Chiang Mai: Sunday Market

The map and guidebooks said the Sunday Market would be up and running from 1pm or 2pm. We were within the Old City walls around noon. There were a spattering of people setting up stalls outside of the Old City walls but when we ventured onto Ratchadamnoen Road, there was nary a stall in sight.

It must be too early, we thought. It was the only logical explanation. So we did the next best thing: we went for brunch at the corner Mexican restaurant. We were in an hour. Not wanting to sit around and do nothing, I suggested we walk out anyway and check out whatever stalls were set up.

Still the same spattering of people outside the City walls, except that they were more organized now with more of their merchandise for show. Still not much activity on Ratchadamnoen Road. We decided to walk down it towards the Wat at the end of the road anyway. As we walked down, we came across more people just setting up stalls. Damn, it looked like this market would not get started until 4pm, most likely. As we walked, we discussed shopping strategy: we’d take a tuk-tuk to Central Department store where I could go crazy over the bras and then we’d head back after I’d just about emptied the store of their bra collection.

I found more than bras. Hubby went walking around the mall while I was trying on armfuls of bras. He stumbled across an enclave of shops similar to those found in Sungai Wang and eagerly showed me his find (I didn’t know hubby enjoyed looking for treasure as much as I did). As we walked around the little enclave of about 30 or so stores, I realized not for the first time that Thailand must be where all the merchandisers in KL go to for clothes. Other than Korea and Hong Kong. I swear the little boutiques in that mall have the exact line of clothes as most of the funky shops in Sungai Wang. And for much less as well. A top that you’d find for say, RM40 or RM50 in KL, you’d pay about half or thirty percent of the price in Chiang Mai. And probably less if you buy wholesale at the Pratunam Market in Bangkok.

I wasn’t in the mood for bargaining though, and more than happy with my bra purchase, so I walked out of the mall with only one top from that enclave of shops.

It was dark by the time we left the mall. It wasn’t very late, probably about 7pm or so. We took a song tao back to the Sunday Market. By the time we got there, the market was in full swing. What were empty roads were now totally cramped and taken up with hawkers and stalls and all manner of bric-brats and people. The Market was so huge that it spilled out onto the adjoining roads leading off Ratchadamnoen Road. It was so full of people and so huge that it was quite mind-boggling. There were silk scarves, cotton scarves, trendy clothes, ethnic tribal clothes, picture frames, accessories, bangles, cards, pad thai, fried ramen, oranges, fisherman pants, cotton clothes, lamps, decorative lights, trinkets, earrings, foam “sandwich” notebooks, scented oil, soaps, essential oils, kitchen accessories, necklaces, fruits, incense, bookmarks, gifts, painting, T-shirts, slippers and shoes, food, bags, housewares, wine holders and people, people, people everywhere, locals, tourists, foreigners, young and old. At certain places, the crowd was so thick and intense that it was as if you were stuck in a wave of people and you could not move but had to follow the wave in whichever direction it was going. If you thought pasar malams here are a joy to navigate, you really should head down to Ratchadamnoen Road on a Sunday. It is a madhouse!

By the time we were done with the market, it was close to 11pm and we had more than enough shopping bags on our arms. Once out of the City walls, we hailed a tuk tuk. By sheer coincidence, it turned out that we had hailed the same tuk tuk driver who had driven us home to the hotel two nights ago from Anusarn market. What were the odds? There he was, moonfaced and whistling in his sweatshirt. He was surprised and smiled when we stepped up to his tuk tuk. I exclaimed to hubby, “Hey!! He’s the same guy from the other night!” . I couldn’t stop thinking about kismet. I mean, in a city with so many tuk tuks and even more tourists, what were the chances of us hailing the same tuk tuk twice, each in different locations? It’s kismet, I say.

I was still amazed when he dropped us off at the hotel gates, which were by now locked at this late hour. After scrimmaging around at the bottom of the gates, I found the lock and let us in.

I would say that it was the best day we’ve had for shopping and I was more than happy with my main purchase of the day: an armful of comfy lacy affordable bras (average price of RM45) and none of the horrendously padded contraptions you find back home for RM90 or more.

Tomorrow would be a day of relaxing; we’d have about 5 hours’ worth of a spa package to finish up: steam room, body rub, body wrap, facial massage, manicure and a pedicure.

What a holiday!