Warorot Market (Kad Luang) Visitor Guide: What to Eat

According to Wikipedia, the market is known for northern Thai food, including sai ua, moo yo and nam phrik num. Sai ua is the northern Thai sausage, and nam phrik num is a green chilli dip. Dried foods such as dried fruit are also a big part of what the stalls sell.

Lovethailand says fresh produce, ingredients and ready-to-eat food and drinks sit mainly in the basement. It also mentions pork rinds, spices, teas and coffee among the goods on offer. Start there if you want to eat first and shop afterward.

Our featured photo shows kapi shrimp paste and pla raa on a stall, so savory pantry items are sold here too. We have no dated price list for any dish, so ask the vendor before you order.

• Sai ua (northern Thai sausage)
  • Wikipedia lists this sausage among the foods the market is best known for.
• Moo yo
  • Wikipedia names moo yo as one of the northern Thai foods sold at the market.
• Nam phrik num (green chilli dip)
  • This northern Thai chilli dip is named by Wikipedia as a northern Thai food the market is known for.
• Dried fruit and pork rinds
  • Dried foods are a signature category, and Lovethailand also mentions pork rinds.
• Spices, teas and coffee
  • Lovethailand lists spices, teas and coffee among the goods in the basement area.
  • Browse these stalls after you have finished eating.

Hours and the Best Time to Go

According to Time Out (19 May 2025), Warorot Market is open daily from 6am to 6pm. The same source says it is busier at weekends. Individual stalls set their own times, so treat the hours as approximate.

Sources disagree here, since Lovethailand gives 8am to 5pm. We suggest checking on the day, especially if you plan to arrive near opening or closing time.

Time Out also notes that most vendors close once their goods sell out. Arriving early gives you more choice, and it is the safest way to catch popular items.

We found no source listing the market as open at night, so plan your visit for daytime. For another Chiang Mai market, see the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.

How to Get to Warorot Market

The market is on Wichayanon Road, close to Chang Khlan Road, east of the old city on the Ping River side. Time Out gives the address as 10, 12, 14 Wichayanon Road, Chiang Mai 50300.

Lovethailand suggests taking a songthaew or tuk-tuk and getting off near Wichayanon Road or Chang Moi Road. Tell the driver you want Kad Luang or Warorot, and agree on the fare before you set off.

You can also walk from Tha Phae Gate along Tha Phae Road toward the Ping River, then connect to Wichayanon Road. We have no verified distance or transit fare, so use a map app for timing.

Market Layout: Basement to Upper Floors

Warorot is a multi-level building, with food below and goods above. According to Lovethailand, the basement has fresh produce, ingredients and ready-to-eat food and drinks. Clothing, shoes and household goods fill the upper floors.

Wikipedia adds that the market also sells ceramics, cloth, embroidery and flowers. That mix makes it easy to pair a food stop with a look at northern textiles.

The site has an unusual history, since it was once used for funeral ceremonies of Chiang Mai's rulers, called Khuang Meru. Princess Dara Rasmi developed it into a market in 1910, and it is named after Prince Intavaroros Suriyavongse.

• Basement
  • Fresh produce, ingredients and ready-to-eat food and drinks are concentrated here, per Lovethailand.
  • Come hungry and eat before you shop.
• Upper floors
  • Clothing, shoes and household goods are sold on the levels above the food area.
  • Wikipedia also lists ceramics, cloth and embroidery.
• Street frontage
  • Flower and greens stalls line the street beside the building, as our featured photos show.

Trok Lao Zhou and Nearby Markets

The Trok Lao Zhou alley beside the market sells Chinese and Hmong goods. Wikipedia says it has been called the Chinatown of Chiang Mai. Hmong vendors there sell daily from 7am to 5pm, per Wikipedia.

If you want to keep exploring, our Chiang Mai markets guide lists more places to eat and browse. Other markets include the Sunday Walking Street and the Saturday Walking Street.

Warorot is a daytime stop, since we found no source listing it as open at night. Check each market's own schedule before you build a day around it.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

Entry is free, since this is a public market. Bring small bills and ask prices at the stall, because we found no dated price list.

Go early for the best choice, and expect more people at weekends. Vendors may close once goods sell out, so do not leave your must-buy items for late afternoon.

Because the sources disagree on hours, confirm times on the day. Time Out lists the phone number 053-232-592, though we could not find an official operator page.