Warorot Market in Chiang Mai saw a sharp decline in tourist spending during this year’s Songkran festival, with vendors reporting significantly fewer customers compared to previous years.
On April 16, the market appeared unusually quiet for a period that typically brings heavy foot traffic. Vendors said most visitors were browsing rather than buying.
Multiple vendors said high fuel prices have discouraged travel
Nonglak Warissupawut, a vendor at Sripan shop, said high fuel prices have discouraged travel, reducing the number of tourists visiting the market. She added that broader economic conditions have weakened purchasing power, making customers more cautious with spending.
Operating costs have also risen, with packaging materials and raw inputs increasing by more than 30%. Despite this, shop owners have kept prices unchanged to avoid driving customers away.
Products such as sai aue sausage remain priced at 500 baht per kilogram, while crispy pork rind with fat sells for 600 baht per kilogram, but demand has dropped significantly.
Nonglak said the usual crowds seen on April 13 were largely absent this year.
“Normally, on the morning of April 13, people come to the market before going to pour water on Buddha statues. This year, almost no one showed up,” she said.
She added that post-Songkran shopping was also unusually weak, with fewer visitors buying souvenirs to take home.
Warorot Market is one of Chiang Mai’s main hubs for local goods, making it a key indicator of tourism-related spending in the city.
