Sunday Walking Street

The Sunday Walking Street, also known as Tha Pae Walking Street, is a large weekly open-air market along Ratchadamnoen Road in the historic old city of Chiang Mai, stretching from Tha Pae Gate to Wat Phra Singh in Phra Singh Sub-district. Established to promote local handicrafts and Lanna culture, it features hundreds of stalls selling handmade crafts, clothing, art and street food, and is notable as one of Chiang Mai's most popular cultural shopping experiences.

Visitors can expect a pedestrianized historic street closed to traffic and lined with hundreds of stalls on both sides of Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Pae Gate to Wat Phra Singh. The setting is within the walled old city with temples, heritage buildings and open squares. Visitors can browse handicrafts, textiles, ceramics, artwork and souvenirs, sample northern Thai street food, watch street musicians and traditional performances, and explore adjacent temple grounds and side lanes.

The market was established in 2001-2002 by the Chiang Mai Municipality to promote local handicrafts and support artisans, using the historic Ratchadamnoen Road which is the main ceremonial road of the old Lanna capital founded in 1296. The route connects Tha Pae Gate, the historic eastern gate of the walled city, to Wat Phra Singh, a major 14th-century temple.

The market showcases Lanna cultural heritage through handicrafts, textiles, woodwork, silverware and traditional foods made by local artisans. It serves as a community gathering space for cultural performances, traditional music and dance, and supports preservation of northern Thai craft traditions.