Saturday Night Market

This is when the city’s night market scene is the most alive - Thanalai Road is closed to traffic and transforms into a delightful walking street, with the nightly bazaar not far away. Keep your bellies empty before you head to this night market affair with the most amount of food stalls, and satiate your hunger feasting on delicious Thai snacks!

The highlight of the Saturday Night Market is a Thai line-dancing performance held at the open square. Watch as performers moves perfectly in sync with the music, and revel in the cordial atmosphere made by enthusiastic locals and fellow visitors. There’s also an open area where you can just sit back and enjoy the festivities as you indulge in the street food you’ve bought before.

When: Saturdays, 4pm – 12am

Getting there: The Saturday Night Market starts along Thanalai Road, but the easiest way to access the market is from Chiang Rai’s opulent clock tower. You definitely can’t miss the clock tower that glows brightly in the night!

Sunday Night Market

On Sundays evenings, San Khong Noi Road or San Khong Happy Street turns into another exciting walking street where all the action happens! While the Sunday Night Market is slightly smaller in size than the Saturday instalment, it also tends to be less crowded. Those who want to avoid the crowds will find the Sunday Night Market more appealing.



At the Sunday Night Market, you can also try out some of the local Thai street food from the many stalls dotting the night market. For the more adventurous ones, you can try having a taste of this famous Thai street snack: fried insects. A good and cheap source of protein, you may want to start with nhon mai (silkworms).

Eat your street food in comfort, as there are also tables at the Sunday Night Market, located near the open area of the market where performances are held. A special feature of the Sunday Night Market is the traditional Lanna culture show, a performance unique to Thailand’s northern region. If the Lanna culture show is not on, enjoy watching local talents busk and showcase their vocal skills. With so much entertainment, it’s hard to get bored at the Sunday Night Market!

When: Sundays, 6pm – 10pm

Getting there: The Sunday Night Market is located just behind the busy Sankhongnoi Road on the western side of Chiang Rai’s city centre. Before heading to the Sunday Night Market, why not make a visit next door to the Oub Kham Museum? Spend an hour or two here understanding the ancient history of the northern Thailand region, before making your way to have dinner at the Sunday Night Market.