Shopping in Chiang Mai is something that every shopping enthusiast should try at least once in their life. Much like the rest of Thailand the offerings that this city has for shoppers is quite extraordinary. The two key types of retail experience you are likely to discover are the bazaars and the shopping centers. Different rules apply to each and often a different set of nerves. Bazaars are definitely not for the faint hearted whereas the shopping mall Thailand has to offer rivals any elsewhere in the world.
Bazaars
Bazaars are the traditional market places that you imagine when you think of Bangkok. Literally everything is available and the price is often really a battle of wills between the consumer and the seller. Unlike the traditional western shopping experience of seeing a price tag and paying exactly that Thailand is a completely different experience. First of all a crazily high price will be suggested. It is then up to you the customer to work that price down as low as you can get it. A good starting point is often a third of what they suggest, or even lower if the price seems completely absurd. Pricing in Thailand is a completely different concept. Goods often don't have a fixed price as such. With this knowledge it is necessary to get over all shyness before you hit the marketplace. Being shy will only cost you more.
Haggling is not rude. It is par for the course in the bazaar and often the seller enjoys the game every bit as much as the consumer does. The good thing is that you can often get extremely cheaply priced goods and come away with a feeling of satisfaction that your haggling got you a bargain. However, it is always a good idea to work out how much you are willing to pay before you engage in haggling. If you are willing to pay a bit more, then don't just walk away in frustration when you cannot get the price as low as you want. Chances are it is still cheaper than home even if you pay a small bit more. There is nothing worse than shoppers regret when you will probably never be able to find the same stall again a second time.
Shopping Mall Thailand
Of course haggling in bazaars is not everyone's cup of tea. For those shoppers who find the idea of hot marketplaces and large crowds off-putting Thailand still more than adequately caters for your needs. Chiang Mai, like the rest of Thailand, is seeing tremendous growth in more high-end retail centers. A really good example of the extent to which retail development is occurring in Thailand is the large-scale development of Promenada Chiang Mai which is due to open in 2012. This shopping mall Thailand is currently developing is truly a new phase in retail experiences. It describes itself as more of a holistic shopping center experience. Not only will it have a vast selection of shops but also a wide variety of non-shopping activities and post-shopping activities. Of course the prices will not be up for negotiation as they would in the bazaar.
Shopping centers such as the Promenada really do sit at the complete opposite end of the shopping experience spectrum from the traditional Thailand shopping bazaar experience. This is a good thing as it means that Chiang Mai can entice a wide variety of shoppers to come and sample its delights.
