CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – City authorities and the Tourism Authority of Thailand opened a new night market in the old town designed to boost domestic tourism and support the local economy.
Opening at Tha Phae Walking Street
The official opening of the Chiang Mai Night Market took place on Sunday evening, 18 January 2026, on Tha Phae Walking Street in the historic centre. The street was described as one of the city’s best-known promenades, regularly attracting large numbers of visitors. The ceremony was led by Apichai Chatchalermkit, deputy governor for domestic marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Pojjana Srisilpanan, deputy mayor of Chiang Mai, with many local residents and international guests attending.
‘Tha Phae Remix’ connects heritage and light art
The market operated under the slogan “Tha Phae Remix: Chiang Mai Remake” and aimed to link the historic old town with modern formats. Organisers combined art, light, digital colour productions and contemporary performance techniques with the backdrop of the old city walls, cultural heritage and current urban life. They stressed that the event was intended not only to strengthen Chiang Mai itself but also to encourage travel to surrounding provinces and secondary destinations at the start of 2026.
Six Sunday dates and one scheduled pause
The Chiang Mai Night Market was scheduled for six Sundays from 18 January to 1 March 2026, running from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Event days were set for 18 and 25 January, 1, 15 and 22 February, and 1 March. A complete suspension of all activities and performances on Tha Phae Walking Street was planned for 8 February 2026.
Light installations, stages and interactive zones
Key elements of the market included landmark and art installations, interactive light concepts and projections, a large main stage and mini music stages. Additional features comprised creative areas such as the Suep-Sin Courtyard, workshop zones and information installations for visitors. Well-known artists were scheduled on all six Sundays, including Proxie, No One Else, Atom, ATLAS, Sarah Salola, Serious Bacon and Season Five on their respective dates.
Free shuttles and spending incentives
Throughout the event period, organisers provided free shuttle buses on two routes linking One Nimman, Chang Phueak Market, the Three Kings Monument and Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan, as well as Tha Phae Gate Square, Wat Sri Don Chai, Chiang Mai Gate Market and Wat Chedi Luang Woramahawihan. Visitors who spent at least 200 baht per receipt at the market received discount vouchers for tourism products and services such as accommodation, restaurants and spas, redeemable at the event’s information and PR points. A “Passport Check-In” activity allowed guests who collected stamps at all 11 landmark and installation points to obtain souvenirs.
Workshops aim to anchor Tha Phae as evening hub
Another component of the programme was free daily craft workshops, with eight sessions per day for up to 15 participants each. The 40-minute courses started from 4 p.m. and were designed as part of the market’s participatory offer. According to organisers, the combination of light installations, live performances, creative zones and services was intended to consolidate Tha Phae as an evening meeting point and increase the economic impact for local businesses and service providers in the city.
Questions over tourism and urban identity
The organisers framed the initiative as part of a broader shift in the city’s tourism profile.
“Chiang Mai no longer relies only on temples and tradition, but on staging, emotion and experiential spaces,”
said event commentators.
“Will the new night market become a real economic engine or just the next selfie backdrop, how much event can a historic old town bear without losing its soul, and does modern tourism today need more light shows than history?”
said the same observers.