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Welcome to Chiang Mai walking street |
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| The 4 years storys on the street of the nortern part of Thailand. | ||||
| This week Walking Street Getting Out of Control Though achieving overwhelmed success and generating great income to the city, the pedestrian fair on Ratchadamnoen and Prapokkla roads in the heart of Chiang Mai city has became the city's harbour of pollution and sparked the frustration of local citizens. "There have been complaints against the great crowd of visitors. Since the walking street opened on Saturdays to herald visitors to the horticulture exposition, the noise pollution and traffic jams from the fair, which opened from afternoon until late night, enormously disturb households and businesses set within the Chiang Mai old city areas," said Chiang Mai Mayor Boonlert Buranuprakorn. Residents feel the bustling walking street has left them with no privacy and time to take a rest on weekends. The traffic jams have caused irritation to them. On the other hand, traders like the bigger and more popular part of this pedestrian fair. Chiang Mai Walking Street currently has over 4000 handicrafts and handmade products stalls, which were chosen by the Chiang Mai Office of Commerce, Industrial Promotion Centre and Municipality respectively, and generate at least B30-40 million income to sellers in a week. The Mayor accepted that the number of traders at the pedestrian fair is growing out of control and both Ratchadamnoen and Prapokklao roads can not contain this great number. Meanwhile, the street is beginning to lose its charm due to the over-growing size and crowd of visitors and spectaculars. The free of charge rental area is the selling point of the street and attracted a large number of traders to the scene. The municipality charges for electricity at B10 per one unit which is very inexpensive and worth the participating of sellers. "The municipality has a strict screening policy allowing only local Chiang Mai people to sell their products and no counterfeit products are allowed at the street. We try to put control on grilled and barbequed food to prevent further air pollution and municipal staff will clean and collect garbage from the streets every night after the fair ends," said the Mayor. However, some events are held by large Bangkok-based l companies on some special occasions. "The street fair must be limited. It can't be expanded to other neighboring streets and will maintain its length of 2 kilometres from now on. After the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek ends at the end of January, the walking street will not open on Saturday anymore," pledged the Mayor. |
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Chiang Mai Walking Street is popular among Thai and foreign tourists.
Chiang Mai municipality organized the "Four Year Anniversary of Chiang Mai Walking Street" on February 5, 2006, at the Three Kings Monument courtyard. It was to promote Chiang Mai Walking Street, which over the
last four years has become a thriving Sunday market for locally made handicraft
products displayed on the street.
Unashamedly borrowing the idea from other countries where it has been successful, Walking Street has been promoted by the city council to close off a particular city street to vehicular traffic every Sunday. Over the years it has developed dynamically to become a center of art, artists, performances, music and an increasingly popular tourism destination.
Originally, the Thaksin Shinawatra government had announced Walking Street as a means of conserving energy according to an amazing resolution of the cabinet in September 2001. Pattaya has had its Walking Street for many years, then came one at Silom, Bangkok and later Chiang Mai decided to have one on Thapae Road.
The local version had the aim of presenting good Lanna culture and adding some energy saving, pollution reduction and tourism promotion issues. Later, in 2004, Walking Street was moved from Thapae Road to it's present location on Rachadamnern Road where it provides 1.5 kilometers of stalls selling a bewildering array of handicrafts, a performance stage situated at the Three Kings Monument courtyard and is held every Sunday.
In the four years that Walking Street has been in operation, it has increased in popularity and has become as widely known as Chiang Mai's famous night bazaar. The number of tourists has increased tenfold with an estimated 150,000 visitors during the high season; and still 100,000 minimum during the low season, bringing a minimum revenue of 100 million baht each week.
Because of its growing popularity, its continuation is assured. One unusual trend has already been observed, that youngsters like to use local bags and shoes in preference to designer fashion bags and shoes. Chalk up another point for Chiang Mai and common sense!
