Hunting for handicrafts in Chiang Mai
Anusarn Market is a goldmine for bargain-hunters
Handicrafts are ubiquitous to Chiang Mai and many tourists come to the Rose of the North specifically to shop for Thai souvenirs. You will find the best selection of Thai handicrafts in the city’s many markets and bazaars and at prices that can’t be beat. Everything from knock-off football shirts and Thai silks, to wood carvings, art, jewellery, and all sorts of hill tribe knickknacks, can be had.
The Night Bazaar
Thailand’s most famous night bazaar is a tourist and souvenir haven in the thick of the city. It goes along a major road nightly in an area where big hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars reside and has just about everything you could think of. Prices here, however, are a little steeper than other markets.
The top end of Chan Klan Road, between the moat and the Ping River, lines itself with stalls and masses of tourists at sundown, where handicrafts, clothes, footwear, art, candles, and hill tribe tack can be found. This road is also home to a McDonalds, Starbucks, and the Le Meridien Hotel.
The Vieng Ping Night Bazaar is the main focus of the Night Bazaar, with two levels and a mezzanine of open-faced stores selling higher quality stuff. Antiques, gems, crafts and clothing are the main buys in here, and while prices are a little higher, it makes for a nice escape from the heat and bustle of the Night Bazaar proper.
The rejuvenated Galare Centre is just across the road from the Vieng Ping Night Bazaar and is somewhat in between the street vendors and Vieng Ping for selection and quality. Along with the typical stores are wholesalers and exporters as well as an open-air food court. It features free traditional Thai dancing nightly.
Farther south is the newer Chang Klan Plaza, which has more expensive shopping indoors, while south again is the burgeoning Anusarn Market. The latter has really come of age and is easier-going than the vendors on the Night Bazaar as it is traffic-free and less in your face. This area is also home to well priced seafood restaurants, international bars, and a new food court. More on restaurants.
Baan Tawai village
This small village to the south of Chiang Mai is growing in popularity among tourists and residents. It is known for its exceptional wood carvings and other handicrafts and has cheaper prices for some items compared with the Night Bazaar. It is especially good for furniture and there are exporters here that will take care of everything.
Colourful Borsang umbrellas make perfect gifts
As you approach Baan Tawai (just off the Chiang Mai-Hang Dong road) there are shops galore along either side of the thoroughfare, with the main handicrafts shopping area off a side street. The latter has row after row of permanent stalls and stores and is a delight to wander around.
Popular items at Baan Tawai, as well as furniture, are antique wood items, textiles, silverware and lacquer ware, basketry, Buddhist art, and knickknacks. Rattan crafts are also very popular here, along with decorative vases. Baan Tawai also has quaint cafés and coffee shops as well as a good packing and shipping infrastructure.
Borsang umbrellas
Those brightly-coloured umbrellas that can be seen on almost any tourist publication related to Chiang Mai are made at the village of Borsang to the east of town. It is a laid-back environment, where the Doi Saket and San Kamphaeng roads meet, and is easy to wander about as it is all in a compact area.
Along with these delicate parasols, which are generally made from bamboo with rice paper covers, are Thai handicrafts. Prices in Borsang are very reasonable and you can approach the manufacturers directly to cut out the greedy middleman. On the way to Borsang there are furniture and handicrafts factories that can ship stuff to anywhere in the world.
Other handicrafts markets
It’s not all about the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai; there are several other places in town where tourists can pick up handicrafts. The Sunday Market is lots of fun and way more laid-back than the Night Bazaar, plus there are more traditional Thai markets where you will find the best prices.
For years, the Sunday market ran along Tapae Road, from the beginning of the Night Bazaar down to Tapae Gate. Now, however, this market has been relegated to Rachadamnoen Road, running from Tapae Gate for several blocks heading west. The road is closed off to traffic and lined with stalls and buskers and is more pleasant than the Night Bazaar itself. You’ll find just about anything the Night Bazaar has to offer here and prices are cheaper, too.
Wararot Market is just northeast of the Night Bazaar along the west bank of the Ping River and is the city’s largest market. It lies within Chiang Mai’s Chinatown at the top end of Chiang Moi Road and remains open throughout the day. Wararot Market itself is a large building full of textiles and knickknacks, which is surrounded by several streets loaded with items. You won’t beat the prices here.
The lesser visited Wualai Street Market to the south of the moat is known for its jewellery. The city’s best silversmiths display their wares here, along with a growing number of handicrafts items that you would also spot at the Night Bazaar and Sunday market. This market opens up on a Saturday evening along Wualai Street and makes a nice addition for those also planning on seeing the Night Bazaar and Sunday Market over a weekend.
JJ Market is one of Chiang Mai’s newer markets. It is north of the city near the famous Khamtien Flower Market, although has somewhat of a sterile look and feel as it is purpose-built. It opens up on weekends and also comes with a collection of shops, cafés, and bars nearby. More on shopping in Chiang Mai.
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