Backstreet Books on Chang Moi Kao Road is the city's main secondhand-English bookshop, with roughly 12,000 titles two minutes from Tha Phae Gate. For local zines and indie publishing, head to Open Space at One Nimman and the Documentary Arts Asia space near the eastern moat. For coffee-and-books afternoons, Boon Reader in Nimman is the pick. Total budget for a bookshop crawl: ฿300–฿800. Chiang Mai's bookshop scene is small but specific — below are the eight worth a stop and what each does best.
Where's the best place to buy secondhand English books?
Backstreet Books on Chang Moi Kao Road, two minutes from Tha Phae Gate. About 12,000 titles, fair pricing, and a swap programme that lets you trade two finished books for one off the shelves.
Backstreet Books has been the dependable answer for 20+ years. Ground floor is fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, literary, mass-market); upstairs is non-fiction, travel writing, and a small Asia/Lanna section. Paperbacks ฿100–฿180, hardbacks ฿200–฿350, Penguin classics ฿80–฿150. The owner will swap two finished paperbacks toward one off the shelves.
Where do local writers and zine makers sell?
Open Space at One Nimman hosts indie publishers year-round. Documentary Arts Asia stocks the best local photography and essay work. The Sunday Walking Street has 4–5 rotating small-press stalls.
A handful of independent Chiang Mai presses publish Lanna fiction, regional history, and bilingual Thai/English short stories. Most don't have distribution beyond the city. Where to find them:
- Open Space (One Nimman). Permanent retail + pop-up zine fairs quarterly. The fairs are when you meet the writers.
- Documentary Arts Asia. Near the eastern moat. Southeast Asian photo books and essays.
- Sunday Walking Street. Sundays 16:00–22:00, high season. Walk between Wat Phra Singh and Wat Phan Tao for bookseller stalls.
- CMU Book Store. Academic Lanna scholarship and regional Thai history.
What about bookshop cafes?
Boon Reader (Nimman), Mor Khao Yaowarat (Old City south), and The Common (Nimman) are the three working bookshop-cafes that take both functions seriously.
| Cafe | Neighbourhood | Book selection | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boon Reader | Nimman Soi 17 | 200 curated English fiction + Thai | An afternoon of focused reading |
| Mor Khao Yaowarat | Old City south wall | Thai philosophy and Buddhism | Quiet reflective stops |
| The Common | Nimman south | Travel, food, design zines | Browsing on a coffee crawl |
| Documentary Arts Asia | Tha Phae East | Photo books, essay collections | Serious documentary work |
Boon Reader is our pick. The fiction shelf is small (~200 titles) but tightly curated. Filter coffee runs ฿80–฿130; books ฿200–฿450.
What about stationery and Thai-language books?
Wattana Stationery on Nimman Soi 3 stocks Tomoe River notebooks and Japanese fountain pens. For learn-Thai materials, the AUA Language School bookshop on Ratchadamnoen has the deepest stock.
Wattana on Nimman Soi 3 has Tomoe River paper notebooks, Sailor and Platinum fountain pens, Lanna-printed greeting cards, and washi tape. Tee Ari sits nearby and trades in design-forward Notem leather notebooks and ceramics. Both are 15–30 minute stops.
For learn-Thai textbooks aimed at foreigners — the Benjawan Becker "Thai for Beginners" series, the Mary Haas readers, AUA listening-method recordings — head to the AUA bookshop on Ratchadamnoen. The shop is small but tightly curated for actual learners. Open Space at One Nimman covers the post-textbook stage with bilingual short-story anthologies and Northern-Thai (Kam Mueang) dictionaries.
For mainstream needs, Se-Ed Book Centre branches in the malls (Maya, Central Festival, Promenada, Central Airport) carry Thai bestsellers, learn-Thai textbooks, and a small English section. Useful for emergencies, not destinations. Asia Books at Central Festival is the only chain with a substantial international English-language selection.
Where do digital nomads actually read?
