For most people Chiang Mai is nothing more than shopping and foodie paradise
two of the best places to do just that are the Saturday Night Market on Wua Lai Rd.
and on the Sunday Night Market on Rachadamnoen Rd.
nothing beats shopping and haggling more than these two famous night markets of Chiang Mai
some call these market as walking street but when I think about walking street
I think of a different type of walking street that is the exact
opposite of the ones here if this is your first time visiting Chiang Mai it's
something you really need to check out something like this only exist in Asia
and prepare yourself with some shopping and sensory overload
the opening hours for both markets it's at 5pm to 11pm at night
I personally start going there around 7:30 after sundown, at 5pm I
think it's still too hot and too sweaty but if you want to avoid crowds
you want to head there early
although it's a lot cooler at night let's start with the Saturday Night Market
at Wua Lai Rd. this is the second largest night market in Chiang Mai which
runs through the Wua Lai Rd just south of the old city there are hundreds of
markets gathered throughout Chiang Mai some are small with 20-50 stalls selling all sorts
of Thai food and fresh fruits to large the night markets like this one with
hundreds of stalls selling all sort of fresh food, spices, flowers, gadgets, clothing,
toys, handmade accessories, souvenirs knock off brands, cheap jewelry's and much more
but don't expect anything high-end or brand name products
ok so let's head over to the Sunday Night Market at Rachadamnoen Rd
this is the largest night market in Chiang Mai city the market runs through
the old city along the Rachadamnoen Rd from The Phae Gate to the police
station and along the Prapokkloa Rd which intersect with the Rachadamnoen Rd
the entrance of the market can be from any direction I happened to see some
street performers at The Phae Gate then I followed the crowd and
accidentally enter the market this market was much longer and bigger than
the Saturday Night Market, in fact this is the biggest and longest night market
I have been to the products on sale here are mostly the same as the Saturday Night Market
with many of the same street performers and vendors
this Sunday Night Market does offer many options for food and restaurants
although I think the Saturday Night Market offer a bit more in terms of food
especially street food for the less adventures and more sensitive palate
you can find Western restaurants and Western fast-food change scattered
throughout the market
alright, let's talk about bargaining and haggling, many of the vendors
offer the same products, if you want the best deals just ask for the price for
the stuff you want, if the price is not visible but hold off from buying as there is
a good chance six other vendors down the street may offer the same products
try walking through the night market and picking out the items you want to buy
then turn around to go back to select the items you want to purchase once you
get the idea of how much things cost
don't worry everything will still be there also it is expected of you to haggle
and it can be a little bit of fun even though the prices seem to be cheaper
than what we find in your home country or cheaper by your standard
unlike shopping and big shopping centers in Thailand shopping with street vendors is
more flexible since you're likely to be talking with the owners, you should try
to haggle and try to get at least 10% - 30% off the asking price
if you can get at least 30% off the asking price you're doing a good job
if you can get 50% off the asking price you're doing better than me
and most people, then again everyone know you have money because you probably took
a airplane or train from your home country into Thailand so if you have a little
too hard
they will just ignore you or they will tell you to go elsewhere, if that happens
just smile and walk away
however you may try to use that as a haggling strategy, come back later on and
start haggling again then finally agree on a serious discount, on the other hand
if the price is not to your liking
just smile and walk away
aggression and overly assertive behaviour will accomplish
nothing
also most vendors are not pushy or actively trying to rip people off and
many are open to negotiation unlike some other touristy parts in Thailand
700 baht, and small 350 baht
650 baht
how much the big one? big one is 7,000 baht
what if you're not buying or shopping or want to haggle
you don't have to haggle if you don't feel like it, even if you're not planning to
buy anything from the night market just going there for walk is an amazing culture
experience and something you cannot find in an Western in society these Saturday and Sunday
night markets are vivid, with bright colors, busy, with great atmosphere and alive
the entire experience was very relaxing and enjoyable for me is worth
going there just to check out the vibrant atmosphere, I went there during
the beginning of the low season in March and April, the night markets were still
full with locals and tourists, it was extremely busy, I can't imagine how busy these night
markets would be during the high season
ok so, what if you only have time to visit just one of these night market
I think if you have a chance to visit Chiang Mai, you should go to both Saturday and
Sunday night market but if you only have time to visit one of these night markets
which one should you go? if you want to see more a variety of Thai food, Thai Street
food and restaurants, then I think you should check out the Saturday Night Market
I'm not saying that the Sunday Night Market doesn't have any good restaurants
but there's more Thai food available at the Saturday Night Market although the
Sunday Night Market seem to have more Western fast-food restaurants because
it's located inside the old city, in terms of shopping and products on sale
both Saturday and Sunday Night Markets have many of the same vendors selling
the same products, although the Sunday Night Market is a bit larger with more
items on sale, also Sunday Night Market has a larger collection of artwork and
painting up for sale
so if you're only go to one, go to the Saturday Night Market if
you want more Thai food and Thai Street food and on the other hand, go to the Sunday Night
Market if you want more Western fast-food a bigger market and more artwork overall
both have many of the same products for sale with many of the same vendors and
street performers, if you are interested in purchasing some the painting there or
the artwork and you worried about how to bring it home without damaging it
don't worry about that, if you do decide to purchase, for example painting
what they would do is, they would take the painting and they will gently roll it
up for you and insert it into a protective tube to protect it
you carry his tube inside the airplane when you go home and you put this to in
the overhead compartment, if you watch all the way through this point
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