Chiang Mai Markets
Any visitors wandering the lanes and ancient temples of what passes for downtown Chiang Mai would be forgiven some distinct small-town impressions but the city does sprawl and, as home to some 1 and a quarter million residents, is officially Thailand’s second city. Every district has its own local market while you’ll find several more handicraft-orientated, weekly, street bazaars in the town centre as well as various night, food hawker markets. Here’s a rundown of our favourite Chiang Mai markets whether you’re looking to sample the street food, browsing for souvenirs or just checking out the bewildering display of exotic produce on display.
Chiang Mai Local Markets
As we said, every district will have its own fresh market and despite the inevitable proliferation of giant, edge-of-town superstores, many residents still do their daily shopping in these traditional-style, local markets. Every local and expat in Chiang Mai will have their own faves – these are ours.
Worarot – Kad Luang
Known locally as Kad Luang, central Chiang Mai’s largest, permanent market has a riverbank location in the city’s Chinatown area. The labyrinthine market covers multiple levels of hanger-like halls and at least one section or another of the market seems to be going almost 24/7. The market, surrounding pavements and shophouses sell just about everything, including fresh produce, household goods, clothes, souvenirs, flowers, hardware, bric-a-brac, ad infinitum. Great place for a wander.
Worarot or Kad Luang Market, Chinatown, Chiang Mai Thanin – Siri Wattana
One of our favourite local markets, bustling Thanin is situated in the Chang Puak area just north of the old town wall. Once again, there’s a bit of everything but for us, the most impressive sight is the amazing display of prepared, take-away, food dishes; row upon row of curries, stir-fries, soups, Thai desserts and sizzling Thai sausages fresh off the griddle. Includes all the best-known dishes plus local specialities and certainly makes for one of the most photogenic of Chiang Mai markets.
Don Phayom
This small but quintessentially bustling, local market concentrates on north Thai and Chiang Mai specialities including an array of temperate fruit sourced from farms in the surrounding hills, mountains of Chiang Mai sausage and pork scratchings, a selection of locally grown, highland teas and an array of more exotic products such as fried bamboo worms or crickets. You might not make many purchases but you can pick up an iced coffee or a tub of strawberries and admire the sights, colours and smells.
Deep-fried bamboo worms – one of the specialities found in Don Phayom Walking Street Markets and ‘Bazaars’
In addition to the long-standing and well-known Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, hugely popular weekly markets, known colloquially as ‘walking streets’, are closed to traffic and draw crowds of both local and foreign strollers on Saturday and Sunday evenings. There are two principal ones and they’re both very good for shopping, browsing and eating.
Saturday Walking Street Market – Wualai
You’ll see the same products – and indeed vendors – at both walking street markets but we confess to a slight preference for the Saturday version, as it’s slightly less crowded and has more eating options. This market sets up just south of the old town in the Wualai District and opens from around 5.00 pm until late. Arts and crafts, handicrafts, clothes and souvenirs are all on offer as are plentiful food and drink stalls. Get there early and allow some time to check out the spectacular adjacent temple, Wat Sri Suphan – the ‘Silver Temple’.
Wualai or Saturday Walking Street Market Sunday Walking Street Market – Ratchadamnoen
This huge open-air bazaar occupies the entire length of Ratchadamnoen – the old town’s main artery – as well as overflowing onto neighbouring streets and gets going, as the name implies, every Sunday from around 5.00 pm onwards. A number of wats lining the street open their courtyards to al fresco dining so you can either graze on local snacks as you peruse the stalls or take a food and drink break on a stool or mat. Again, get there early as this market can get very crowded on busy weekends.
Ratchadamnoen or Sunday Walking Street The Night Bazaar
The long-standing and well-known Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is still going strong in its permanent location on the pavements of east Chiang Mai’s Chang Klan Road. The market also spreads down side streets and incorporates some large open-air food courts such as Kalare and Anusarn. The pedestrianised walking street markets are more user-friendly options if it’s the right day of the week but otherwise the Night Bazaar is well worth a look and offers some great and inexpensive dinner options.
Chiang Mai Night Markets
These refer to the street stall markets – popular dining places for visitors and locals alike – that you’ll see dotted at strategic points around town. They’re cheap and cheerful, provide inexpensive, classic Thai street food and are open from dusk until late.
Chang Puak Night Market
The town’s largest is located on a wide stretch of pavement, just outside of the moat, near Chang Puak Gate on the old town’s north side. Most stalls will have bilingual signs, although you can see what they offer as everything is arranged and cooked in front of you. Our tactics would be to order small dishes in several stands – just so you can try more things – such as a few sate nibbles and a cold beer at one table followed by your main course at another before heading off to seek out the nearest mango and sticky rice. (Each stall has its own tables but as long as you’re ordering from the one in question you’re free to order side dishes or drinks from others.)
The famous ‘Cowboy Hat Lady’ at Chang Puak Market. (Anthony Bourdain raved about her slow-stewed pork shank!) Prathu Chang Mai Market
Located on the opposite side of the old town to the above, the Chiang Mai Gate (Prathu) market spreads across both sides of the moat to the west of the eponymously named old city gate. It’s similar to Chang Puak, albeit smaller but still offers a great selection of street food in a bustling setting and is practical if you’re staying on that side of town. Also opens dusk ’til late.
A couple of miscellaneous Chiang Mai markets worth visiting
A couple of additional markets we like that don’t fit into the above categories…
Jing Jai – Weekend Farmers Market
Principally a weekend market, Jing Jai, or Chiang Mai Farmers Market, is located off Atsadathon Road, close to Kamthieng slightly northeast of the town centre and gives 8.30 am until 9.00 pm as its official opening hours. It began life as an organic produce market but now includes souvenirs and handicrafts and is a pleasant spot for a wander and certainly less crowded than the more centrally located walking streets. Needless to say, there’s no lack of snacks, drinks and nibbles to graze on as you stroll.
Kamtieng Flower Market
Last but not least – occupying a wide swathe of land just north of Jing Jai – is Chiang Mai’s plant and flower market. Visitors won’t buy much but the endless number of stalls specialising in for instance; orchids, ferns, bromeliads, cacti, bougainvillea or herbs interspersed with some weird and wonderful garden ornament stalls, makes for a great place for a walk and, like many Western garden centres, the market is also dotted with cafes and coffee shops.
Get your Thai garden gnomes here; Kamthieng Market, Chiang Mai Chiang Mai Markets on an All Points East Tour
Note, you can see all our small group tours that include a stop in Chiang Mai on our Thailand tours page along with our 4-day Chiang Mai extension. As you’ve seen above, which specific markets you’ll visit depends upon the days of the week as well as your time frame. Due to time restraints, most north Thailand itineraries can only include a brief stay in Chiang Mai but it is the kind of town one could linger in so an extra day or two before or after your tour allows for a more in-depth discovery and is strongly recommended.
