Chiang Mai Night Bazaar: Complete Visitor Guide

By Best:in Editorial Team · Updated September 2026

The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar runs along Chang Khlan Road east of the Old City moat and stays open roughly 6 pm to midnight most nights. As of September 2026 the complex still splits into three long-standing zones, Kalare, Anusarn Market, and the hotel-strip stalls, plus the newer Ploen Ruedee food market nearby. This guide covers location, hours, what each zone sells, and how to bargain.

Where is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar located and what area does it cover?

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar sits directly east of the city's Old City moat, on the Chang Khlan Road corridor that runs toward the Ping River. The market spans the length of that road, extending roughly from the head of Charoen Prathet Road down to the intersection with Sridonchai Road, a stretch of several hundred metres lined with stalls, arcades, and side alleys.

Locals sometimes call the area Kad Luang, meaning Royal Market, though that name is used loosely and should not be confused with the separate Warorot Market in the old commercial district. The whole strip is walkable in about 10 to 15 minutes from Tha Phae Gate, and songthaews and tuk-tuks run along Chang Klan Road all evening.

What time does the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar open and close?

Most listings agree the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar runs every day of the week, with the bulk of stalls opening around 6 pm and trading until roughly midnight. Individual sources give slightly different closing times: some list 6 pm to 11 pm, others 6 pm to 10:30 pm, and others describe it simply as open from dusk until around midnight, so exact closing time depends on the vendor and the night.

Weekends bring the largest crowds and the fullest stall count, so travellers who prefer to browse with more space should aim for a weeknight instead. Because the market sprawls across several sub-areas with separate management, some zones (Ploen Ruedee, for example) keep their own weekly closing day rather than following the main strip's daily schedule.

What are the main zones inside the Night Bazaar complex?

Long-time write-ups describe three central zones inside the main bazaar footprint: Kalare, Anusarn Market, and a third stretch of stalls running through the hotel zone along Chang Klan Road. Kalare occupies its own numbered complex (Kalare Night Bazaar 2) on Chang Klan Road between the Old City side and the Mae Ping River, and it operates every night of the week.

Anusarn Market sits further along the same corridor and is built around a large food court ringed by stalls selling handicrafts, clothing, and souvenirs. A separate, newer market called Ploen Ruedee (also written Phaploen) sits on Chang Klan Road as well, but it is run by Central Group as an open-air international food court rather than being one of the original three zones.

What can visitors buy and eat at the Night Bazaar?

Anusarn Market's food court carries Thai staples such as pad thai and mango sticky rice alongside skewered meats and seafood, plus Western options, and the surrounding stalls sell handicrafts, clothing, and general souvenirs. Kalare's stalls follow the same broad pattern as the rest of the strip: clothing, silverwork, hill-tribe textiles, leather goods, and tourist souvenirs sold from fixed booths rather than food-first stalls.

Ploen Ruedee leans further toward dining and evening entertainment: it is described as an international food market with live bands playing most nights, making it a better stop for a sit-down meal than for shopping. It runs Monday through Saturday from about 6 pm to midnight and is closed on Sundays, unlike the daily main bazaar strip.

How should visitors bargain and avoid overpaying?

  1. Compare a few stalls first

    Check two or three stalls selling the same item before committing, since neighbouring vendors along Chang Klan Road often carry near-identical clothing, bags, and souvenirs at different opening prices.

  2. Counter-offer instead of accepting the first price

    Open with an offer well below the asking price, expect a counter-offer, and settle somewhere in between; vendors in Kalare and along the main strip generally expect some back-and-forth on non-food items.

  3. Do not bargain over food

    Treat food-court prices at Anusarn Market and Ploen Ruedee as fixed, since bargaining is normal for clothing and handicraft stalls but not for cooked food or drinks.

  4. Carry small notes

    Carry small baht notes, since many stalls cannot break large bills quickly during busy evening hours, especially on weekend nights when the market is at its most crowded.

How does the Night Bazaar compare with Ploen Ruedee and other Chiang Mai night markets?

Within its own footprint, the Night Bazaar operates every night, while Ploen Ruedee, one of the newer additions on the same road, closes on Sundays and runs 6 pm to midnight the other six nights. That makes the older strip and Kalare the more reliable choice for a Sunday evening visit, since Ploen Ruedee will be shut.

Chiang Mai's night bazaar area has functioned as the city's main tourist shopping destination for roughly half a century, according to local write-ups, which puts it in a different category from the city's rotating weekend street markets that only run on specific days. Anusarn Market's food court gives the bazaar area a sit-down dining option that the open-stall sections of Kalare mostly lack.

How is this ranking computed?

  • Food and dining variety: 30%
  • Shopping and stall variety: 30%
  • Days per week open: 20%
  • Ease of access from Old City: 20%

Official sources

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