Antiques and Crafts in Chiang Mai
Intro |
The Old City |
Wua Lai |
San Kamphaeng Road-Bo Sang |
Hang Dong-Ban Thawai
A practiced hand in silver
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Searching for unique, finely-crafted items in the greater Chiang Mai area?
We've made it easy for you!
Here, you'll see a comprehensive list of the best Chiang Mai has to offer.
In addition, if your interest is specific to art galleries, lacquerware, markets, silver, or terra cotta, just jump directly to the destination links below.
The best of Chiang Mai's antiquities and crafts shops are to be found in outlying neighborhoods of Chiang Mai, and nearby villages.
It's not always easy to find the unique, as many shops in central Chiang Mai sell nearly identical goods.
Potters at Baan Celadon
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In the Old City, you'll find dozens of shops that deal in tribal offerings from Akha, Lisu, Mien, Lahu and other groups, but there is a certain sameness to the fare, and you really have to get out of the city to find some of the more unique items.
The vaunted Night Bazaar, consisting of dozens of shops under a covered arcade (as well as numerous others in adjacent streets), was, to us, disappointing.
While many outlying Chiang Mai shops have annexes in the Night Bazaar, we have found their best is not to be found there, and you really have to go to their main shops outside of Chiang Mai proper.
Three of the most important areas "outside the moat" are the Wua Lai district, which is south of the moat and particularly well-known for silverwork, the San Kamphaeng Road-Bo Sang route, and the Hang Dong-Ban Thawai area.
The last two are located at opposite ends of the city, and should be visited on separate days.
To fully explore them, we'd recommend one day for Hang Dong, and at least two days for San Kamphaeng.
Wua Lai can be done in half a day, and can be easily walked from the southern moat area.
To explore these great antiques and crafts destinations in and around Chiang Mai, click on the links below:
The Old City
Wua Lai
San Kamphaeng Road-Bo Sang
Hang Dong-Ban Thawai