along the cobbled streets in the soft light of dusk while sipping on fresh fruit juice, browsing handicrafts and snacking on random delicacies to the lilting accompaniment of traditional Thai music being played by street buskers-it's one of the best ways to spend an evening in Chiang Mai.
The items on offer lean towards hand crafted products rather than the variety of mass produced brick-a-brack on display in the night bazaar, although there are plenty of hilltribe vendors peddling the usual assortment of tourist trinkets. Temples on either side of the road become food courts where you can sample everything from fried rice to fried crickets (seriously) and there are tons of refreshment stalls set up along the road. The fresh fruit juice stands are a real treat and the kid in you will be delighted with a pancake on a stick, complete with a depiction of your favourite cartoon character, lovingly rendered in jelly.
The weekend market also serves as a venue for all kinds of local events, from dance recitals to beauty pageants and the sois (avenues) on either side of the main road feature stages and performance spaces, while the intersections act as informal venues for all kinds of street performers-musicians, puppeteers and even soccer ball virtuosos.
With so much to see (and buy) at the weekend market your feet are bound to get tired. Fortunately there are plenty of places where you can sit down and get a relaxing foot massage for next to nothing.
Warorot Market
Located at the end of Chang Moi Road, east of the moat and north of the night bazaar, this important market acts like a big, haphazard Wal-Mart for local Thais. This is a great place to go to get a feel for what real Thai life is like. Markets are an important part of everyday life for Thai people, providing a place to socialize and a sense of community as well as being the place to buy and sell necessities.
The Warorot market is housed in a large, rambling building, with foodstuffs on the ground floor and other merchandise on the levels above. Visitors will probably be interested in the great deals on clothing rather than the day to day goods on offer (unless of course you want an authentic Thai spatula). T-shirts and simple clothes can found here for much less than you would pay at the night bazaar or a department store and patient shoppers will find some real gems.
Ton Lamyai
While ambling around the Warorot Market you might be treated to a sudden sweet waft of scent on the breeze from the river. That's Ton Lamyai, the flower market. Located just opposite the river bank the Ton Lamyai is the oldest wet market in Chiang Mai. Wet markets, so named for the water on the floor, are places where fresh fruits, vegetables and meats are sold. Ton Lamyai has all of the above and is a great place to stock up on the interesting and unusual varieties of fruits in Chiang Mai, especially strawberries, which are rare in Thailand, but readily grown on the slopes of Chiang Mai's hills and mountains.
The thing that sets Ton Lamyai apart from the other food markets is the flowers. All year round you will find the market bursting with colour and perfumed by a hundred different blossoms. Orchids, Roses and countless other varieties of flowers are on sale, either cut or arranged, perfect for brightening up your hotel room. Even if you don't want to buy, the market is worth a trip just to marvel at the beauty and scent of all those flowers.
Muang Noi Market
Ten minutes' walk north from the Warorot Market will take you to the Muang Noi Market, Chiang Mai's best place for fresh fruit. This is the place where local restaurateurs come for pineapple, watermelon and bananas. The pickings are best early in the morning, when the farmers have just delivered their produce and the air is still as crisp as the cucumbers.
Central Plaza (Kad Suan Kaew)
Located on Huay Kaew Road, this sprawling shopping mall is located in a four storey red brick building. This is closer to a western idea of shopping than traditional markets or the night bazaar, with department stores, fast food chains and movie theatres showing the major Hollywood releases (in English). Homesick shoppers looking for some familiarity will be comforted by the presence of Starbucks, Adidas and Sony, often at much lower prices than back home. This is still a Thai version of a shopping mall, however, and there are still rabbit warrens of small clothing shops and electronics stalls. If you're in the market for a mobile phone this is the best place to come as many of the latest models are on offer for next to nothing. Even if shopping malls aren't your thing a trip to Central might be worth your time, if only to enjoy some air-con for a while.
Central Airport Plaza
A newer, cleaner and more modern version of Kad Suan Kaew, Central Airport Plaza is the upmarket shopping destination of Chiang Mai. The Robinson's department store is the main feature but there are plenty of specialty shops selling everything from wine to sunglasses. A unique feature of this mall is the Northern Village, a three storey complex offering very high quality handicrafts and housewares.
The Northern Village is part of the highly successful OTOP - One Tambon (Village), One Product - program, which was designed to help small businesses prosper. As opposed to the night bazaar, the items on display here are all of very high quality and authenticity and the prices, while fixed, are still quite reasonable.
Baan Tawai
Simply the best place in Thailand to buy antiques, antique reproductions, home furnishing and decorative art, Ban Tawai is well worth the trip out of town. Located 20 km (12 miles) south of the city centre on the road towards Doi Inthanon, Ban Tawai is one of the most important craft centres in Thailand. Many of the fantastic items sold in Bangkok, Phuket and Samui are produced right here and by going straight to the source you can get some truly fantastic deals.
Woodcarving is the medium of choice for the majority of the artisans at Ban Tawai, a skill passed down for generations. Thai woodcarvers are among the best in the world and Ban Tawai artisans are incredibly versatile, producing exquisite works in an incredibly diverse array of styles. Aside from d?cor items and furniture Ban Tawai will impress with its wonderful selection of Thai silk, bamboo products, soaps and oils, ornaments and vases.
With so many fabulous pieces on display at such incredible prices, you might just find yourself with a sudden urge to re-decorate your entire house, and why not? Here you can get top floor quality at bargain basement prices. The only problem is how to get that finely carved Lanna style end table into your suitcase. But don't worry, a professional packing and logistics industry has grown up around the craft centre and all you need to do is bring your credit card and the merchants can easily arrange shipping.
