Shopping in Chiang Mai
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Central Airport Plaza
Anchored by a Robinson department store and, compared to Kad Suan Kaew, this mall is more upmarket with more international brands and a more affluent clientele. The Northern Village complex on the 2nd floor sells high-quality souvenirs with set prices. Silks and ready-made clothes are good buys.
reviewed
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B
Pantip Plaza
Situated near the night bazaar, this shiny shopping centre is a more legitimate version than its grey-market counterpart in Bangkok. Mainly licensed suppliers of electronic hardware, such as computers and cameras, fill the space without a single bootleg software vendor in sight.
reviewed
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C
Talat Tonlamyai
Facing a river, Talat Tonlamyai is the city’s main fresh flower market, locally called gàht dòrk mái. The arm-width bundles of asters, roses and coreopsis are ripened in the cooler climate of the surrounding highlands and are brought to market at night to avoid the wilting daytime heat. Varieties, like pussy willow, which need even colder temperatures, are grown by hill-tribe villages perched at higher altitudes. Then there are the voluptuous tropical flowers, like jasmine, orchids and lotus buds that flourish in the heat. The flowers are sold wholesale for delivery to Bangkok and other provincial centres as well as arranged into funeral wreaths or sold in smaller qu…
reviewed
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Sunday Walking Street
A unique shopping experience, the Sunday Walking Street offers better-than-average products and a good dose of provincial culture. It is also a reminder of an itinerant merchant tradition of the ancient Chinese caravans. Arrive early when Th Ratchadamnoen is first blocked off to vehicle traffic to watch the vendors unpack their swollen packs and neatly arrange their product displays. The first sale of the night might be followed by a small ritual or prayer in hopes that more business will follow.
reviewed
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E
Sop Moei Arts
Lots of shops sell hill-tribe crafts, but this one has put a modern makeover on the traditional crafts of the Pwo Karen, a tribal group living in Mae Hong Son Province. The shop’s directors began working with the village through a health program some 30 years ago, but have since harnessed the craft traditions of textile weaving and basketry as an economic-development project (over 60% of the net income returns to the village and any profits go into a scholarship fund).
reviewed
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F
Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre
Kad Suan Kaew offers retail therapy with air-con comfort. The anchor tenant is the Bangkok-based Central Department and there’s a Tops Marketplace for buying foreign-friendly foods. Mobile phones and accessories are on the top floor while clothing boutiques occupy the ground floor. Students hang out here in the evenings and lots of small-time vendors set up outside the mall on Thursday and Friday.
reviewed
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G
Saturday Walking Street
The Saturday Walking Street is developing a reputation of having more authentic handicrafts and being less commercial than the Sunday Walking Street. This might be a bit of an exaggeration as most vendors work both markets without exclusion. But the atmospheric old neighbourhood with its silver shops and old ladies wrapped up in Thai silk does impart a time-warp feeling.
reviewed
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H
La Luna Gallery
In the old shophouse row on the east bank of the river, this professional gallery picks a fine bouquet of emerging South-east Asian artists. Many canvases have a social commentary angle and give the viewer a window into the different artistic styles in the region. A more portable piece is the art calendar featuring a different painting and artist biography for every month.
reviewed
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Srisanpanmai
If a trip to the Sbun-Nga Textile Museum has gotten you all wrapped up in silks, you can try this knowledgeable textile shop where the display cases show a visual textbook of Lanna textiles. From the technicolour rainbow patterns of Burma to the wide-hem panel style of Chiang Mai, Srisanpanmai specialises in silks made in the old tradition.
reviewed
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Classic Model
Bold geometric patterns define this clothing brand from fashion designer Sumate Phunkaew, a native of Nan Province. Certainly, the boy-from-the-province success story is heartwarming, but the clothes have a high frump factor. If you flip through the racks with enough concentration though you might find some suitable ‘teacher’ wear.
