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Where to Shop in Chiang Mai

Night Bazaar

The Night Bazaar is the most famous of all Chiang Mai's markets due to the vast numbers of foreign visitors it attracts. Located at the northern end of Chang Klan road, the Night Market consists of hundreds of stalls and a number of large shopping arcades packed with small shops.

Virtually all visitors to the city tour this market at least once during their stay. The impact of high volume foot traffic has resulted in area becoming one of the city's liveliest; throbbing with street stalls, bars, restaurants and coffee shops.

The Night Bazaar offers the whole range of northern Thai and hilltribe handicraft products including carvings, artwork, clothes, fabrics, jewellery and much more. Some of the artistic innovations from vendors in the Night Bazaar have been copied worldwide.
Sunday Market

Every Sunday, from 4pm until midnight, one of Chiang Mai's great weekly events takes place. Walking Street Market starts at Thapae Gate and runs along the length of Ratchadamnoen Road through the heart of the Old City and has become a Chiang Mai institution. The street, which is closed entirely to traffic, is a focal point for local people to meet, browse, socialise, haggle and enjoy. There numbers are considerably swelled by both Thai and foreign visitors to Chiang Mai and the whole area buzzes with the kind of excitement that can only be generated by a large number of people at leisure.


Walking Street Market is also known as the Weekend or Sunday market and is a real showcase of the art and craftsmanship of Northern Thailand. Many of the stallholders have personally made the items they sell and the many hand crafted objects are a testimony to the skills and inventiveness of local people.

The goods available are made from an incredible array of materials including: wood, metals, ceramics, fabrics, paper, coconuts and much more besides. The products are truly authentic and original and are the perfect place to find gifts or beautiful things to decorate your home. If you are purchasing, don't forget to bargain. Any item that is not marked with a fixed price is open for negotiation and is all part of the fun. The stall holders, many of whom have other jobs and only trade at the market, love banter and as long as you smile and barter in a good natured way you will have a great experience.

Food and drink is also available in glorious abundance at the Sunday Market. There are a number of temples along Rachadamnoen Road and their grounds are open to vendors, many of whom sells fabulous local treats fresh cooked before your eyes.

The Sunday Market is the best place in Chiang Mai to see genuine Thai style street entertainment. Right along the length of the Ratchadamoen Road are pavement artists of all descriptions, traditional musicians, Thai dancers, living statues, puppet shows and rock bands. This all adds to the festive nature of the market and makes it an unmissable event.
Baan Tawai

If you love wood then Ban Tawai is a must-visit in Chiang Mai. Located abot 12kms to the east of the city, off the Hang Dong Road, Ban Tawai is home to dozens of wood working shops and factories. At the rear of many shops it is possible to watch the craftsmen at work. This fascinating and patient art has been practised by generations and it is no exaggeration to state that some of the carvers at Ban Tawai are among the best in the world.

Furniture manufacturing is one of the mainstays of Ban Tawai. There is wooden furniture to suit all tastes and styles from the rustic to the very latest styles. Furniture of all types is available at Ban Tawai from beds to cabinets and from luxury dining tables to outside benches. Much of the furniture is made from farmed or reclaimed teak and is for sale at a fraction of the price in the west. If you see a piece you like, it is worth looking at having it shipped home as even with haulage costs the savings are considerable. There are many shipping agents around Ban Tawai that can make arrangements for you but please be careful to check import regulations.

Ban Tawai also has some wonderful woodcarvings from the small and intricate to impressive life sized statues of elephants! Many of the carvings, while still being made by hand, are mass produced but there are equally some great examples of unique and individual artworks on which hundreds of hours have been lavished.

There are a few genuine antique retailers in Ban Tawai with very sophisticated showrooms and high value objects on show. However, if your budget won't stretch to the real thing don't worry because the reproductions are equally stunning.

Ban Tawai has grown rapidly over the past few years and attracts many tourists as well as importers from around the world. This high volume of traffic has resulted in other manufacturers locating here and now there are a wider range of other handicraft factories and showrooms which make it the premier place to look for handicrafts of all types in Chiang Mai.
Borsang & Sankampang
The Chiang Mai-Sankhampaeng Road runs for 13kms out of the city to the north and is lined with factories and showrooms selling craft goods of all descriptions. Sankanpaeng is the most popular area for tourists to do their souvenir shopping and is very busy with tour buses throughout the year.
The large numbers of tourists generally leads to locals to avoiding the area for fear of high prices but with knowledge of comparable goods elsewhere it is possible to negotiate reasonable prices.

There are an enormous variety of craft goods on offer. Each factory specialises in one craft and in many it is possible to see demonstrations of artisans and craftsmen at work. Some silk factories for example show the whole process from the rearing of silkworms to the fine finishing of the final product. Similarly, jewellery shops have demonstrations of gem cutting, setting and polishing.

Factories on the Sankhampaeng Road specialise in silk, cotton, jewellery, silver, ceramics, lacquerware, leather, woodwork, furniture, reproduction and a few genuine antiques.
Kad Luang ( Warorot Market )
Worarot Market, known locally as Kad Luang, is the main local market and is a busy bustling place where you can see the 'real' Chiang Mai. It is located centrally at the top of Chiang Moi Road along the Ping River. Worarot Market is set in and around a huge rambling building and is a place to go to find almost anything!

On the ground flood of the main building there are a number of food stalls selling both fresh, dried and packaged food. Northern food specialties like Chiang Mai sausage, kaep moo (deep fried pork rinds), nam prik (spicy dipping sauce), as well as herbs and spices aplenty make Worarot Market especially popular with Thai visitors to the city.

Many stalls and shops around Wororot Market sell all kinds of household goods often at a fraction of the price you will find elsewhere. Cooking equipment, utensils, crockery, glassware everything you need to set up home here is available so it is the perfect place for people just moving to Chiang Mai.

There are also a number of fabric shops with a bewildering array of materials suitable for making anything from a suit to a cushion cover. If you see something you like take a sample of the material to one of the nearby tailors (Sopa is recommended) and have something made up to you exact specifications.

Perhaps the best thing about Worarot Market is that it is a chance to see Chiang Mai life close up, a real experience that is highly recommended.
article source :
http://chiangmai-rada.blogspot.com/2007/10/shopping-in-chiang-mai.html
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