Chiang Mai Walking Streets

Shopping in Chiang Mai is all about immersing yourself in the local culture, and there’s no better place to experience it than at the Weekend Walking Streets. Here, the essence of Chiang Mai comes to life in a vibrant spectrum of art, crafts, music and food – with mostly handmade quality than mass-produced goods.

Apart from shopping, both the Sunday and Saturday Walking Streets serve as a venue for all kinds of local events, from dance recitals to beauty pageants and the sois (lanes) on either side of the main road feature stages and performance spaces, while the intersections act as informal venues for all kinds of street performers-musicians, puppeteers and even soccer virtuosos. As you stroll down the jam-packed streets, you will get a full exposure to a wealth of traditional and modern Chiang Mai culture all in one visit.

Sunday or Saturday?

Once restricted to Sundays, the Walking Streets have become popular enough to span the full weekend. Starting in mid-afternoon, Ratchadamneon Road from Phra Pokkao Road to Tha Phae Gate is closed to traffic and open for business. On Saturdays, the venue shifts slightly south to Wualai Street, or the old silver craft district. The mood and feel is very similar whether you go on Saturday or Sunday.

What’s on Sale?

The items on offer lean more towards handcrafted products rather than the variety of mass produced brick-a-brack on display at the night bazaar, although there are plenty of hill-tribe vendors peddling the usual assortment of tourist trinkets. Temples on either side of the road become food courts where you can sample everything from fried rice to deep-fried crickets (seriously) and there are tons of refreshment stalls set up along the road. The fresh fruit juice stands are a real treat and the kid in you will be delighted with a pancake on a stick, complete with a depiction of your favourite cartoon character, lovingly rendered in jelly.

With so much to see (and buy) at the weekend market your feet are bound to get tired. Fortunately, there are plenty of places where you can sit down and get a relaxing foot massage for next to nothing.
Take a stroll in the soft light of dusk while sipping on fresh fruit juice, browsing handicrafts and snacking on random delicacies to the lilting accompaniment of traditional Thai music being played by street buskers. While air-conditioned malls offer a pleasant escape from midday heat, the outdoor markets, the Weekend Walking Streets are definitely one of the best ways to spend an evening in Chiang Mai.