Recording midnight sound effects in dark streets at the Chiang Mai market!

If you’re looking for a spooky empty market ambience this sound library might be perfect for you!

Welcome to Chiang Mai at night. I got to this market around midnight and of course, there are no more tourists, and most of the shops on the side streets are closed, but that doesn’t mean nothing is going on.

People are always working, cleaning up, and preparing for the next day. 

I drove down the dark little alleys and parked my motorcycle near several drainages. This was the first sound that I recorded and while recording several motorbikes and pickup trucks with products passed by. Behind the old rusty roll, gates are actually people watching tv. 

During the recording, several rats crossed my path and the whole street with all these noises reminded me of an old film with Kurt Russel “Big Trouble in Little China”. 

After these recordings, I plugged the DPA 4060 into the Zoom H6 recorder and walked slowly but steadily to the main market area. You will hear motorcycles pass by’s several times. 

What I suspect is that these drivers are freelancers and drive to the main road to unload the products from the trucks and take them to the stands, and vice versa.

If someone buys a lot of food, you hire one of the guys on those motorcycles, load it up, and they bring it to your truck or to your home, restaurant. I guess because I passed a group of guys who were sitting on those motorcycles and waiting.

After passing the dark alley I came across a 24-hour shop and a man outside the shop was cleaning the street and using a broom which created a really nice sound effect. In the background, you can hear an old air conditioner running and a tiny cicada sits somewhere in the corner doing its thing.

I went on, left the empty market behind me, and went into another alley. This street was pretty busy at that time.

I saw a woman watching TV and listening to music. As I passed her, I ran into two men unloading products from the pickup truck.

I went closer to the main street and this street is the closest to the river with more vendors, people, and traffic. I saw a woman in the street who was unwrapping small plastic bags. I stopped next to her and recorded this sound effect. While she was unpacking and moving things, people were chatting in the background.

After I moved on, a pickup truck starts its engine, and several motorbikes drive past me. Everything sounds very relaxed and calm. No stress like during the day. I think that’s what I love about night recordings. Everything is just a little chilled.

I went back down the same alley, passed the woman with the television, and turned left to a butcher’s shop. This part inside the library has the most interesting sounds.

I saw that the street was already covered with water. One person cleaned the floor and the metal plates on which the food was prepared with a low-pressure water hose.

Another guy is playing with a metal bowl and then there is a scream from a guy who is really fun. Another guy shuffled and crushed the ice in the trunk.

Now I’m almost done with the recordings and walking along the market street passing the guys who are sitting on the motorcycles and waiting. Several cicadas are “singing” in the background.

There are so many great markets in Chiang Mai so don’t forget your gear if you ever come here. 

More Sound Libraries from Thailand

• Binaural Market Thailand
• Airport Ambience Chiang Mai
• Thailand Category

Files: 9 files

Size: 600 MB

Sample Rate: 96-24 WAV

Duration: Approx. 24 min

Gear: Zoom H6 & DPA 4060

Delivery: Instant – blazingly-fast – digital download on Bandcamp

License type: Royalty-free

Price: $3

Check out all of our field recording gear and travel equipment!

Downloading or buying  our sound libraries on Bandcamp comes with a lot of benefits!

• you can listen to each single track inside the library!
• you are not forced to download or buy  the complete library. If you need only one or two recordings you can just download or buy the one you need!
• unlimited downloads & streamings whenever you want & from wherever you want!
• If you lose the files or your hard drive fails you can always re-download the files without having to purchase again!
• I always upload files in the highest possible quality but Bandcamp gives you the options to choose between MP3 V0, MP3 320, FLAC, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, ALAC, WAV, AIFF what is super awesome!
• with creating a free account you get automatically notified if I publish a new library without signing up for a newsletter!

Can I edit the files?

Yes! All sounds are royalty-free & you can edit & manipulate our recordings.

 Can I sell the files?

Well, not in its original form but:

• in any manipulated form if you are a sound designer
• in any musical compositions without limitations
• within podcasts, audio dramas, games, post-production for film & video production, apps & many more!

We have an awesome license agreement made just for your needs!

How often can I download & use this library?

If you have downloaded or purchased the library on Bandcamp you have unlimited downloads plus unlimited & lifelong use in all your projects!

I only need one sound! Do I need to download or purchase all the sounds?

No, On Bandcamp you can just buy or download the track you like without buying or downloading the complete library! This is something you are not getting on other sound library platforms and is an awesome feature!

How can I download the library?

I have more questions…

We are real people so please message us anytime at [email protected] and we are super happy to answer all your questions!

at [email protected] and we are super happy to answer all your questions!