Every Sunday, from 4pm until midnight, one of Chiang Mai’s great weekly events takes place. Walking Street Market starts at Thapae Gate and runs along the length of Ratchadamnoen Road through the heart of the Old City and has become a Chiang Mai institution. The street, which is closed entirely to traffic, is a focal point for local people to meet, browse, socialise, haggle and enjoy. There numbers are considerably swelled by both Thai and foreign visitors to Chiang Mai and the whole area buzzes with the kind of excitement that can only be generated by a large number of people at leisure.