Shopping in Chiang Rai revolves around the Night Bazaar, considerably smaller than the one in Chiang Mai but still fun to explore. It surges around the bus terminal at night, at least if it doesn't rain, as most of the market is open to the sky.

Here can be found handicrafts of wide variety, hill-tribe traditional weaving, carving and jewellery making, burlwood boxes and teak bottle-holders, curios of all kinds, and work by local artists. Much of the produce is of good quality. Bargaining is expected. The Night Bazaar is open from sundown to midnight.

In addition to the Night Bazaar, there are a couple of hilltribe handicraft centres around town. One is in the Hill Tribe Museum and Handicrafts Shop, which is operated by the Population and Community Development Association, while the other is a commercial operation out on the highway between the city and the airport.

At the border settlement of Mae Sai, visitors can cross into Myanmar for the day without a visa. On both sides of the bridge there is a lively market, selling goods from China, Myanmar and India, as well as Thailand. Some curios can certainly be picked up here, and the atmosphere, especially if you cross to Tachilek, is part of the enjoyment.