Other than numerous Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, the northern province of Thailand is also known for its night bazaars and day / night markets that open on weekends only. Saturday Night Market, a.k.a. Wua Lai Walking Street or Wua Lai Night Market, is one of the busiest night markets of Chiang Mai and near to the historical city.
Wua Lai Night Market starts at one end of Wua Lai Road, close to an old city gate known as Chiang Mai Gate, and stretches till its other end, a road junction with Thipanet Road. Chiang Mai Gate Market, next to the old gate, which opens daily after 4pm till 2am, technically extended the walking street to it. Apart from local produces and handicrafts sold in the market, there are food stalls lining the road outside the market too.
Opposite Chiang Mai Gate Market, in an open area above the city moat, are cooked food stalls with tables and chairs for their customers. Most Thai local noodle and rice dishes can be found here.
Wua Lai Walking Street starts at the road intersection after crossing Chang Lor Road. Stalls with handicrafts, confectionery, clothings, head gears, arts, etc, lined both sides of Wua Lai Road. Local produces such as dried fruits, coffee beans, flavoured tea, etc, are great gifts to bring home too.
During the night market on every Saturday nights, Wua Lai Walking Street is out of bound to all vehicles and pets. Smoking, vaping and liquor consumption along the walking street are also prohibited.
Other than stalls selling light snacks, confectionery, tidbits, etc, that can be seen along the main road, most smokey or heavy food stalls are concentrated in "food centres" or "food corners" off the road. Free-seating tables and chairs are also provided for diners.
Eating street food is definitely a must at the night market. The well-managed night market ensures food can be consumed in a clean and pollution-free environment. There are tons of street food to try along the walking street, especially grilled food that includes grilled squids and popular Thai pork sausages, chicken sausages and rice sausages too. Savour the tasty snacks with Thai spices.
Other than grilled foodstuffs, there are also Thai-popular Thai wonton noodle, khao kha moo (pork leg with rice), khanom krok (coconut-rice pancake), dumplings, seafood, desserts, and the list goes on. For adventurous visitors, try the fried insects and fried scorpions — apart from being a source of proteins, they make the night in Chiang Mai unforgettable.
Don't miss out trying some crocodile meat on skewers — find the greeting crocodile. Crocodiles are bred in Thailand for their skins and their meat are not wasted. Crocodile meat is known to be a superfood and a good low-fat alternative to other meats — it's basically a type of fish, with 4 legs...
One more thing, the famous Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple), located along Wua Lai Road too, is specially opened on Saturday nights till late. The sacred Silver Temple will be beautifully lit up at night, which offers different sights from when viewed in the day. Note that admission fees may be required for foreigners and do dressed appropriately.
Have fun strolling, shopping and eating along Wua Lai Walking Street. And also visiting the Silver Temple. It makes a series of wonderful things to do for a Saturday evening in Chiang Mai.
Address:
Wua Lai Road, Haiya Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
Opening Hours:
6pm to 11pm | Opens on Saturday only
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