The market that's open every night in Chiang Mai
Picture this: it's half past seven, you walk out of the Old City, cross over toward Chang Klan Road, and the whole street starts to light up. Stalls of bright cotton textiles, rows of hanging saa paper lanterns, local artists' paintings propped against the wall, the smell of grilled sai ua sausage and khao soi drifting over from the food court, and live music carrying from a bar across the road.
This is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar — a market that has been part of the city for decades, set along Chang Klan Road on the east side of the moated Old City, near the Ping River. What sets it apart from the Walking Streets is simple: it is open every night, all week, from roughly 6 pm until around midnight. You don't have to plan your trip around a Saturday or Sunday the way you do for the Walking Streets — come any evening and there's a market to walk.
What's for sale ranges from Lanna handicrafts, woven textiles, silverware, lanterns and paintings through to clothing and knock-off branded goods, plus two large food zones — Anusarn and Kalare — that pull northern Thai food, grilled seafood and desserts into one place. To be straight with you: this is a thoroughly tourist-focused market, and some prices are set high to leave room for haggling. But if you want all your gifts in one easy, walkable place, the Night Bazaar still earns its evening.
