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 One of the best features of Chiang Mai is its diversity and the nightlife bears this idea out. Whether your idea of a good time is a classy bar with a nice view and live music or thumping beats, flashing lights and a packed dance floor, you’ll be able to find it in Chiang Mai. All over the city you will find hotspots that cater to a wide range of crowds. There are tiny corner bars perfect for a quiet drink and a chat, Rasta bars for the bleary-eyed dreadlocks crowd, high end joints with great live music, high-energy nightclubs to get your boogie fix and college bars catering to the many young Thais who study at the local universities.
Chiang Mai loves to party and you’ll find the atmosphere in the nightspots to be very welcoming and relaxed. If there’s a downside to Chiang Mai nightlife it’s the local regulation stating that all bars must close at midnight. This unpopular law has drawn complaints from all quarters but at the moment there are only a few places licensed to stay open until 02:00. Having said that, many places simply ignore the rules and if you keep an eye out you can usually find someplace open after hours.
Chiang Mai loves to party and you’ll find the atmosphere in the nightspots to be very welcoming and relaxed.
Bars and Pubs
Chiang Mai bars run the gamut from holes-in-the-wall that are little more than chairs and a cooler to theme bars to traditional British Pubs. There is a large concentration of bars along Moon Muang Road, inside the moat near Tha Pae Gate, and a number of great live music venues along the Ping River. Also, the sois (alleyways) near the night bazaar are home to a large number of pubs, many of which cater to specific nationalities. Near Chiang Mai University you will find a number of bars geared towards the young Thai student crowd. These places are usually quite packed on the weekend and are great for meeting locals. Bars in Chiang Mai come and go as quickly as a Thai rain squall so it’s hard to keep an accurate list.
Chiang Mai Saloon, 80/1 Loi Kroh Road- Catering to the American crowd, this is an old-west themed beer and burger joint. The food is good and the portions are American sized. 55 baht margaritas are among the many drink specials.
The Riverside Pub and Restaurant, 9-11 Charoenrat Road- A Chiang Mai institution, this is excellent live music venue should be on the itinerary for any visitor to Chiang Mai. The menu has an excellent selection of Thai and western food and the drink prices are fairly reasonable. The real attraction here, however, is the music.
The U.N. Irish Pub, 24/1 Ratvithi Road- This two storey establishment is known by locals simply as ‘The Irish’ and is the unofficial clubhouse of the expatriate crowd. This is the place to have a nice pint and watch (or talk) rugby, football or cricket. Other highlights are the great food and occasional spoken word and open-mic nights.
Tiny Corner, Moon Muang Soi 2- This charming hole in the wall lives up to its name and is possibly the smallest bar in Chiang Mai. This little hideaway is perfect for those who want to escape from the noise and pressure of the more touristy bars.
Brasserie, 37 Charoenrat Road- This classy place is possibly the best venue for live music in all of Chiang Mai. Local blues and rock legend Tuk is a fixture here as well as numerous other guest artists performing western covers and Thai rock.
Drunken Flower, Nimminhemin Road near the Amari Rincome Hotel- This is a hip joint popular with Thais and foreigners alike. The live music is excellent but not too loud to have a conversation and the drink prices are very reasonable.
Chiang Mai Cool, Huay Kaew Road, next to the Hilltop Condotel- This is a relatively new place but is already becoming a magnet for upscale Thais and well-to-foreigners. The glass and steel façade and postmodern décor are a very distinctive and stylish and the music is either live bands or DJs.
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