9 Amazing Chiang Mai Markets, Walking Streets and Flea Markets [2022]

Chiang Mai is known for its bustling markets with vendors hawking everything from fresh produce to street food and colorful handmade clothing.

These street markets can be found in various locations across the city. Some have established permanent locations in large covered buildings, while others have temporary stands that must be re-assembled each day.

Whether they’re selling fresh flowers or meat on a stick, these Chiang Mai markets are great places to get acquainted with the local food and cultural traditions of Northern Thailand.

But with so many options available in Chiang Mai, how do you know which ones to choose? And if they’re even open during the pandemic?

This list includes the best markets in Chiang Mai and the current operating status as of January 2022.

Map of the Markets in Chiang Mai

The Best Chiang Mai Markets in 2022

When my husband Daniel and I visited Chiang Mai for a couple of months this winter, I tried to visit as many markets and walking streets as possible (while wearing a mask, of course).

I was a bit surprised by what I learned. Some markets were closed and others were thriving. Still others operated on such a limited basis that it wasn’t really worth stopping by.

These were my favorites:

Chiang Mai Sunday Market (Tha Pae Walking Street)

• Opening hours: Sundays from 4:00 pm to 11:30 pm
• Location: Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Pae Gate to the Wat Pra Singh Temple

The city’s biggest and most well-known market, the Chiang Mai Sunday Market reopened its doors to visitors in late 2021. This weekly market takes place in the center of Chiang Mai’s Old City on Ratchadamnoen Road.

This famous walking street features all kinds of homemade crafts and goods for sale by local Thai people. From silk shirts to sandals and baggy Thai pants, you can find all sorts of things for sale at the Chiang Mai Sunday Market.

Be sure to come hungry if you like street food. There is no shortage of food vendors at the market which tend to be clustered together in makeshift food halls at various temples. You can also take a break for a foot massage or pause to listen to live music by street musicians.

COVID-19 Regulations: you must be vaccinated to enter the Sunday Market and wear a mask. Check points are located at each entrance to verify each visitor’s vaccination status as well as to scan temperatures and gather contact tracing information. These entrances are staffed and the requirements are enforced.

Warorot Market (Kad Luang)

• Opening hours: Every day from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
• Location: the city block bordered by Chang Moi Road, Wichayanon Road, Kuang Men Road and Lao Chou Alley.

Warorot Market is a bustling 3-floor market located in a large building that spills into the streets outside. Also known as the Kad Luang, which means big market in Thai, the market sells a variety of local products and Northern Thai food such as Thai sausages and green pepper chile paste.

Warorot also sells various kinds of flowers, dried foods, souvenirs and an endless variety of clothing.

Outside the market, you can find fresh produce stalls on one side and an alley specializing in Chinese and Hmong local products and handicrafts on the other side.

At night, Wichayanon Road is filled with street food vendors hawking a variety of traditional northern Thai food.

COVID-19 Regulations: COVID checkpoints are located at each market entrance to scan temperatures and gather contact tracing information. Masks must be worn at all times.

Chiang Mai South Gate Market (Bumrung Buri Market)

• Opening hours: Every day from morning to late at night
• Location: Intersection of Bumrung Buri Road and Prapokkloa Road at the Chiang Mai Gate

Chiang Mai South Gate Market is another large covered market offering a wide selection of fresh produce, quick meals, and dry goods. Located next to the Chiang Mai Gate (South Gate) in Chiang Mai’s Old Town, the shopping area tends to draw fewer tourists than some of the city’s other larger markets.

Like the Warorot market, vendors and stalls spill outside of the covered area into the streets and alleys outside. Here, you can find a variety of fresh fish, meat and produce from local vendors outside the city. Another makeshift shopping area near the gate features vendors selling clothing.

At night, street food vendors fill Bumrung Buri Road in front of the covered market entrance.

COVID-19 Regulations: COVID checkpoints are located at each market entrance to scan temperatures. Masks must be worn at all times.

Chang Phuak Gate Night Market

• Opening hours: Every day from 6:00 pm until late
• Location: Intersection of Manee Nopparat Road and Changhuak Road at the Chang Phuak Gate

This small market has one specialty: street food. Located on the opposite side of the moat from the Chang Phuak Gate (North Gate), the nightly market hosts a variety of food stalls selling everything from fruit shakes to Thai omelets.

One of the best-known vendors here is the Lady in the Cowboy Hat. She was featured in an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations television show when he visited Chiang Mai in 2014. Her specialty is a khao ka moo, a dish of stewed pork leg that is served over rice with a boiled egg and pickled greens.