Even if you're not interested in giving your home d?cor a makeover, a trip to Ban Tawai is worth it just to watch the artisans and craftsmen at work, practicing techniques handed down for centuries.
San Kamphaeng
13 km (8 miles) east of the city centre, you will find the thriving crafts district of San Kamphaeng. While Ban Tawai is the destination for woodcarving and furniture, San Kamphaeng is the place to go for Thai silk, considered to be the best in the world because its coarser weave can withstand heavier dyeing. Rounding out the selection of products are lacquerware, ceramics (including fine Thai celadon) and the distinct, brightly coloured umbrellas that are a northern specialty. Shops and mini factories line both sides of the Chiang Mai-San Kamphaeng Road, where local artists practice their craft with a skill born of centuries-old tradition.
While the peaceful click-clack of the silk weavers' hand looms has largely been replaced by machines these days, the extra efficiency reduces the price and there are still a few traditionalists left who make silk the traditional way. Although machine produced silk is of wonderful quality, the personal touch of hand woven silk has an indefinable superiority to it (with an accompanying rise in price).
Bring a pair of sunglasses when you go to Bo Sang village, traditional home of the umbrella makers, and be prepared for a riot of striking colours. Each one of the wonderful umbrellas produced here is hand made from bamboo and covered with Sa paper, which is made from a local tree similar to the mulberry. The umbrellas are then painted with brilliant colours and floral or bird motifs; each umbrella is an original and unique work of art. The entire process is completed by hand with the use of a few simple tools and the finished product is lightweight, but durable and waterproof.
Lacquerware is another popular item and shops can be found all over the San Kamphaeng Road. Thai lacquerware is characterized by a glossy black base with intricate details picked out in gold. The art of pottery is another craft skill mastered long ago and passed down in San Kamphaeng. For over 600 years the artisans of the area have been producing fantastic pottery, including the extremely fine ceramic known as Celadon. Visitors to the area can see the ancient kilns of the first Lanna potters as well as pay a visit to their descendents and purchase examples of this difficult to make but lovely to behold pottery.
Night Bazaar : Shopping in Chiang Mai
Night Bazaar Location and Hours
The main venue for shopping in Chiang Mai, indeed all of Thailand, the night bazaar is a can't-miss part of the Chiang Mai experience. Ground zero of this nightly commerce bomb is located at the intersection of Chang Khlan Road and Loi Khro Road but the whole thing spreads out for two blocks in either direction. Set up time is around sunset (usually about 18:00) and shopping goes on unabated until about 22:30 with a few vendors remaining open even later.
A good way to check out the whole thing is to start at Tha Phae Road and work your way south towards Loi Khro. Once you reach the end of the market, cross the street and work your way back along the other side. Don't forget to peek down the little sois (alleyways) and arcades along the way. If you see something you like you might want to be patient-there are hundreds of vendors and an absolute flood of products for sale.
What to Buy
The night bazaar consists of countless stalls packed along the sidewalks and spilling out into the street. Here you can find vendors selling almost anything you can think of. The selection is simply staggering and items on offer include CDs, DVDs, clothes, shoes, Thai silk, handicrafts, purses, wallets, watches, video games, luggage, housewares, furniture, statues of aliens made from auto parts, spices, souvenirs, samurai swords, art, jewellery, silver, antiques, and a hundred other species of knick-knack and goo-gah that defy categorization. Quality varies from vendor to vendor but low prices mean you almost always get good value for your money.
The best goods on offer here are usually clothes, from hand-tailored Thai silk to the latest 'designer' fashions to the ubiquitous Red Bull and "Same Same But Different" t-shirts. Another big draw for visitors is the huge selection of cheap CDs and DVDs. When buying music or movies make sure you test the disc before buying. The quality of the copies is sometimes abysmally low, especially for the newest movies (i.e. ones that are still in theatres). Most CD and DVD vendors will have a player set up so you can check out the merchandise before making a purchase.
Most of the stalls sell pretty much the same things as other vendors in the bazaar (one sarong starts to look a lot like all the rest after a while) but keep a sharp eye out-you can find some really unique treasures if you look hard enough. Some vendors will have a small shop or storeroom with further wares if you don't see what you want on display.
For a step up in the quality (and price) of goods, try out the two level, purpose-built Viang Ping Night Bazaar, near Tha Phae Road. The handicrafts here are more authentic, the clothes are more durable and the fabrics are of better quality. Although there are plenty of specialist markets and shops in Chiang Mai, the night bazaar is a great cross-section of everything the city has to offer.
Food, Drink and Services
For mid-spree snacking there are plenty of restaurants and bars in the vicinity where you can take a load off and review your purchases. Just off the main street you will find a delightful selection of Thai seafood and noodle restaurants, while Loi Khro Road just east of Chang Khlan Road (towards the river) has a number of international restaurants and pubs. If you need your fix of western comfort you'll find a Subway, a McDonald's and a Starbucks on the main strip. Also in the area are numerous other useful services such as travel agents, internet caf?s, mobile phone shops and camera shops.
Bargaining
Prices in the night bazaar aren't fixed so make sure to do a bit of haggling to get the best deal. If you're a serious bargain hunter you might want to try being the early bird. It's considered bad luck if the first customer of the day doesn't buy anything and watching proprietors whack their goods with the day's first cash is a great photo opportunity. The end of the night is also a prime time to get some real steals as many merchants are willing to give a very good price to squeeze in one last sale.
When haggling with Thais remember to smile and be light hearted and friendly. A good joke and some patience will get you a lot farther than hardball tactics. Although haggling and getting a good deal is all part of the fun of the market, don't forget that most of these vendors make very little and ten baht means a lot more to them than it does to you.
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