Chiangmai, Thailand
Chiangmai, Thailand is a great place to shop for arts and crafts, and the friendly atmosphere of the Sunday walking market makes it a lot of fun. It’s a weekly event. They close off a group of connected streets in the old city on Sunday afternoons, from about 3:00PM until late. People come in from all over northern Thailand to sell their wares at small roadside stalls along the market route.
Note: After attending most Sunday markets over a three year period, I still don’t know the exact times of operation. Nobody does. You don’t worry about time in Thailand.
Location
The market area is situated in the middle of the old city, surrounded by a watery moat on all sides. It’s a short walk to the main gate of the old city from most hotels. It’s called Tapae Gate (Pratu Tapae in Thai). You can’t miss it. This is a good starting point. From here, just follow the crowd. It can get a little busy after the sun goes down, so it’s best to arrive around 3:00PM if you want to see everything being offered.
Articles for sale
We are not talking about furniture or architectural items at this market. Those items will be covered in a later posting about Hang Dong and Ban Tawai, also in the Chiangmai area. Most of the items offered here could be carried in your luggage or hand-carried on the plane.
You can see many examples of:
* Hand-woven wall hangings/table runners from Laos, Burma, and Thailand, of either silk or cotton
* Cotton clothing of all kinds, including hill-tribe designs
* Ceramics and teak carvings
* Traditional Buddhist oil paintings, and secular designs
* Hand-crafted silver jewelry
* Hand-made paper from the mulberry tree (Sar paper)
* soap carvings & scented candles
* and thousands of other interesting items
Watching, walking, and eating
This is also a great place to do some serious people watching. You’ll observe all kinds of folks, from Buddhist monks in their saffron robes, and hill-tribe ladies in their native costumes, to pony-tailed American refugees from the 1960s.
Wear comfortable shoes, you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
We found the best food stalls were located on the various temple grounds inside the market area. Try Pad Thai (fried noodles with bean sprouts, tofu, etc.– wrapped in a thin egg/omelet casing).Yes!
Bottom line
Don’t miss the Sunday walking market. It’s not only a great shopping venue, but a rich cultural experience as well. However, if you can’t get to Chiangmai on a Sunday, you can always visit the night market on Changklan Road, where many of the big hotels are located. They’re open for business most every night, selling similar items. However, it’s more touristy and the prices are a bit higher.
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