Akha Ama, Ristr8to's upstairs floor, and the upstairs library at Penguin Villa. Bring your own book — these are reading rooms, not stores.
Akha Ama (Old City and Nimman) has consistent reading energy without laptop clatter. Ristr8to's flagship on Nimman Road has a quieter upstairs most travellers miss. Penguin Villa's upstairs library room on the Old City's south side has deep leather chairs that nobody seems to know about.
Do any bookshops host events?
Open Space, Documentary Arts Asia and The Common all run reading and photo-book launch series. Free or ฿100–฿200 with a drink. Follow each on Instagram — they don't post calendars on their websites.
Open Space runs roughly monthly reading-and-talks. Documentary Arts Asia hosts photographer slide-show evenings 4–6 times a year. The Common's events lean food and travel writing. English-language events are labelled. For the broader Nimman cafe scene, see the Chiang Mai coffee guide.
A bookshop crawl pairs well with the rest of the Old City. If you want to break up the reading days with a guided look at the city, browse our Chiang Mai city tours to build a fuller Old City itinerary around the bookshop stops.
Browse our Chiang Mai city toursGuided Old City routes near Backstreet Books and the eastern moat bookshopsRelated reading:
- Chiang Mai coffee guide: the cafes that matter
- Chiang Mai digital nomad guide: cafes, coworking, monthly rent
- Where to stay in Chiang Mai: Old City vs Nimman vs Riverside
- Chiang Mai complete travel guide 2026
Frequently asked questions
What's the best secondhand English bookshop in Chiang Mai?
Backstreet Books on Chang Moi Kao Road, two minutes from Tha Phae Gate, has run for over 20 years and holds roughly 12,000 secondhand English titles plus an upstairs Thai section. The pricing is fair (฿100–฿250 for paperbacks), the categorisation is real (not just 'fiction' and 'non-fiction'), and the owner will swap two books you've finished for one off the shelves. Gecko Books on Loi Kroh Road is the runner-up — slightly smaller, slightly cheaper, and includes a few rare Lanna and Southeast Asia titles.
Where do local Chiang Mai writers actually sell their work?
Three places. Open Space at One Nimman hosts pop-up zine fairs and stocks small-press Lanna writers year-round. Documentary Arts Asia near Tha Phae has the strongest local-photography-and-essay collection. The Sunday Walking Street (Ratchadamnoen, 16:00–22:00 every Sunday) hosts 4–5 small-press booksellers among the food and craft stalls, including independent translators selling bilingual editions of Thai short stories. For academic and serious Lanna scholarship, the CMU Book Store near Chiang Mai University is the only place that consistently stocks the niche presses.
Are there bookshop cafes worth visiting in Chiang Mai?
Yes — three stand out. Boon Reader near Nimman Soi 17 combines a small but well-curated English fiction shelf with one of the best filter-coffee programmes in the city. Mor Khao Yaowarat near the Old City's south wall has a Thai-philosophy and Buddhism focus plus excellent ceramics. The Common (in Nimman) sells a rotating selection of zines and indie travel writing alongside cafe seating. All three are working bookshops, not just decorated cafes — you can actually buy and read.
Are stationery shops worth a stop for travellers?
If you're into stationery, yes. Chiang Mai has a strong locally-designed-paper-goods scene focused around Nimman. Wattana Stationery on Nimman Soi 3 stocks Tomoe River paper notebooks, Japanese fountain pens (Sailor, Platinum), and Lanna-printed greeting cards. Tee Ari near Hub53 is design-forward. For everyday school-supplies needs, Big C, Maya and most malls have full stationery aisles. The boutique stuff is what justifies a detour.
Where can I buy Thai-language books and learn-Thai materials?
