My Mother’s Journey on the Blockchain: Sunday Night Walking Street [Chiang Mai, Thailand]

As we travel around the globe, we make a stop at our Hometown: Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Chiang Mai is the second most popular destination for tourists in Thailand. There is a huge variety of activities to partake, from visiting hundreds of temples, trekking, kayaking, riding elephants or zip line adventure.

When light becomes dawn, apart from having Thai food in one of the many restaurants or drinking and chatting in local hipster bars, the Sunday Night Walking Street is a-must.

It is located in the middle of the Old Town, which is accessible by the local Tuk-tuk or Songthaew. However, inside the Walking Street area, it is closed from cars and is only accessible by foot, hence Walking Street.

The Sunday Night Walking Street is held every Sunday from 4pm till midnight. Starting from the Tapae Gate, one of the five original gates of Chiang Mai located in the Old Town, and extending along the Ratchadamneon Road for approximately 1 km. There are many street food stalls, gift shops, handcrafted souvenirs from locals and the hill tribes.

One of the most famous traditional dish is Som Tum, a combination of shredded unripe papaya, mixed and pounded with lime, chili, fish sauce, and palm sugar in a mortar.

noodle

Mussels balls (similar to takoyaki)

Local fried noodles

Boiled quail eggs

Assorted skewers

Freshly-made pork balls served with spicy sour sauce is guaranteed to give you a mouth full of fresh and bouncy taste. Food is served in small plates and costs around 15 Baht (50 cents) each.

After multiple small dishes, finish the course with a variety of smoothies.

Along the street, you will see large tumbler stands in the middle road, this is the landmark of the Walking Street.

On the one side of the street lies Wat Chedi Luang Varavihara, a Lanna-style chedi, built in the 14th century with the intention to bury the ashes of King Saen Muang Ma’s father. However, it was left unfinished and later finished in the mid 15th century in the reign of king Tilokaraj. It was 82 m in hight and had a base of 54 m in diameter and was the largest building of all of Lanna in 1468.

In front of the temple lies the Buddha status, Phra Chao Attarot. This is known as a wihan which means sanctuary.

Local crafted homeware

Hill tribe-styled shoes

Rain doll

The Sunday Night Walking Street is a showcase of the arts and craftsmanships of the Northern Thai people. Many of the vendors produce and sell their own products. The quality of the craftsmanship is superb. Goods are often made from materials such as silk, paper, fabric, ceramic and wood. The handicraft products are perfect as gifts or décor.

Walking Street at night

At the western end of the market stands the Three kings monument, King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Mai; King Ramkamhaeng of Sukothai; and King Ngam Muang of Payao. The three worked together to lay out the city of Chiang Mai.

The Sunday Walking Street is a relaxing way to spend a Sunday evening. Delicious food and drinks, and a bit of shopping can never go wrong.

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