Night bazaar 'left out of provincial promotion'

Monchai Sthanchaivanich, a shop owner in the Night Bazaar, said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had left the Night Bazaar out of a promotion called 72 hours - Amazing Thailand in Chiang Mai.

The project promotes 80 attractions in Chiang Mai such as hotels, restaurants, spas and shopping complexes.

He said TAT claimed the Night Bazaar was already well-known in spite of the fact it had seen a slowdown over recent years because of  many new attractions.

"In the first half of this year the number of both Thai and foreign tourists fell around 70 to 80 per cent from the same period last year. Meanwhile, businesses recorded lower revenue by more than 50 per cent," Monchai said.

The market owner had tried to help promote the bazaar throughtourist magazines. And, shop owners had sought new markets to boost their businesses.

Monchai said 40 per cent of shops in the Night Bazaar had shut down while there were few newcomers.

The market owner also adjusted its business strategy by collecting shop rents month-by-month, instead of payment for five years in advance.

"It's a tragedy that the government overlooked the Night Bazaar, which was once a popular shopping place and tourism attraction in Chiang Mai," said Monchai. He thought the market was seen as a place which sold pirated items, but this had been cut back after government crackdowns.