Markets of Chiang Mai

I'd be very glad to prove that by visiting local markets you encounter the most authentic scenery of local life, but in fact there are different kinds that bring you totally different experience.

Sompet Market, located at the north-east of the Old City, is basically a daytime food market. It's a small place where all Thai Cook School students come to pick products for their Day Cooking Course (as if one day is enough to learn basics of Thai Cousine, although such Schools you can meet on the street almost as often as massage salon). Selection is not great here, prices are a bit higher than in other markets. It opens early in the morning, that's the only time when you have a chance to buy fresh meat. By noon you can buy grilled fish (from 60 baht) and other traditional "bag food" from big metallic bowls, including curries, cooked veggies and meat (from 20 baht per portion). Choice of fruit is limited to Pomelo (from 30 per pc), Pineapple (30 pc but clean yourself)), Watermelon (10 baht/kilo) and a few other, but just one or two stands, so no bargaining.

Warorot Market, instead, covers a massive territory. Here you can buy everything from raw products to numbers of cooked foods; from a plastic plate to a ring of gold. This market is open from morning to 5.30-6 pm, and right before the closure it becomes a massive canteen, with all dishes possible to cook in Thailand with "dine-in" (if I may call it so))))) to or take away options.
Pomelo -  30 (but bigger)), watermelon - 30, tangerines - 40 per kilo, date plum - 15bht for 6 pc, grapes, dragon fruits and many other.

Nearby there's a big flower market, in case you want to please someone beloved or make a day for beloved yourself))







Night Bazaar is a fully served tourist area with lots of not cheap international restaurants and relatively cheap clothes and souvenirs. Indeed, it's much cheaper than back home, but not comparing to what was going on here a few years ago. Still, if you friends fancy T-Shirts with "Same Same - But Different" prints, you'd better get it here.

In a few shops inside of Night Bazaar building you can still find really interesting crafts from Tibet and Nepal, but you have to look for them big time, and the prices will not be too low as these merchandisers know they sell valuable items.

Another option - Sunday Market. Every Sunday after the dawn Rachadamnoen road is closed for driving and transformed into a huge walking street. I'd say that the goods that they sell are much more interesting than the Night Bazaar's selection. Crafts, silks, unique items - all seem very tempting. Even I, a person who hates useless stuff, wanted to buy a lovely statue of Buddha)) A bit away from the main "action" you'll see bunches of cheap clothes, and quality is pretty decent.
As for the foods, they're sold everywhere, in all possible varieties. Recommended!