The only escalator in Chiang Mai's Waroros Market is finally working again, after 50 years of being "motionless". - Photo: The Nation/ANN
CHIANG MAI, (Thailand): The only escalator in Chiang Mai’s century-old Waroros Market, known locally as Kad Luang, has finally come back to life after being motionless for more than 50 years.
Once a symbol of modernity, it had long stood still, earning the nickname “the escalator that never moves”.
The long-standing myth ended last week when the market’s management team repaired and restarted the escalator, to the delight of both vendors and shoppers.
News of the reoperation spread quickly on social media, with excited locals visiting the market to ride it and posting photos online.
“People, the motionless escalator has moved again!” one Facebook user exclaimed.
From modern marvel to urban legend
Kad Luang – meaning “the great market” in the northern dialect – has been the commercial heart of downtown Chiang Mai for over a century.
During its modernisation decades ago, market operators installed an escalator to connect the ground and second floors, making it one of the first of its kind in northern Thailand.
However, the escalator reportedly stopped working shortly after its debut. Some locals said it was shut down to save on electricity costs and later broke due to disuse, while others claimed it malfunctioned and was never repaired due to budget constraints.
For generations, Chiang Mai residents and visitors had never seen it move.
Market management spent about a month restoring the escalator, reinforcing the floor structure and upgrading the electrical system to ensure safety before reopening it last week.
On Oct 21, Chiang Mai governor Thossapon Phuan-udom visited the market and personally tested the escalator while promoting the government’s Let’s Go Halves programme.
He said Kad Luang remains central to Chiang Mai’s economy and that reviving the escalator not only adds convenience but also rekindles fond memories of the city’s past.
Locals celebrate a small piece of history
Many vendors expressed joy at finally seeing the escalator work again after decades.
Grandma New, 80, who owns a clothes shop on the second floor right in front of the escalator, said she has been selling there for more than 70 years, continuing the business started by her parents.
She recalled that the escalator was installed when she was about 20 years old and was considered a modern marvel at the time.
“It stopped working soon after installation because it used too much electricity,” she said. “I’m 80 now and have never seen it move again – until last week.”
Nuch, who runs a souvenir shop on the ground floor, said she has been at the market for two decades and had never seen the escalator in operation until now.
She said she was glad the upgrade would help elderly shoppers reach the second floor more easily. - The Nation/ANN
