The Night Bazaar Is Dying If Not Dead!

[PlaShadow]

I just posted about this subject on another thread, just moments before this thread was open. I agree with the title, "Replying to The Night Bazaar Is Dying If Not Dead!", but I would actually just say "The Nigh Bazaar is Dead".

Unfortunately the truth is that finally the copycat mentality, laziness and absolute lack of innovation is catching up with many of Chiang Mai's tourist shops and manufacturers.

A friend of mine from Canada needed a waist belt last week, went to Night Bazaar and was offered a "special price for you" (crap), and turned out to be same price as same type belt in Vancouver. Needless to say, nothing was bought/sold and my friend drove to Lotus.

Conclusion, the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar has outlived its days and with the current mentality and set up, will go the same way as the small retailers versus Tesco/Big C/Carrefour.

[Donnyboy]

I just posted about this subject on another thread, just moments before this thread was open. I agree with the title, "Replying to The Night Bazaar Is Dying If Not Dead!", but I would actually just say "The Nigh Bazaar is Dead".

Unfortunately the truth is that finally the copycat mentality, laziness and absolute lack of innovation is catching up with many of Chiang Mai's tourist shops and manufacturers.

A friend of mine from Canada needed a waist belt last week, went to Night Bazaar and was offered a "special price for you" (crap), and turned out to be same price as same type belt in Vancouver. Needless to say, nothing was bought/sold and my friend drove to Lotus.

Conclusion, the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar has outlived its days and with the current mentality and set up, will go the same way as the small retailers versus Tesco/Big C/Carrefour.

I agree and disagree to your points.

how you explain the success of JJ market or MBK in BKK then? Many items from the CM-NB are found at JJ. Just different layout. And less stalls. And one great big road running down the middle.

The only items that CM-NB doesnt have that I know of, are live animals, and more variety of tees, jeans, bags,etc, and electronics.

My guess is that the CM-NB would be better if the road was closed or traffic restricted so it was more pedestrian friendly, and they had some temporary bars set up and seating, something like Jackies Van and a spruce up of those awful looking stalls with dirty plastic coverings all over them.

hope the CM-NB stays thou.

Edited January 15, 2008 by Donnyboy

[Ricardo]

The Night Bazaar is Dead ?

OMG !

Where will all the wooden-frog ladies move to ?

...Coming Soon, to a previously-unspoilt tourist-venue, near you ...

[SamSipEt]

Agree that the Night Bazaar is on a downward spiral and what happens when Le Meridian opens (April?) will they allow the stalls to remain on the pavement around their plush new hotel? Not their pavement but maybe the stall owners will be asked to move on.

[anonymouse]

The Night Bazaar is Dead ?

OMG !

Where will all the wooden-frog ladies move to ?

...Coming Soon, to a previously-unspoilt tourist-venue, near you ...

Carrefour sell them now, so there should be no worries about obtaining one if needed

[Loaded]

I heard that the old cinema/theatre on the junction where Changklan Rd becomes two-way is going to be developed into a boutique style shopping centre with units from 8K THB per month. With that small development of market stalls opposite it seems the balance of the night bazaar is going upmarket and moving further along Changklan.

[Donnyboy]

Agree that the Night Bazaar is on a downward spiral and what happens when Le Meridian opens (April?) will they allow the stalls to remain on the pavement around their plush new hotel? Not their pavement but maybe the stall owners will be asked to move on.

the stalls currently on the boundry line will go once the hotel opens, but the ones on the pavement-roadside will stay I understand.

[Donnyboy]

The Night Bazaar is Dead ?

OMG !

Where will all the wooden-frog ladies move to ?

...Coming Soon, to a previously-unspoilt tourist-venue, near you ...

Carrefour sell them now, so there should be no worries about obtaining one if needed

what the frogs or ladies?

[anonymouse]

The Night Bazaar is Dead ?

OMG !

Where will all the wooden-frog ladies move to ?

...Coming Soon, to a previously-unspoilt tourist-venue, near you ...

Carrefour sell them now, so there should be no worries about obtaining one if needed

what the frogs or ladies?

[Niloc]

Several posters have mentioned Anursan (Anusarn?) market. We are coming down to CM next week and would like to have a look, where exactly is it?

[Loaded]

Several posters have mentioned Anursan (Anusarn?) market. We are coming down to CM next week and would like to have a look, where exactly is it?

If you exit left from McDonalds on Changklan Rd and then walk along for around 100 meters, you'll see the entrance on your left.

Edited January 16, 2008 by Loaded

[realthaideal]

"Carrefour sell them now, so there should be no worries about obtaining one if needed "

Newsflash to all Akha frog vendors n Carrefour for that matter: Hey, guess how many wooden frogs I need ? None. Ever.

