Aside from its beautiful landscape and cool climate, Chiang Mai, the cultural capital of Northern Thailand, is also known for its vibrant night markets and friendly folk.
With an evening to spare on a recent business trip, I decided to visit Chiang Mai’s Wua Lai Walking Street, a popular bazaar near the Chiang Mai Gate, where its old city once stood.
Stretching some two kilometres, Wua Lai (or ‘Saturday’ in Thai) is probably the largest and most popular Saturday-only market in Chiang Mai. Thousands of stalls selling sought-after indigenous collectibles, such as lemongrass soaps, delicate handicrafts and hand-painted umbrellas, are set up as early as three in the afternoon. There are also stalls selling contemporary gears such as mobile phone casings and locally inspired jewellery.
Street Food Galore
Local specialities and bite-sized street food of every imaginable taste and colour can be seen at open-air eateries and stalls lining the two-way street. Grilled pork, mango ’sticky' rice and crunchy grasshoppers are common teatime snacks found on their makeshift menus.
Snapping pictures as I ventured deeper, I stopped by a pushcart selling Phat Thai (stir-fried rice noodles). The stall was manned by a young, cheerful couple who looked no more than twenty. After a friendly ‘Sawadee Kap’ they began speaking with me in Thai, possibly asking if I wanted a plate. My reactive nods and smile—which they perceived as a ‘Yes’—helped kicked off their business that evening.
In a swift move, the lady grabbed a handful of noodles and started stirring and tossing them in her pre-heated wok. Throwing in a variety of ingredients, she then jerked the wok in small circular motions as I watched my dinner dance over the flame. There were shrimp, squid, eggs, and lots of bean sprouts. Wok fragrance soon filled the street.
My focus soon shifted to a small gathering of Caucasians in the queue. Looking in the same direction, there could only be one thing on their minds. I settled at a nearby table and savoured my piping hot Phat Thai, served on a styrofoam plate. It came with a packet of sugar and chilli powder. At 30 baht (US$0.8), it tasted surprisingly good. Lesson learnt: When in doubt, just nod and smile.