Chiang Mai University Book Store has the broadest selection of Thai-language academic books and serious literary fiction. Se-Ed Book Centre branches (in most malls — Maya, Central Festival, Promenada) carry the mainstream Thai bestsellers and learn-Thai textbooks. For learn-Thai materials specifically aimed at foreigners — the AUA series, the Becker workbooks, the Thai for Beginners textbooks — the AUA Language School bookshop on Ratchadamnoen has the deepest stock. The Open Space at One Nimman also stocks the better self-published learn-Thai workbooks from local teachers.
Are there any English-language bookshops in Nimman?
A few, smaller than Old-City options. The Common stocks a rotating selection focused on travel, food and design. Boon Reader has a curated 200-title fiction shelf. Documentary Arts Asia near Tha Phae East is technically not Nimman but it's the closest serious English-photo-and-essay shop. For backpack-style holiday reading, Backstreet Books on Chang Moi Kao Road is a 12-minute Grab from Nimman and worth the trip for the selection breadth.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best secondhand English bookshop in Chiang Mai?
Backstreet Books on Chang Moi Kao Road, two minutes from Tha Phae Gate, has run for over 20 years and holds roughly 12,000 secondhand English titles plus an upstairs Thai section. The pricing is fair (฿100–฿250 for paperbacks), the categorisation is real (not just 'fiction' and 'non-fiction'), and the owner will swap two books you've finished for one off the shelves. Gecko Books on Loi Kroh Road is the runner-up — slightly smaller, slightly cheaper, and includes a few rare Lanna and Southeast Asia titles.
Where do local Chiang Mai writers actually sell their work?
Three places. Open Space at One Nimman hosts pop-up zine fairs and stocks small-press Lanna writers year-round. Documentary Arts Asia near Tha Phae has the strongest local-photography-and-essay collection. The Sunday Walking Street (Ratchadamnoen, 16:00–22:00 every Sunday) hosts 4–5 small-press booksellers among the food and craft stalls, including independent translators selling bilingual editions of Thai short stories. For academic and serious Lanna scholarship, the CMU Book Store near Chiang Mai University is the only place that consistently stocks the niche presses.
Are there bookshop cafes worth visiting in Chiang Mai?
Yes — three stand out. Boon Reader near Nimman Soi 17 combines a small but well-curated English fiction shelf with one of the best filter-coffee programmes in the city. Mor Khao Yaowarat near the Old City's south wall has a Thai-philosophy and Buddhism focus plus excellent ceramics. The Common (in Nimman) sells a rotating selection of zines and indie travel writing alongside cafe seating. All three are working bookshops, not just decorated cafes — you can actually buy and read.
Are stationery shops worth a stop for travellers?
If you're into stationery, yes. Chiang Mai has a strong locally-designed-paper-goods scene focused around Nimman. Wattana Stationery on Nimman Soi 3 stocks Tomoe River paper notebooks, Japanese fountain pens (Sailor, Platinum), and Lanna-printed greeting cards. Tee Ari near Hub53 is design-forward. For everyday school-supplies needs, Big C, Maya and most malls have full stationery aisles. The boutique stuff is what justifies a detour.
Where can I buy Thai-language books and learn-Thai materials?
Chiang Mai University Book Store has the broadest selection of Thai-language academic books and serious literary fiction. Se-Ed Book Centre branches (in most malls — Maya, Central Festival, Promenada) carry the mainstream Thai bestsellers and learn-Thai textbooks. For learn-Thai materials specifically aimed at foreigners — the AUA series, the Becker workbooks, the Thai for Beginners textbooks — the AUA Language School bookshop on Ratchadamnoen has the deepest stock. The Open Space at One Nimman also stocks the better self-published learn-Thai workbooks from local teachers.
Are there any English-language bookshops in Nimman?
A few, smaller than Old-City options. The Common stocks a rotating selection focused on travel, food and design. Boon Reader has a curated 200-title fiction shelf. Documentary Arts Asia near Tha Phae East is technically not Nimman but it's the closest serious English-photo-and-essay shop. For backpack-style holiday reading, Backstreet Books on Chang Moi Kao Road is a 12-minute Grab from Nimman and worth the trip for the selection breadth.
