Chiang Rai: Kad Luang Market

Kad Luang Chiang Rai Market, or Central Market, is the biggest and oldest local fresh market in Chiang Rai. It is located among the four well-known roads of Chiang Rai which are Rd. Thana Lai, Uttara Kit, Trairat, and Suk Sathit. The location of this market is very strategic, as it’s just a few minutes walk from some of the city’s top attractions, such as the Chiang Rai Clock Tower, the King Mangrai Monument, the Old Chiang Rai City Hall, etc. Moreover, the fact that Kad Luang Market has stalls both inside the building and outside along the surrounding alleys makes this market stand out and have a variety of products.

There is almost anything you need, such as clothes for any occasion, accessories, handicrafts, souvenirs, fruits and vegetables, meat, fresh fish, fast local foods, items used for religious ceremonies. The atmosphere of the market is very lively since Kad Luang Market is open almost 24 hours a day. The merchants constantly come to sell their products in the early morning, late afternoon, evening, and night. To enjoy and find what you are looking for in this market, the period of time that you visit the market is the key. Because the type of product depends on the time period.

At the break of dawn, the vendors will bring fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and rare wild edibles to sell on the roadside. These fruits and vegetables are sold in bulk, in baskets or bags, and at wholesale prices. Therefore, the main customers during this time period will be either smaller merchants or businesses that need to use fresh fruits and vegetables, such as restaurants.

In the afternoon, is the time when many shops in the building open their doors to welcome their customers. There are a variety of stores such as food, clothes, cosmetics, kitchenware, gold shops, electrical device shops, religious offerings, both dried and fresh food, toys, textiles, etc.

Evening is the busiest time of the market. Because there are many types of vendors. Many merchants bring cooking ingredients, such as fresh vegetables and fresh meat or fish, to sell. Some cook the food that they want to sell on the roadside while waiting for customers, for example, grilled fish and fried chicken. For some shops, they will come with food carts with ready-made food.

Lastly, during the night, porridge shops, noodle shops, and soybean milk shops will bring their carts to sell their products at the old clock tower near Kad Luang Market.

This article is a part of the class  “751309 Macro Economic 2” supervised by Asst. Prof. Napon Hongsakulvasu Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University

This article was written by Apichaya Poolpoka 651615063

Photos from:

นครเมืองเชียงราย. (2018) หอนาฬิกากาดหลวง อำเภอเมืองเชียงราย. Retrived December 12, 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/695986440520233/photos/a.695997253852485/1796400453812154/

เทศบาลนครเชียงราย. (n.d.). Retrived December 12, 2023, from https://www.chiangraicity.go.th/networknews/detail/3039

Steven’s Travel Penang. (2023). Exploring Kad Luang Chiang Rai Market – The Best Place to Shop and Eat like locals in Chiang Rai. 4K. Retrieved December 12, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwg_Pl-ik-o.