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Welcome to the Laidback Charm of the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
How did I feel after two days of filming, to finally make my way into the Chiang Rai night Market? Simply put, pleasantly surprised. After wading through the crowds of the Chiang Mai and Bangkok Nights Markets, it was a breath of fresh air to retreat to the more spacious, laidback and comforting confines of the Chiang Rai Night Market.
A Fusion of Farang and Locals
I didn’t feel pressured. I didn’t feel like the locals were trying to gouge me. In fact, there was a friendliness and welcoming that I have rarely found in the big tourist markets. The market had a pleasant mosaic of locals and expats and this reflected the welcoming atmosphere of the market. That cliche corporate rhetoric “we are all family here” actually is fairly accurate in this case.
Where to Find the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
The Chiang Rai Night Bazaar is located in the heart of Chiang Rai between Bus Terminal 1 and Phaholyothin Road, an easy walking distance from any of the plethora of hotels and hostels in Chiang Rai. The entrance, a reflection of the city’s famed White Temple, greets you down a long alleyway, lined with vendors, shops and hawkers selling their wares.
A Plethora of Selection at the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
However this is just a mere sidequest. At the heart of the market is a fortress of stalls ranging from slow cooked pork ribs, plates of pad thai and baskets of crustaceans for you to engorge on while listening to covers of 1980s American and European pop classics.
Easy-Going Isaan Dining and Outdoor Lounge
For a more formal experience, attached is a traditional sit-down restaurant, serving spicy and succulent Northern Thai, Isaan food. Sitting out in the open air, a stage performance of traditional Thai dancing and a cold beer with ice perspiring in my hand was the anecdote for the long day of travel and filming.
My Charming Auntie Has my Heart at the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
One final note, the locals were very charming. On the perimeter of the market was an aunt who persuaded me to do my farang diligence and purchase two sleeveless Chang and 7-11 shirts. After stabbing my stomach several times, she determined that I was a 4XL. All that walking, the brief surge of self confidence, destroyed in a single second of aunties unrelenting honesty. I bought both shirts for 300 Baht (200 each normal price 😉
I have officially assimilated.
Thailand Walks 