And...actually the frog-vendor trinkets-in-your-face Akhas clogging up the foot traffic along the sides of the NB are like the rot daengs (songtaews) in the roads. Overkill, largely useless, taking up space in a heavy traffic environment. Sometimes I'll catch a juggernaut of 4 frog ladies talking or hawking frogs to the North, East, West, n South of them causing as big a fustercluck as the 5 rot daengs I had to get thru going by Maharat today, each with about one passenger per truck. Waste of space, and general detractor of what could otherwise be a little bit better experience.

[Donnyboy]

"Carrefour sell them now, so there should be no worries about obtaining one if needed "

Newsflash to all Akha frog vendors n Carrefour for that matter: Hey, guess how many wooden frogs I need ? None. Ever.

And...actually the frog-vendor trinkets-in-your-face Akhas clogging up the foot traffic along the sides of the NB are like the rot daengs (songtaews) in the roads. Overkill, largely useless, taking up space in a heavy traffic environment. Sometimes I'll catch a juggernaut of 4 frog ladies talking or hawking frogs to the North, East, West, n South of them causing as big a fustercluck as the 5 rot daengs I had to get thru going by Maharat today, each with about one passenger per truck. Waste of space, and general detractor of what could otherwise be a little bit better experience.

so an Akha hat is out of the question too?

[JimsKnight]

I go there often for DVDs.

Yeah, I once went there to get 'em as well, until I found the quality sucked big time.

I get mine from Central now...

NP seems to be getting bigger though! It's like a crawling, sprawling virus that seems to spread it's tendrils further out into CM with each passing month!

Yet the bars do indeed seem to be dead and boring.

Pantip Plaza is another sterile zone, once you hit the second floor over half the space is all vacant and closed (lack of business I guess).

[Johpa]

Conclusion, the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar has outlived its days and with the current mentality and set up, will go the same way as the small retailers versus Tesco/Big C/Carrefour.

But this same thread indicates that Anusorn Market has risen from the dead an so I am certain that in a few years the night market might also re-invent itself yet again. Besides, where else on the planet can you take young children to watch Thai boxing and a female impersonator style Cabaret show at the same time?

[Ulysses G.]

I go there often for DVDs.

Yeah, I once went there to get 'em as well, until I found the quality sucked big time.

I get mine from Central now...

All you have to do is tell the vendors that you are only interested in perfect quality. and that you will bring anything else back. I have never had a dud and when the ragged looking ones finally turn gold, they always tell me right away!

[Allyt]

If Chiang Mai & other places mentioned are declining in their popularity, maybe it is because there are too many farangs living there!

In the last few years, we always had a good excuse why High Season wasn't so high: SARS, Bird Flu, The Flower Show. This year there are no good excuses. We have to face facts that tourism to Thailand is decreasing for some reason.

Is the Government capable of doing anything to lure them back?

probably more likely to be a CM problem, as what I have heard Samui and Phuket are packed full at the moment.

Ally

"Another farang"

[Ulysses G.]

If Chiang Mai & other places mentioned are declining in their popularity, maybe it is because there are too many farangs living there!

Only one problem with your theory, there are way more farangs living in Phuket and business there seems to be quite good.

[JimsKnight]

I hardly see that many farangs in CM these days that are expats, most are dispersed all over the province and don't hang out that much like the old days.

It's the tourists that create this illusion of there being masses of farang about.

UG, yeah I need to use that tactic with the DVDs but the problem is I'm too lazy to drag myself back into the NM with its seething mass of humanity buzzing all over the place

[p1p]

Only one problem with your theory, there are way more farangs living in Phuket and business there seems to be quite good.

Phukey, (Fuket?) Farangs tend to be much wealthier than those in CM though. They are able to support more businesses.

UG, yeah I need to use that tactic with the DVDs but the problem is I'm too lazy to drag myself back into the NM with its seething mass of humanity buzzing all over the place

Last few times I wandered into the Bizarre, there were very few tourists there.

[Donnyboy]

Only one problem with your theory, there are way more farangs living in Phuket and business there seems to be quite good.

Phukey, (Fuket?) Farangs tend to be much wealthier than those in CM though. They are able to support more businesses.

UG, yeah I need to use that tactic with the DVDs but the problem is I'm too lazy to drag myself back into the NM with its seething mass of humanity buzzing all over the place

Last few times I wandered into the Bizarre, there were very few tourists there.

Im usually hanging around the NB daily, and have noticed that this high season isnt as busy. My personal indicator is the personal space between people- I call it elbow room, previous years it was elbow to elbow for long periods, with tourists everywhere. This season its only very very brief time where its elbow to elbow, and in certain spots where its elbow to elbow.