What to do inChiang Mai? If you have seen all the beautiful sights of the city then maybe it’s time for shopping.
Chiang Mai is encircled by factories and workshops where you can watch crafts people at work before buying or even learning the craft yourself. These are generally frequented by wholesale buyers.
On a regular shopping level experiences come in a series of shapes and sizes. The city is home to over ten shopping malls, at least 15 markets and laden with boutiques and gallery style stores selling art, antiques and handicrafts.
Walking Street Sunday Market
The walking Street is one of the best things about visiting Chiang Mai, so much so that it is often referred to as the weekend market as its popularity warrants a small Saturday evening version. One of the great things about it is a place where you really pick up the feeling that craftsmanship is an inherent ability of Chiang Mai’s locals. Traditional style dress in the form of hilltribe jackets, dresses and skirts, backpacker uniforms, dainty and fierce-looking jewelry, great bags and beautiful crafts are just some of the things that can be found.
The whole vibe of the area is totally alive, comparable to Bangkok’s Khao San road but with a more a subdued energy and less inebriation. The real beauty of the place is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to leave with some quality and unique purchases.
Gecko Books
Situated in various spots around the old and new town, this is considered the best used-books store in Chiang Mai. The expansive collection has been amassed through a system of buying books from travellers and locals. Consequently this chain of shops features an extensive choice of non-fiction and fiction, science fiction, horror, mystery, new age, Southeast Asian history, travel, Buddhist and Christian and a good few rock n’ roll biographies. While the vast majority of books are English language there is a small selection of Dutch, German and French titles.
Warorot Market
Often described as the heartbeat of Chiang Mai, Warorot is situated several blocks behind the lively Night Bazaar, but caters to the needs of locals as a opposed to tourists.
Specialising in fabric, toys, school supplies and fruits it has more of a Chinese feel to it. This is a constantly busy area and great way to get a real feel for northern culture when in Thailand.
The Flower Market
Well worth visiting just to experience the visual and aromatic extravaganza that is a flower market. Tom Lamyai runs along the Ping River towards Thapae Road, it sells the freshest cut, and most beautiful flowers of all the flower markets in Chiang Mai. Open 24 hours we recommend venturing down to the riverside during the late evening to see the thousands of birds of paradise, orchids and chrysanthemums being delivered.
The Night Bazaar
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, home accessories, furniture, statues of aliens made from auto parts, spices, souvenirs, samurai swords, art, jewelry, silver, antiques, and several hundred other items 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.
Airport Plaza
Airport Plaza is located on the corner of Mahidol and Hang Dong Road close to Chiang Mai airport. There are good parking facilities and a range of public transport options. Set over 4 floors in a giant L-shape, Airport Plaza offers a complete western style shopping experience.
The largest store in Airport Plaza is the substantial Robinsons department store selling the usual wide variety of goods including cosmetics, clothing, household goods, appliances and so on.
At the other end of the mall is Northern Village, a collection of boutique shops selling a wide variety of northern craft products. These are generally of a higher quality than that found in the local markets but they also have a correspondingly higher price tag.
On the ground floor is Tops supermarket and some small local clothing boutique style shops as well as a Watsons Pharmacy and a number of eateries.
The First and second floors have a very wide range of modern shops including clothing, jewellery shops, hairdressers, opticians, sports shops and so on.
The third floor of Airport Plaza is dominated by IT, audio visual and camera shops. Many of the big manufacturers have their own shops selling their merchandise including Sony, Apple, Samsung, Hewlett Packard and LG. There are also more generals shops such as IT City a computer and peripherals retailer.
The fourth floor is home to the Major Cineplex which is the best multi screen cinema in Chiang Mai showing films in both Thai and English. Outside the cinema is a Thai style food court with a wide range of stalls selling one-dish local food.
There are many other eating options in Airport Plaza including a Sizzler Steakhouse, Fuji and Zen Japanese Restaurants and ice cream parlours.
If western style shopping is what you want then Airport Plaza is your best option.
Kad Suan Kaew (Central)
Kad Suan Kaew, commonly known as Central, is the largest shopping centre in Chiang Mai. It is a huge and sometimes confusing complex housing among others a hotel, mini bowling alley, a department store, supermarket, food court, restaurants and cinema.
Kad Suan Kaew has plenty of parking but it can be difficult to find a spot at busy times.
Central Department Store is at the heart of the centre and has the ususal large rane of products. Kad Suan Kaew also plays host to Chiang Mai’s only branch of British retailer Marks and Spencer and many specialist and general retailers.
Kad Suan Kaew is also home to the largest of cinemas in the Vista chain and shows films in Thai and English.