CHINA TOWN & FLOWER MARKET

Chiang Mai Chinatown is where the locals shop for everyday groceries. The main road is Chang Moi, but you will discover many other side roads and alleys lined with other shops and stalls. Chinatown is packed full of street vendors, side markets and large indoor shops that sell fruit and vegetables, snack foods, clothes, fresh cooked meals, sweet shops, flowers, household goods, and just about everything you could want. Ton Lam Yai Market (Yai means big) and Warorot Market (ตลาด วโรรส) off Wichayanon Road are two of several large markets. Buy anything here and you pay cheap local prices. There are many other busy arcarde style malls off the main road tucked behind the street vendors who have taken over half of the sidewalk and spilling over onto the roadside.
Located at the end of Chang Moi Road at Praisanee Road is the busy intersection where China Town finishes. I suggest using the nearby overhead foot bridge to get to the other side of this large busy intersection and avoid the chaotic traffic. Here you will find the flower market stalls lined up on the side of Praisanee Road which borders Chiang Mai's Ping River. The market is extensive, and if you walk south all the way around the bend of the road to the end of this market, you will come across the magnificent Pung Thao Kong Shrine. You will see elaborate red and green and gold decorations on the striking lion and dragon gateway entry and the pillars and chinese style pagodas inside this shrine.
The Chang Moi / Praisanee Road intersection also has red, blue, yellow and white songthaews that provide transport to areas around and outside of the city for locals and tour services for tourists to popular places like Doi Suthep, Phuping Palace, Bo Sang to see the famous Umbrella factories, as well as caves, hotsprings and waterfalls. 

Because Chiang Mai RTC route names and service routes can change, you should check using the recommended ViaBus app which you can download to your mobile phone.

You can then be assured of hopping onto the right bus in the right direction!

The closest bus stop for Chinatown is the Warorot Market RTC which is in the center of Chinatown. This is the R2 bus service which runs along Chang Moi Road

It's a short walk to Warorot Market, also known as Kad Luang. The RTC R3 bus also stops in Chinatown at the Ton Lam Yai Market.

These bus services regularly run throughout Chiang Mai city. It's the cheapest transport option, and ensure you have the correct fare on you.

If you are going to use the bus often then a pre-paid Rabbit Card would be very convenient. You simply tap it on the card reader in the bus.

You can buy Rabbit Cards at RTC counters at major shopping malls, Chiang Mai International Airport, and some-times directly from the bus driver.

Easier but much more expensive options are to use the Grab or Bolt app to instantly book a taxi ride or hail a tuk-tuk. Grab is the app used almost everwhere, Bolt is used more in larger cities, Uber does not operate in Thailand. Tell the driver “Kad Luang”, “Warorot Market, or “Ton Lam Yai Market”.

Chinatown Songthaew Hub:
You will see songthaews that are parked directly across the road from the flower markets, near the end of Chang Moi Road in Chiang Mai’s Chinatown.

These vehicles are a common way for local people to travel around Chiang Mai, but they also provide transport and tour services for visitors.

This area sits beside the Ping River at the large intersection where Chang Moi, Wichayanon and Praisanee Roads meet.

Along Wichayanon and Praisanee Roads, which run as one continuous road beside the river, you will usually see rows of red, blue, yellow and white songthaews, along with some mini-vans.

Popular destinations can include Doi Suthep, Phuping Palace, the well-known Bo Sang umbrella factories, caves, hot springs, waterfalls and many other attractions in and around the city.

Be prepared to wait. A driver will often remain parked until there are enough passengers on board to make the journey worthwhile before setting off.

For the exact location, check the Chiang Mai tourist map using the link on top of this page.