Top 10 Shopping in Chiang Mai

Warorot Market (or Kad Luang) is a must-visit for food lovers as it offers a wide range of ready-to-eat meals, local snacks and all kinds of fresh produce. A large section of the market features inexpensive goods, such as clothing, fashion accessories and personal care products. Read More...

Baan Tawai, home to Chiang Mai’s woodcarving workshops and villages, is simply the best place to buy antique reproductions, home furnishing and decorative art made from wood. Many of the fantastic items sold in Bangkok, Phuket and Samui are produced right here and by going straight to the source you can get some truly fantastic deals. Even if you're not interested in giving your home décor a makeover, a trip to Ban Tawai just to watch the artisans and craftsmen at work is well worth it.

While Ban Tawai is the destination for woodcarving and furniture, San Kamphaeng is the place to go for Thai silk, considered to be the best in the world. Rounding out the selection of products are lacquerware, ceramics (including fine Thai celadon) and the distinct, brightly coloured umbrellas that are a northern specialty. Shops and mini factories line both sides of the Chiang Mai-San Kamphaeng Road, where local artists practice their craft with a skill born of centuries-old tradition.

Across the River Ping, a short section of Charoenrat Road makes for a pleasant stroll. A collection of renovated wooden shop-houses that line its short stretch specialise in Lanna art and crafts, mostly from high-end local brands. The shops themselves are architectural treasures, built more than a century ago. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, this area is well worth a visit just for its historical value and scenic riverside panoramas.

The Night Bazaar consists of street-side stalls selling mostly counterfeit goods, T-shirts and handicrafts, and a host of shopping plazas where you can find more unique crafts and jewellery. A good way to check out the whole area is to start at Tha Phae Road and work your way south towards Loi Khro. Once you reach the end of the market, cross the street and work your way back along the other side. Don't forget to peek down the little sois (alleyways) and arcades along the way.

This hip artist street is more than just trendy – Nimmanhaemin sets trends for Chiang Mai’s contemporary art and crafts scene. Soi 1, in particular, is the centre of boutique shopping. Explore its short but lively stretch for all kinds of crafts, from period-style wooden furniture to candle sculptures, bohemian clothing to abstract paintings, hand-woven textiles to creative sa paper products. The best time to come is in December, during the one-week annual Nimmanhaemin Art & Design Promenade, when a colourful, festive vibe sweeps over the entire alley.

The old wooden shop-houses along Tha Pae Road, from Tha Pae Gate to Chang Klan, are home to an eclectic collection of crafts, including ethnic art, tribal fashion, silver jewellery, ceramics, home accessories and wooden crafts. Try Dan Collections (open 10:00-20:00) if you are looking for Buddha images and high-quality home furnishing. Lost Heavens (open 10:00-20:00) has a fascinating range of tribal art from around the region, from Tibetan textile to Yao embroidered silks.

Hand-crafted silver is one of Chiang Mai’s rare ancient crafts, and Wualai Road is where to go for all types of silver crafts, whether framed as wall sculptures, silverware, utensils, or elaborate jewellery pieces. The craft’s origins can be traced to Shan state in Burma hundreds of years ago, when families of silversmiths migrated south and settle down along the Wualai strip. Today, only a handful of them still practice silversmith, and you can watch them hammering away the metal at Wualai Road.

Located slightly off the city centre, this vast open-air market is Chiang Mai’s answer to modern shopping plazas and traditional craft centres. Shops are spread across the three zones, all housed inside a concrete structure. The atmosphere feels more relaxed than Night Bazaar and more modern than old-school crafts market. You will find similar range of creative crafts to those found along Nimmanhaemin Road, as well as traditional arts of Baan Tawai and San Kampaeng.