Hello from Bangkok!
I hope everyone has been well, and keeping warm back home! I am behind on my posts, and as you can tell from my greeting, I am in Bangkok! This post will be about two night markets in Chiang Mai, and then the following post, will be a short one about my time in Krabi. I stayed in Krabi for five days, but my post will be quick because all I did was relax at the beach and hotel.
To begin, there were a lot of souvenirs to buy at the night bazaar, but I planned to limit my spending in Chiang Mai and Krabi. I only packed a small carry on, and I planned to save my shopping for Bangkok. I recently purchased a large hard case suitcase on the street right before Terminal 21 (a large shopping mall in Bangkok) for 1,295 baht (~$43 USD), so I could take home souvenirs. You can always haggle with street venders for a lower price because you will see the same items everywhere in Thailand with varied prices. I did not get a good picture of the bazaar, but the night bazaar is located on Wua Lai Road. I did get a short video clip, but it is very shaky as the bazaar was crowded. As a general rule, no matter where you go in Thailand, there is always a place with multiple stalls of food nearby.
The Chiang Mai Saturday Night Market is open only on Saturdays, as the name implies, and is open from 4 PM – 11 PM. This market attracts more locals, so the prices tend to be lower compared to a tourist heavy market. I personally think there were more worth while things to purchase at this market such as tote bags, accessories, and less touristy items. I purchased two elephant coasters for a total of 100 baht (~$3 USD). This market was crowded, as the stalls are situated on either side of the road and people were stopping left and right to view items they wanted to purchase. I felt like a fish going down the road, following the flow of people, and going back to the entrance was a bit suffocating. If you have claustrophobia, this may be a bit of a test. Note: At the entrance of the Saturday Night Market there are food stalls, and I highly advise asking for the price of a food item before sitting down. Unfortunately, some food stall vendors try to get your order without disclosing the price/seating you at their table (consumer assumes that it would be about x baht since the same food item is x baht at another close food stall). Then the bill comes out, and you may find yourself paying 350 baht (~$12 USD) for a fish that should cost 200 baht (~$7 USD) at most.
That it is for Chiang Mai! I will try my best to make a post of all the little bits that I am leaving out here and there, in one last post, when I am back in the States. It will be a good time for me to reflect and write while recovering from the jet lag I am sure to have. My next post will be about Krabi, but until then, be safe and happy everyone!
SOPHROSYNE 