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Chiang Mai City and the area around Chiang Mai is a virtual labyrinth of
spectacular shops. From cheap goods, beautiful
handmade products and art, to fake brand
names. The bustling Night Bazaar is the best
place to go for souvenirs; Hang Dong the
destination for design and craft products; Nimmanhaemin's boutiques offer stylish home
décor and fashion and the shopping malls are
full of knickknacks and other goodies.
Basically there is something for everyone
here.
Sankampaeng
Crafts galore. Buses crammed with tourists
descend daily onto the dozens of massive craft
industries and showrooms along the Sankampaeng
Road. Because of this, many locals often
dismiss Sankampaeng shopping as a tourist
trap. But for those seeking the more
traditional crafts: silks, weaving, wood
carving, silverware and lacquer ware,
Sankampaeng is the place to go. Thirteen
kilometres east of Chiang Mai.
Borsang
Umbrellas are inextricably associated with Bo
Sang where villagers have been engaged in
their manufacture for at least 200 years. All
materials - silk, cotton, sa paper
(manufactured from the bark of the mulberry
tree) and bamboo - are produced or found
locally. Visitors to Borsang will see
literally hundreds of designs and sizes of
umbrellas ranging from the miniature to the
gigantic.
Baan Tawai
Woodcarving is a traditional northern Thai art
featured in numerous temples, while in modern
times it has been increasingly used to
embellish furniture-screens, chairs, tables,
beds, indeed anything bearing a wooden
surface, large enough to be carved-as well as
in carved elephants, figurines, tableware and
other popular items. Chiang Mai's Bantawai
village in Hang Dong district is a leader in
making furniture. Principal materials used
include teak, rosewood and rattan. The
development of Hang Dong has been a Chiang Mai
success story. Not many years ago Hang Dong
consisted of a couple of shop-fronts and
factories stretching as far as the eye could
see, but now showrooms as sophisticated as any
in Europe line the street. Hang Dong is an
importer's heaven. Eleven kilometers south of
Chiang Mai. Nimmanhaemin
Great little area featuring such famous
shops as Gong Dee Gallery, Wit's Collection
and Gerard Collection, whose designs are
becoming very famous in Bangkok and beyond.
Perfect gift buying shops in a quaint little
shaded area of the city. Some of the products
include very original hand-painted ceramics,
water hyacinth furniture, lacquer home décor
items and much more. Not the cheapest area,
but its boutique feel makes it very popular.
West side of town, towards Chiang Mai
University.
Tha Pae Area
In the city centre and where many of Chiang
Mai's prestigious shops are located. It's a
bit of a pain to find a parking space, but
shops such as Living Space, Lost Heavens and
Nova Collection are well worth visiting,
each selling unique and beautiful products.
There are also the general tourist shops
selling silk, handbags, hill tribe
artifacts, handicrafts and other great
souvenirs.
Shopping Malls
Central Airport Plaza and Kad Suan Kaew are
both massive shopping malls, a cool and
different venue for summer or monsoon season
shopping. Lots of teen knickknacks as well
as brand name outlets.
Walking Streets
Roads are closed to traffic and a festive vibe
of shopping, eating, drinking and hanging out
with friends are what draws the crowds to
these events?
Kad Sum Murd (Midnight
Market)
Kad Sum Murd, which means Midnight Market,
takes place in front of Kad Suan Keaw
department store on every Thursday to Saturday
from 6 p.m.-11 p.m., it is lit up by candles
creating a surreal shopping experience with a
variety of cheap and cheerful products from
northern Thailand.
The Wisdom of Lanna
Arts & Craftsmen Walking Street
This market showcases art from 21 villages,
including the Yong, a popular group from the
north. The Yong are known for their unique
handicraft techniques. They are famous for
their elephant wood carvings, bamboo products,
souvenirs, for drawing pictures on cloth,
creating dolls made from cloth, and more. This
fair is at Buak Kang, Sankamphaeng District,
every Saturday from 4 p.m.-11 p.m., the fair
covers a distance of four kilometres, offering
a wonderful variety of ethnic products and
exhibitions on these peoples ways of life.
Wualai Walking Street
At Wualai Road every Saturday from 5 p.m.-
late. The famed old silver street sells
souvenirs, silver products, home decor and
more.
Ratchadamnoen Walking
Street
At Tha Pae Gate and along Ratchdamnoen Road.,
every Sunday from 5 p.m.- midnight. The
perfect place to spend a Sunday evening,
shopping, drinking, eating, watching the crowd
go by, enjoying buskers, sales, artists, etc.
Nice vibe.
Night Bazaar
Located at Changklan Road, in the
center of Chiang Mai's downtown, is the most
famous night shopping for tourist. The whole
stretch sideway of Changklan Road on both is
occupied by stalls from as early as 06:00 pm
to 12:00 pm daily. These stalls sell from
local handicraft, food, watches, modern
dresses to.
Expect the usual souvenirs at the night
bazaar, as sold anywhere in Thailand. You will
find a bit more wood carved articles in the
night bazaar. They are typically being made in
and around Chiang Mai. The price of wood
carved articles usually is a bit lower in the
night bazaar than in the shops in Chiang Mai
or in the large handicraft centers around
Chiang Mai, but often the quality is lower. So
inspect the articles you want to buy well, to
see if it meets your requirements. Furthermore
you will see people from the Hill Tribes,
typically dressed, as sellers in the night
bazaar. |
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