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When it comes to shopping in Chiang Mai the only thing more
impressive than the price is the sheer variety of goods offered.
From antique statuary to the latest video games, if you can
buy it in Thailand you can find in Chiang Mai, and for a lot
cheaper than you'd pay just about anywhere else. |
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Antiques
With so much history close at hand, Chiang Mai is one of
the best places to hunt for genuine Thai antiques. There are
also plenty of places to get high quality reproductions for
a fraction of the cost of the real thing. The sale, and especially
the export, of real antiques is highly controlled and you
will need to acquire a special permit to bring genuine pieces
out of the country. Although there are plenty of fakers around,
the real thing will always come with a certificate of authenticity
from the Fine Arts Department. The upper floor of Viang Ping
Plaza in the Night Bazaar is a good place to start your search
and there are also plenty of dealers located around the city,
particularly the Tha Phae Gate area. Those truly serious about
antiques would be sadly remiss without a visit to Ban Tawai,
the craft and antique centre of Northern Thailand.
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Books
Bibliophiles will have a field day in Chiang Mai and the
myriad of used book stores are often overlooked treasures
of the city. Gecko Books near Tha Phae Gate is the largest
used book store in Southeast Asia and carries numerous copies
of the most popular titles, both used and new. There are plenty
of other shops located around the Western edge of the moat,
some of which specialize in certain genres.
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Ceramics and Celadon
The art of pottery has been practiced in Chiang Mai for 700
years and the local artisans are masters at creating the highly
prized form of ceramics known as Celadon. Celadon is characterized
by a rich green colour that ranges from grey-green to almost
turquoise. Celadon and other ceramics are still crafted using
traditional techniques at San Kamphaeng.
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Clothing
From extremely high quality Thai silk to the Red Bull vests
that almost every foreigner seems to own, you will find some
great deals on clothing in Chiang Mai. Quality can vary wildly
but the prices are almost always low and there is no shortage
of shops and boutiques. Be aware that most clothes are made
for Thais, who are fairly small in stature, and hulking westerners
may have some trouble finding a good fit, especially in places
with a more local clientele. There is always the option of
having clothes tailored and shops in Chiang Mai can make a
suit from scratch in 24 hours for about 100 USD. Shoes are
also a good value and can be found all over. For the best
quality footwear head to Central Airport Plaza or Kad Suan
Kaew.
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Cameras and Film
Camera shops are scattered all over Chiang Mai, particularly
near the tourist areas. Most have huge signs that you can
spot from a mile away. These shops can handle all of your
film developing needs, digital or otherwise. If you're interested
in purchasing a camera then head to Central Airport Plaza.
The selection and prices will be about the same as anywhere
else in the city but the staff at these upscale shops are
more likely to be knowledgeable (and speak English). Although
there are a few brands of camera manufactured in Thailand,
they're usually not built to last and you're probably better
off buying an imported brand for about what you'd pay at home.
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Computers and Software
Locally made desktops are readily available, very inexpensive
and they function adequately enough. There are no domestic
brands of laptop, however, so don't expect to find any deals
there. Pirated software can be found at stalls all over the
city but may not work the way it's supposed to.
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Gold and Jewellery
Gold is an important measure of status in Thailand and many
Thais choose to invest in it rather than stocks or bonds.
Quality is consistent, with 22 carats (99.9%) being the standard.
Most gold shops are run by ethnic Chinese and are almost identical.
The highest concentration of gold dealers can be found near
the Warorot Market. Jewellery, too, is popular in Chiang Mai
and many of the local hilltribes have wonderful silversmithing
traditions. Look around at the Night Bazaar or the weekend
market to get the best price and quality.
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Handicrafts
It's almost impossible to spend a week in Chiang Mai and
not end up buying some sort of random doo-dad. Well, why not?
Chiang Mai is famous for its handicrafts and they do make
great souvenirs. As with all items of this nature the quality
can be inconsistent but when the items are offered at such
low prices you can afford to take a risk. The Night Bazaar
is the best place to find handicrafts in Chiang Mai but the
Weekend Market is another great place to look. You don't even
have to go looking for handicrafts if you don't want to; they
will come to you in the form of peddlers working the bars
hoping to talk you into a drunken impulse buy with their irresistible
sales pitch of "Hello, you buy?". If you're thinking
about starting your own importing business or simply Christmas
shopping for a small army go out to Bo Sang village in San
Kamphaeng or Ban Tawai, where fantastic handicrafts are available
in bulk at rock bottom rates.
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Housewares
The Lanna people were renowned for the beauty, style and
grace with which they approached every aspect of their lives.