reviewed
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HQ Paper Maker
Mainly an art paper retailer, this small shop sells handmade mulberry paper (săh), a Chiang Mai handcrafted speciality. There’s a variety of colours and designs, including sheets printed with the northern Thai alphabet. Also on display are paintings and woodcuts by Chiang Mai artists using this rough-textured paper.
reviewed
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L
Kesorn
A collector’s best friend, this cluttered shop has been trading old stuff for years. They specialise mainly in hill-tribe textiles, beads and crafts, but lately the owner has become interested in the cloth version of the protective tattoos (sàk yan ) that contain zodiac- and numerology-based spells.
reviewed
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Shinawatra
This venerable family-owned silk shop was already a household name before the owners’ nephew, Thaksin Shinawatra, became the controversial prime minister. The colours and styles are a little dowdy for foreign tastes, but reconsider their selection should you happen to be elected mayor of Chiang Mai.
reviewed
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Sun Gallery
Na Chanok Siemmai (nicknamed ‘Sun’) runs this friendly art gallery, where you can poke around without being a heavyweight collector. He displays his own pieces as well as his friends’ works, ranging from abstract to 3D collages. And if you’re a miniature aficionado, there are also photo postcards.
reviewed
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O
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, one of our favourite shops along the entire strip, carries a selection of well-made cotton T-shirts silk screened with more than 30 different old Chiang Mai designs, along with equally well-designed silver and bead jewellery and a changing selection of interesting accessories.
reviewed
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P
Adorn With Studio Naenna
The pensive colours of the mountains have been woven into these naturally dyed silks and cottons, part of a village weaving project pioneered by Patricia Cheeseman, an expert and author on Thai-Lao textiles. This is the in-town shop, but you can see the production process at the studio.
reviewed
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Q
Vila Cini
Villa Cini sells high-end, handmade silks and cotton textiles that are reminiscent of the Jim Thompson brand. Perhaps the real draw is the store’s atmospheric setting: a beautiful teak house with marble floors and a narrow, rickety staircase that leads to a galleried courtyard.
reviewed
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Siam Celadon
This established company sells its fine collection of cracked-glazed celadon ceramics in a lovely teak building. Enjoy the Victorian-era structure and its dainty fretwork longer with a proper English tea at the attached Tea House Siam Celadon.
reviewed
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Ceramthai
Head to this shop in Chiang Mai Night Bazaar building to see some refined examples of celadon, in lovely blue, green or off-white hues. If you want to see more, go to the main workshops in Soi 5, Th Chedi Liam and get some customised pieces.
reviewed
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DNK International
DNK International has contemporary Thai furniture and designer accessories based on older themes updated for form and function (including some fusion with Santa Fe styles). It also sells good antiques - all very tasteful and of high quality.
reviewed
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Chiang Mai Night Market
Chiang Mai Night Market is a fresh-food market that's particularly busy with locals shopping for takeaway Thai and northern Thai food. A night food market then sets up across the street next to the moat and stays open past midnight.
reviewed
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Hill-Tribe Products Promotion Centre
This royally sponsored project sells handmade hill-tribe crafts and touristy souvenirs. The embroidered dolls and small change purses make nice gifts for little girls. All the profits from sales go to hill-tribe welfare programs.
reviewed
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JJ Market
The brand new JJ Market is a street lined with designer shops of various descriptions, from small outlets selling unique jewellery and kitschy homewares, to bigger Thai names selling contemporary furniture and mod-Thai fashion.
reviewed
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Under the Bo
This decor shop carries many unique pieces of tribal art, including furniture, bronze and wood figures, woodcarvings and weavings. There’s another shop out on the road to Hang Dong in the Kad Farang shopping mall.
reviewed
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Y
Talat Thiphanet
Talat Thiphanet is a large municipal market that offers all manner of goods and sees surprisingly few tourists. A great place for a find. If you're after greenery the Chiang Mai Plant Market is just up the road.
reviewed
