5 Best Malls in Chiang Mai

This first Central Mall to be built in Chiang Mai still remains the most popular thanks to its easy to reach location near the airport, just a short 5-to-10-minute tuk-tuk ride from the Old City. Inside you’ll find an air-conditioned haven of shops, from designer brands (not that many) to common main street names.

There’s a decent food court downstairs, cute Lanna-style markets selling handicrafts and local produce and a large entertainment complex at the top complete with a movie theater and games arcade.

One of the latest malls to hit Chiang Mai is the impressive Maya Lifestyle Shopping Center, located on the trendy Niman Road (thus proving very popular with local yuppies and university students). The ‘lifestyle’ title is quite appropriate for this mall; as well as ample fashion stores, you’ll find a range of restaurants, cafés, an entertainment complex with a movie theater, and an awesome rooftop which boasts plenty of bars with city views. On the shopping front, big names to look out for at this rather futuristic-looking mall include Jaspal, CC-00, Adidas and Oakley.

Central Festival Chiang Mai is the second of Central Group’s malls in Chiang Mai and offers a whopping 250,000 sqm of floor space over 28.3 hectares – making this one of the city’s biggest malls. Sometimes just known as "Central Fest", the mall is located right on the superhighway that goes around the city – great for those with automobiles, not do great for tourists staying in the Old City, about 15-20 minutes away (you’ll need a taxi cab or tuk-tuk).

In terms of fashion, Central Festival is also unrivaled, with international brands such as Topshop/Topman, Marks & Spencer, H&M and plenty of international and local designer names taking up space in the department store spread over 6 floors. Of course, no Central mall is complete without a movie theater and dozens of restaurants, meaning you could spend a whole day here if that your thing (or if it’s raining outside).

The long-standing Kad Suan Kaew Department Store was the first-ever mall to be built in Chiang Mai, It's a shopping institution in the city, even though it doesn’t draw the same crowds as it used to. The inside is showing its age a bit, but the good thing about this mall is that it's located equidistance from both Niman Road and the north-western edge of the Old City – so walking distance if you are staying around here. International fashion stores are a bit limited, but the food court never disappoints and there's also some bowling and beers available on the top floor – good for rainy days or an afternoon out of the heat.

Promenada Resort Mall Chiang Mai is a shopping space that feels as though you're on vacation, or walking through a park with plenty of greenery, trees and ponds to help the mall blend into the natural landscape. While we’re not sure about how ‘natural’ this mall really is, there is plenty of good stores and restaurants to look out for, as well as a large movie theater, bowling lanes and ice skating rink. Find Promenada Resort mall on Chiang Mai-Sankampaeng Road, just off the Super Highway.