All shops are generally closed on Sunday and function between 8 am to 8 pm on the other five working days. A few shops do keep open for a few hours on Sundays for tourists.

Chiang Mai shops offer an impressive array for tourists. The lively Night Bazaar offers travellers interesting souvenirs and the opportunity to dine at nearby restaurants. For handicrafts head straight to Hang Dong, and for trendy fashion and home décor items there are the boutiques in Nimmanhaemin. You will also find shopping malls selling plenty of knickknacks. For more information on Thai shopping in general, consult our Thailand shopping guide.

Chiang Mai Shopping Guide

Chiang Mai Markets

Night Bazaar

The famed Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai is a sprawling outdoor market occupying a long stretch of Chang Khlan Road between the Si Donchai Road and the tha Phae Road. Shopping at the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar building offers three storey's full of opportunities for some great retail therapy. The building itself with a roof designed like a Thai temple is eye catching. The products on display here are sourced from several neighbouring countries who trade with Thailand's hill tribes and also from Northern Thailand. Use all your bargaining skills here and don't fall for all the glib sales talk. The Night Bazaar functions from sunset to midnight. So choose a convenient time to stock up on interesting knickknacks, local handicrafts, textiles and other souvenirs.

Sankampaeng

A visit to the Sankampaeng, a.k.a. the ‘Handicraft Highway,' located on the way to Sankamphaeng, enables you to see skilled artisans at work. This one is open during the day. Chiang Mai has two shopping areas that complement each other by remaining open at different times of the day.

Bo Sang

Villagers in Bo Sang have been making umbrellas for the last 200 odd years. Take your pick from silk, bamboo, cotton and sa paper umbrellas. Sa paper is made from the bark of the mulberry tree. Umbrella sizes range from ornamental miniature ones to really large and highly functional ones.

Baan Tawai

Many Thai temples are decorated with woodcarving, which is a traditional northern Thai art. Nowadays the technique is used to make exquisite furniture screens, and to embellish items of everyday use like tables, chairs and cots. Decorative items like carved figurines of animals, especially elephants, are popular buys. Bantawai village in Chiang Mai's Hang Dong district is a hub for furniture manufacture.

Walking Streets

At certain designated times vehicular traffic is not allowed on some roads. During such times the streets turn into ‘walking streets' and there is a festive air about them. People converge on these streets to enjoy some fabulous Chiang Mai shopping and bargains and to enjoy a bite to eat.

Wisdom of Lanna Arts & Craftsmen Walking Street

Art from 21 villages is showcased in Buak Kang, Sankamphaeng District on Saturdays between 4 pm and 11 pm. The most popular group shown here is the Yong, a northern group very popular for their unique and distinctive handicraft techniques.

Wualai Walking Street

Wualai Road comes alive with shops on Saturday at 5 pm and stays that way till late in the night. Various home décor items, silver products, souvenirs and other miscellaneous goods are sold here. Shops selling silver products have given the street another name too - old silver street.

Ratchadamnoen Walking Street

Sunday evenings see Ratchdamnoen Road and Tha Pae Gate blossoming into the perfect marketplace complete with eateries, shops and live artists. Once you enter this place at 5 pm, you can stay on till midnight and catch all the fun.

Nimmanhaemin

Nimmanhaemin features some of the best artist collections from this region. Looking for that perfect gift? Choose from hand painted ceramics, furniture crafted from water hyacinth, lacquer home décor knick knacks and the like. All items are priced a bit high, but the boutique like ambience is something shoppers relish.

Tha Pae Area

Several prominent shops in Chiang Mai are located in Tha Pae. Quite a few tourist friendly shops selling tribal artifacts, handicrafts, silk fabrics and other souvenirs also do brisk business in this area.

Shopping Malls

Kad Suan Kaew and Central Airport Plaza are huge shopping malls. These Chiang Mai malls are great places to shop when it is hot or rainy.

Kad Sum Murd (Midnight Market)

The Kad Suan Keaw department store organises a midnight market from Thursday to Saturday from 6 pm to 11 pm. A large variety of items are put up for sale in a cheerful ambiance created by lit candles.

Sunday Market

The Sunday Market in Chiang Mai begins at around 2 pm and goes on in full swing till 11 pm. Market opening is delayed till 5 pm in the rainy season. Several craft stalls are put up along the Rajdumnern Road, which is located near Tapae Gate on the inner-eastern flank of the moat. This market is a good place to find good quality hand made items. There are five temples along the Rajdumnern Road and several food stalls here dish out scrumptious Northern Thai dishes.

Saturday Market

The Saturday Market in Chiang Mai is located on Wualai Road, which is closed to vehicular traffic from 2 pm on Saturdays. The market starts functioning from 5 pm. Most shops stay open till almost midnight. Several local craft items are displayed here for sale. Several food stalls do brisk business.

Warorot Market

The sprawling outdoor Warorot Market lies to the west of the Ping River and to the north of Nawarat Bridge. It has the Thapae Road on one side and the Chang Moi Road on the other. Locals do most of their shopping here. Herbs, spices, clothes, fabrics and several odds and ends are sold here. A well stocked fruit and flower market, and fireworks shops are added attractions.