Everyone loves a good deal. Even more so – if you’re an avid shopper who loves a good deal, night markets are right up your alley. Chiang Mai has tons of markets, both day and night markets. The Sunday Night Walking Market in Chiang Mai stands out as the ultimate destination for shoppers, culture lovers and foodies alike.
The official name of this market is Tha Phae Walking Street Market. It’s only open one day a week – Sunday from 5pm until 10:30pm. It’s located on Rachadamoen Rd, Si Pham, Mueang, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200. This may seem like a long and complicated address but believe me it’s super easy to find once you’re in Chiang Mai. The market itself is extremely popular and chances are, everyone you’ll meet in Chiang Mai is headed there anyway. The Sunday Night Market is in the heart of Chiang Mai’s main tourist area and it’s huge. We’re talking 1 kilometer to be exact and runs from the Tha Phae Gate toward Ratchadamoen Rd.
Now that we’ve gotten the details out of the way, we can get into the good stuff – the shopping. This market has it all. Believe me, it does! Handicrafts, souvenirs, accessories, clothes, painting, food vendors, makeshift bars, roadside (clothed) massage, live music – you name it, it’s all at the Sunday Night Market.
Pro tip: remember to bargain for your purchases. It is expected of you and is all part of the fun. Bargaining is well-known as a national sport in Thailand. Even though the prices may appear cheap by your normal standards, it’s suggested that you should always bargain to get another 20-30% off the beginning price.
The Tha Phae Sunday Night Market doesn’t have its’ own website quite yet. However you can check out its’ Facebook Page or The Thailand Tourism Directory for more information. The YouTube video below also does a great job of showing you around the market as well.
One last quick tip: It’s so easy to buy any and everything at the Tha Phae Sunday Night Market. If you find yourself in this situation and there’s no space left in your suitcase, don’t worry. You can always ship things home via DHL. Luckily there are several DHL locations all around Chiang Mai.
Tha Phae Sunday Night Market
Location:
Rachadamnoen Rd, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Open:
Sundays from 5pm to 10:30pm
The Goods:
Clothes, shoes, handmade goods, handmade crafts, artwork, accessories, sunglasses, souvenirs, makeshift bars, food vendors, roadside (clothed) massage
Honorable Mention
A very close runner up is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. The great thing about this market is it’s open every single day of the week. This market is huge and covers an entire neighborhood. It also spans two blocks in every direction.
The only drawback of this market is – it’s literally in the middle of a neighborhood and that means traffic. Unfortunately, roads are not closed to vehicle traffic for this market. In my personal experience it can be a bit cumbersome as a pedestrian to cross to either side of the road if you spot something you like from across the way.
On the flip side of things, the major plus of this market is: there are some sections of it that are enclosed and indoors. This comes in clutch on the many hot and humid nights in Chiang Mai.
The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is located directly east of the city moat, between it and the Ping River, on Chang Khlan Road, between Tha Phae and Sridonchai Roads. It is open seven days a week from 5pm until midnight. It is known for its handicrafts and portrait paintings. There’s also luggage, jewelry, toys, clothing, and high tech items such as CDs and DVDs.
Happy Shopping!
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[…] are open seven days a week. If you’re lucky enough to be in Chiang Mai during the weekend the Sunday Night Walking Market is a must visit. As the name suggests, it’s only open on Sunday from […]