Fashion & Shopping in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a great place for holiday shopping and has many hundreds of independently owned stores and high-street chains selling a vast range of goods, throughout the main towns.

There are also a number of specialist shops, including jewellers, art galleries, toy stores, antiques dealers and seaside gift shops, as well as countless boutiques.
Thailand has a rich tradition of handicrafts, developed over centuries of combining local materials, indigenous technology, and skills from Chinese and Indian merchants. Drawing on such ancient technologies and the abundance of hardwoods, precious metals and stones, raw materials (for fabrics and dyes), and bamboo and clay, modern craftsmen have refined traditional techniques and now cater their wares to the modern market. Below is a breakdown of what you might find.

Shopping Malls

There are several shopping malls in Chiang Mai worth checking out. With its proximity to the airport, Central Airport Plaza is arguably the most popular. With a selection of international stores and local Lanna style markets, Central Plaza offers a good mix of traditional and contemporary options and is a great place to pick up any last-minute souvenirs you may have forgotten.

A few glitzy western style malls have also recently popped up in Chiang Mai. With over 300 stores and 250 sqm of floor space spread over 70 acres, Central Festival is Chiang Mai’s biggest mall. There are plenty of entertainment options at “Fest,” as it’s known locally, including a world-class cinema on the fifth floor and an ice skating rink on the third floor, making it a great way to spend the day. Here you’ll find local designer brands as well as international brands, including H&M, Marks & Spencer, and Topshop/Topman.