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Warorot Market
Warorot Market ตลาดวโรรส, Wichayanon Road, Chang Moi Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai, Thailand
One of they key tourist attractions in the increasingly popular city of Chiang Mai is the Warorot Market – an absolutely huge indoor market selling a dizzying array of items, from local foodstuffs, including Northern specialities, to local handicrafts, clothes and souvenirs. The market is incredibly good value, so much so that you will see the locals here doing their shopping, a good sign that this is a real working market selling decent quality goods and not an overpriced tourist trap.
What to See and Expect
The market consists of hundreds of individual vendors, you can buy almost anything at the Warorot market, and many stalls selling similar goods are clumped together, meaning that you can easily compare prices between vendors selling the same things. There is a large flower market, where many of the flowers have been painstakingly folded by hand to produce the beautiful Thai-style garlands which the locals buy to adorn their local temple when praying, to bring them good luck in life.
There is also a huge fruit shop which stocks a mind-boggling array of exotic Asian fruits, and a number of stalls in the side streets selling all manner of handicrafts, clothes and textiles produced by the local hill tribes. Many of the vendors will be willing to reduce their prices a little if asked, especially if buying several items at once, so this is a great time to try out your haggling skills. Don’t worry if you haven’t picked up Thai numbers just yet, every vendor will have a calculator which they can use to show you the price to avoid any confusion.
How to Get There
The market is located on Wichayanon road, which is only a few minutes walk from where the night bazaar is held, so depending on where you are staying you may well be able to walk there. If not, a motorcycle taxi should only cost 20-30 Baht ($0.65-$1) from inside Chiang Mai. You will see plenty of tuk-tuks and taxis close to the market, so getting a ride back after your shopping extravaganza should be a breeze. To avoid any confusion with your taxi driver, try to keep a business card from your hotel in your wallet which you can show him.
Opening Times and Admission Fee
With such a huge number of independent vendors, there is no single opening time for the market. Some stalls, like the flower and fruit shops will be open as early as 5am, but almost all stalls will be open after 8:30am. The market will be mostly wound down by 6pm. There is no admission fee or dress code.