Nowhere is this attitude made more apparent than in northern
style home decorating. From elegant teak furniture to handmade
lacquerware boxes to brilliant peacock feather fans, Chiang
Mai has everything you need to turn your house into a Lanna
palace. The craft district of Ban Tawai has the widest range
of items on offer and by going direct to the source you get
some great deals. Ban Tawai also has an excellent shipping
and logistics network in place to get your purchases back
home.
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Lacquerware
A fine tradition in Chiang Mai, the art of lacquerware was
imported into the area by the Burmese. The intricate and delicate
process of dyeing, engraving and painting used to produce
lacquerware trays, boxes and vases has been perfected over
several centuries. Today you can find magnificent examples
of this timeless craft, especially at The Night Bazaar and
San Kamphaeng.
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DVDs, CDs, Movies and Music
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There is a thriving industry in pirated CDs and DVDs all
over Thailand and Chiang Mai is no exception. Although technically
illegal, the practice is widely accepted by the authorities.
Trying to explain copyright law to a Thai person is like trying
to explain cricket to an Eskimo. Whether or not you find pirating
immoral it's hard to deny the allure of 100 baht DVDs. If
you do decide to tell the angel on your should to get bent
and delve into black market entertainment there are a few
things you should know. First, the quality is often so bad
as to make some movies unwatchable. Make sure to test all
of your selections before you buy them. Most vendors will
have a monitor and player set up so you can make sure you're
getting what you want. As a general rule, expect a DVD of
a film that's still in theatres to be terrible, with the silhouettes
of theatre patrons' heads in the frame. The other concern
about pirated media is the regional codes installed in many
DVD and CD players. You do run the risk of buying the entire
Dennis Hopper filmography only to get home and discover that
the only ones that work are Speed and Super Mario Brothers.
Unfortunately there aren't many places to buy legitimate music
or movies, and the few places that do sell legal media have
a very limited selection. For the pirated stuff look no further
than the Night Bazaar.
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Purses and Accessories
Thais love their accessories and handmade rattan purses,
'designer' handbags and even funky little carryalls made from
coconuts are popular items all over the city. Additionally
there is probably no better place in the world to look for
mobile phone accessories - in Thailand they are a national
obsession that borders on the absurd. Central Mall has an
entire accessories market of its own on the third floor and
the Night Bazaar is flooded with stalls selling these items.
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Thai Silk
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With a stronger weave that can withstand heavier dyeing,
Thai silk is considered to be as good as (if not better than)
any in the world. There are two types of Thai silk: smooth
and rough. Smooth Thai silk has a satiny, lustrous finish
and is perfect for clothing and interior decoration. Rough
Thai silk has a coarser weave but is still very soft. Rough
Thai silk is more suitable for blankets, curtains and other
heavy duty uses. There are two methods to telling real Thai
silk from polyester imitations - fire and light. When burned
real Thai silk produces a fine ash and smells like hair burning.
Also it stops burning the moment the flame is removed. Polyester
gives off an acrid black smoke that keeps burning even after
fire is no longer being applied to it. Of course most market
vendors would have a fit if you went around happily torching
their wares, so most people use the other method - light.
Thai silk is weaved with two different colours of thread to
produce an iridescent sheen. When held up to the light, a
piece of real Thai silk will change colours depending on the
angle, while polyester will always reflect white light. Finished
Thai silk products, including clothing, blankets and tapestries,
can be found all over the city but for the widest selection
the Night Bazaar once again takes the noodle. For raw silk
- both machine made and hand woven - head to San Kamphaeng.
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Toys
When walking along the street in a market area don't be surprised
to find your ankles under attack from plastic robots, electronic
dogs or bizarre species of remote controlled car. Thais love
to spoil their children and there are tons of little toy and
hobby shops in Chiang Mai. Most of the toys are made in China
(who would have thought?) so the prices are very low but they
may not last. Take a look around Central Mall or Central Airport
Plaza for some cool plastic stuff.
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Umbrellas
One of the most famous and distinctive northern crafts is
the Sa (mulberry) Paper umbrella. Each one of these brightly
painted pieces is a unique work of art. The paper is made
from the bark of a tree similar to the mulberry and is thin
and light but waterproof. The designs are often floral or
bird motifs and are brilliantly rendered. These umbrellas
make wonderful home decorations as well as being functional
for keeping the water off. Other products made of Sa Paper
are decorative fans and screens. San Kamphaeng is the best
place to buy Sa Paper products and you can watch them being
made from start finish.
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