Shopping in Chiang Mai: Furniture and Handicrafts at Baan Tawai Village

Chiang Mai is a city of artists: no traveler can doubt this after having stepped into one of the many handicraft centers located throughout the provinces, where there are flowing abundances of paintings, exquisite fabrics, umbrellas, furniture and silverware. It is no surprise, therefore, that in January 2011 the governing body of Chiang Mai initiated a procedure to apply for a Creative City Status with UNESCO for the province as a joint effort between the municipal authorities, the communities of Chiang Mai, and the Chiang Mai University. Toward this, efforts have been made to coordinate different sectors of the city's economy, from cottage industrialists to hospitality to independent artists to develop human resources, increase jobs, and encourage the development of the arts.

While most travelers will be more readily familiar with the Night Market and the Walking Streets, both of which are within the city center and therefore more conveniently accessible, you might want to consider going a little off the beaten track and trying the Baan Tawai, an OTOP (One Tambon One Product, a program to encourage and sponsor Thai artisans) village. Located on Route 108 in Amphur Hang Dong, about fifteen kilometers south of the city center, it has in recent years streamlined into convenient "zones" of shops, eateries and cafes while the main street itself is home to furniture shops that sell some of the most creative furniture and home décor items found anywhere in the world: there you will find chairs and couches in flowing abstract wood, delicate forest nymphs, and beautiful bamboo lanterns. Prices are also ridiculously cheap for such workmanship, material and artistry; the only possible concern you might have would be shipping logistics, but you can be assured that if you're buying furniture or decorating a new house then you can certainly do worse-and do more expensively-than browsing through several Baan Tawai shops.

Your next stop should be some of the inner zones. Zones 2 and 4 are particularly popular, flourishing with little art galleries full of oils and acrylics in styles both modernistic and traditional Thai, unique pieces that can be had for as little as $20. Zone 4 also features a corner with upscale shops selling fantastic glassware, celadon ceramics, and a little café that offers free WiFi, decent bakery, and killer frappe coffee made to order as well as a small menu of traditional Northern Thai fare. The style of goods in general are very particular to Chiang Mai, quite distinct from that found in other regions of Thailand (or any other parts of Asia) and the quality is consistently high: did you know that some ceramics from Whittard of Chelsea are, in fact, made in Thailand and indeed right in Baan Tawai itself?

While the area is somewhat remote from city conveniences, there is a smattering of eateries throughout the village that will more than serve the need for light lunches and breakfasts. Pharmacies and convenience stores, such as 7-11 and others, are also scattered about the zones should you feel the need for a quick drink or need to top up your pay-as-you-go phone cards. The shopkeepers price their goods fairly, and often the salesperson and the artist (or sculptor, or weaver) are one and the same. Incenses, novelty candles, papier-mache dolls, Thai silks and more can likewise be found in the village. It's the perfect alternative to shopping therapy in air-conditioned malls, and sure to offer everyone something to like.

Joanne Chong works in Business Development as an expert at the Empress Hotels Group, a family of Chiang Mai luxury hotels providing the best value for three/four-star Chiang Mai accommodation suited for Chiang Mai holidays and long-stays, convention facilities and fine dining in the city center.

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Craft Products

Craft products are generally defined as handmade artistic products. While the craft industry is growing in products and ideas all the time, one of the best things about crafts is that they are generally a traditional item.

Today there are many millions of crafters that are happily doing crafts all across the world, and they are doing this individually, in clubs and in classes. One of the nicest things about crafts is that they are generally a social pastime, as it is almost impossible for a crafter to not share their handiwork.

Home and hobby crafter

This type of crafter practices their crafts purely as a hobby and derives a great amount of peace and fulfilment from starting new craft projects and taking them through to their completion. Generally a crafter of this sort does not need to sell their finished item, and does crafting for the love of it.

Small home crafter business

Small home crafting businesses are very numerous across the world. What normally happens is that a crafter makes a conscious decision to develop the volume of the craft produced to sell on local craft markets and through friends. Very often this financial decision is reached to try to get extra money as a second income to a household. Occasionally these small home enterprises go on to become large craft retail outlets. However the truth is that most fail through lack of funds and lack of business planning and business skills.

I have found that a very large percentage of these small home businesses could have been a roaring success if they had followed a few simple craft market marketing principles.

Crafter store

This crafter store business model is one that not a lot of crafters start out trying to do as an initial business plan. Generally a craft store is conceived as a store from the very beginning, and in my experience, tends to be started by a person who is more business orientated than craft orientated. Nothing wrong with this approach and a business person who loves crafting is great because they are the stable ones that allow all the rest of us to have access to a store in the neighbourhood.

Craft products online

There are some fantastic craft websites online and many of them have thousands of members selling their crafts very successfully. If you are looking to buy crafts online there is a number of high-quality shopping based websites. I would suggest that you simple put "buy crafts" or "craft shopping websites" into your search engine box and you will get some great options.

Another very popular website that has thousands of individual crafters registered is blogger, and the good news is that you could search internally there and will be well rewarded with a lot of craft websites.

If you are looking to take your own craft products online, I very highly suggest that you take the whole idea to the highest level and do it properly from the beginning. This really just means correct keyword research, your own domain and then a long list of marketing methods that if properly done will catapult your personal website to the top of the search engine results pages.

Getting the best advice possible

I have 20 years of craft market experience, and now 26 months of internet marketing, and the combination of these two skills can be a massive advantage to your craft business.
If you would like more information or any help at all, I suggest that you visit my website and either contact me, get my free report or simply buy my training course on Flea markets and craft markets

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