I’ve eaten at her stand several times now and it is *amazing*.

COVID-19 Regulations: Masks must be worn at all times except when sitting at a table to eat food.

Lam Chang Walking Street (Kad Lam Chang)

• Opening hours: Every Friday, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
• Location: Along Ratvithi Alley from Ratvithi Road to Moon Muang Road Lane 7

The Lam Chang Walking Street is a small neighborhood affair that runs through a colorful alley in Old Town. Every Friday night, the street is closed to vehicle traffic and transforms into a bustling walking street.

This is a much smaller walking street than the bigger ones on Saturday and Sunday nights. It has more of a local/neighborhood vibe and is a fun alternative if you want to skip the big crowds.

COVID-19 Regulations: COVID checkpoints are located at each market entrance to scan temperatures. Masks must be worn at all times.

Riverside Flower Market (Ton Lamyai)

• Opening hours: Every day, 24 hours a day
• Location: Intersection of Praisanee Road and Chang Moi Road

Located one block away from the Warorot Market along the river, Ton Lamyai is a bustling market filled with blooms in every color. Here, you can find a bouquet of blossoms for your sweetie or a brightly colored garland to place at a Buddhist temple.

COVID-19 Regulations: Masks must be worn at all times.

Jing Jai Farmers Market

• Opening hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 6:30 am to 1:00 pm
• Location: 45 Atsadathon Road

Jing Jai Farmers Market (known as JJ’s Market by the locals) is a lively weekend market that specializes in organic fruits and vegetables. A variety of dry goods, clothing, handicrafts and other local goods are also available for sale.

Located 1.5 km north of the Old Town gate on Atsadathon Road, Jing Jai stands apart from the other markets in Chiang Mai as being the most upscale. The market is located on a large private lot and there is plenty of room for both vendors and shoppers so no one feels crowded.

The market also has an impressive selection of food trucks serving specialty coffee, along with a live band.

COVID-19 Regulations: COVID checkpoints are located at each market entrance to scan temperatures and take photos of each person entering. Masks must be worn at all times (except when eating).

Somphet Market

• Opening hours: Every day, 5:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Location: Intersection of Mun Mueang Rd and Moon Muang Road Lane 6

Somphet Market is a small covered market specializing in fresh vegetables, along with fresh meats, street food, clothing and other bric-a-brac.

One of the smaller markets in Chiang Mai, Somphet is relatively unknown and typically doesn’t draw big crowds.

COVID-19 Regulations: Masks must be worn at all times.

Muang Mai Market

• Opening hours: Everyday, 6:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Location: Wichayanon Road in the Chang Moi neighborhood

Muang Market is Chiang Mai’s largest market for wholesale fruit and produce. The market consists of a large building filled with wholesale vendors, plus hundreds of smaller vendors selling produce on the streets outside.

Muang Market is where the locals go, and it shows. The streets are packed with pedestrians and mopeds with sidecars that are full of produce. It’s a great place to wander around and feel the hum of everyday life in Northern Thailand.

COVID-19 Regulations: Masks must be worn at all times.

Closed or Reduced-Capacity Markets

The following Chiang Mai markets were either closed or reduced in size to the point that I don’t really recommend attending them at this time.

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar (Chiang Mai Night Market) – Open (sort of)

• Opening hours: Every day from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm
• Location: Intersection of Changklan Road and Loi Kroh Road

The Night Bazaar is typically one of the biggest and best markets in Chiang Mai. Located just east of Old Town at the intersection of Changklan and Loi Kroh Roads, the market typically runs for blocks along the sidewalks in either direction on every night of the week.

These days, the market isn’t really much to speak of. While *technically* open, the night bazaar only had a handful of vendors the last couple of times I visited.

Ploen Ruedee Night Market was temporarily closed last I checked, which is a food hall in the middle of the Night Bazaar.

Hopefully, this will eventually turn around after the pandemic gets further under control. Until then, I wouldn’t bother visiting this market.

Chiang Mai Saturday Night Market (Wualai Walking Street) – Closed

• Opening hours: Every Saturday from 4:00 pm to 11:30 pm
• Location: Wualai Road

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

The Wualai Market is Chiang Mai’s second-largest walking street and usually takes place on Saturday nights. While I’ve never seen it for myself, it is reputed to be less crowded than the Sunday night market.

Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see it for myself if it opens back up again.