Chiang Mai

6ixcret

Located in the Night Bazar building, this famous gay bar is transitioning to a night club to attract more people including tourists. Drag show and cabaret show starts at 21:30 to midnight. No entrance fee, but there is a two drink minimum.

A Lot Of Thai: Home Cooking School

A family-run home cooking class, taught by the owner. Vegetarians and people with any kind of food restrictions welcome. Courses includes a market tour and a recipe book is provided for later use. Gordon Ramsey visited this place.

1400 baht pp

AUA

American University Alumni

AUA offers seven different 6- and 8-week courses M-F. Group courses start monthly with a minimum of 5 students. Individual instruction any time. Great library for student use, 100 baht per term. Caveats: they use the Haas transliteration system, not everyone's cup of tea. And they also have some petty rules, such as no shorts in class although no one observes the rule. No Wi-Fi.

Mon-Fri 08:30-18:00; Sat 09:00-11:30, 12:30-16:00; Sun 08:30-12:00

Air's Thai Culinary Kitchen

On of the tranquil, landscaped grounds of a private house. The kitchen's unique design draws from professional experience and is purpose-built and surrounded by herb and spice gardens. Offers Course A and Course B. Each is 3 days in length, 08:30-15:00. Free transport to/from hotel.

2500 baht pp

Alliance Francaise

Screens French films, but frequently sub-titled in English. See the website for calendar of showings. The alliance also has an extensive library and exhibitions.

Wed nights, 19:30

Anusarn Market

During the day time the Anusarn Market area is devoid of any vendor stalls. All the permanent shops, bars, and eateries around the inside walls of the market area are open for business. Every afternoon the Anusarn Market vendors move in, erect their large tent type stalls and open. Good shopping, good restaurants, and in a back corner there is a ladyboy cabaret that puts on a one-hour show at 21:30 at a reasonable price. Haggling is expected at market stalls. Start by offering a price lower than what is asked.

Closed · opens 6 pm

Anusarn Market

ตลาดอนุสาร

A busy outdoor night market with lots of little Thai, Indian and Western restaurants and food vendors. Great atmosphere.

Archers Bar and Restaurant

Some say the baguettes are better than in France, which is nonsense, but they may well be the best in Thailand. Very well-run establishment, with outstanding food, great staff and ambience. Owners, Mark and Sa.

Closed Mon. Tue-Sun 10:00-late; kitchen closes at 22:00·Large Leo 85 baht; They offer e.g. fried rice, Massaman curry, pad Thai, cappuccino and brie/bacon baguette

Arcobaleno Italian Restaurant

Open for lunch and dinner with a range of traditional Italian soup, pasta, antipasti, meat and vegetarian dishes. Homemade ice cream. Note: since March 2024 they moved to the address given here.

Daily 11:00-14:00, 17:30-22:00

Baan Thai Cookery School

Courses include a cookbook and market tour. Day or evening classes.

1100 baht pp

Ben Cocktail Bar

A tiny, hole-in-the-wall (~15 seat) cocktail bar that just may serve the best cocktails in Chiang Mai. Certainly the best price/performance. Run by Ben, an irrepressible, animal-loving, lovely female and her partner, Keng. She is especially proud of her mojitos, but all the 270 cocktails on offer are delicious. The conversation is good too as she speaks excellent English. Free Wi-Fi. Great place to people watch.

17:00-last man standing·Chang beer 60 baht; cocktails 120 baht

Bhubing Palace

Phu Ping Palace, Royal Winter Palace

This royal winter palace has lavishly landscaped gardens and is open to the public. Dress code strictly applied: dress modestly or pay 15 baht for fisherman's pants to cover your lack of it. This includes any leg above the ankle for either gender. The palace (built in 1961) is not particularly exciting, but the extensive gardens are picturesque with some amazing plant life, including carefully tended tropical flowers, centuries-old trees and giant bamboo. A sign at the bottom of the hill near the zoo indicates when it's closed. It is close to Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, so travel directions are similar.

Daily 08:30-11:30 & 13:00-15:00 when the Thai royal family is not in residence·50 baht, children 10 baht

Blow

A small bar with young crowd. Small scale drag show on Thursday and Saturday from 22:15 to 23:30 approximately (sometimes it started later if queens arrived later). No entrance fee for drag shows. The show stage is simply space between tables on two side, and one staff will stand near the entrance door holding a flashlight for lightning.

Blue Diamond

Thai and Western, huge selection of items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Great salads, fruits, fruit juices, noodle dishes, bakery, good breads. Very nice garden seating available.

Mon-Sat 08:00-21:00·100-300 baht

Bo Sang Umbrella & Sankampang Handicrafts Festival

Takes place around the third weekend of Jan at Ban Bo Sang, Sankampang. The festival is in the form of a "street fair" in which the central road of the village is used, with shops on both sides. Shops are decorated in Lanna-style, most with the well-known umbrellas, as well as with traditional lanterns. In addition there are contests, exhibitions, cultural performances, local entertainment, and assorted shows day and night. There is a grand procession decorated with umbrellas and local products, a variety of handicrafts for sale, northern-style khantoke meals and the Miss Bo Sang pageant.

Boy Blues Bar

The owner, "Boy", is a nephew of Chiang Mai legend "Took", of the now defunct Brasserie. Monday night is jamming night with great visiting musicians. Bangkok blues legend, Chai (of Chai's Blues Bar fame), often joins in. Well worth a visit.

Mon-Sat 19:00-24:00

Cafe de Siam

Continental breakfast and American breakfast offered. It's hard to find an early-morning breakfast in Chiang Mai due to the number of tourists on hotel package deals, but this place does. Free Wi-Fi.

Closed · opens 6:30 am

CaveCave 洞洞

A small club for about 50 people — positive atmosphere with Techno and Psy music or the accidental Old School Electro. Also, one of the less expensive venues with an according more alternative crowd.

Thu–Sun 20:00–·From 100 baht

Central Plaza Chiang Mai Airport

เซ็นทรัล แอร์พอร์ต พลาซ่า

On five floors, with a food court, banks/ATMs, and multi-screen cinema. It also has a Cultural Centre attached selling many crafts, a large food market, and an extensive selection of Thai ready-to-eat stalls in the basement.

CentralFestival

Measuring 250,000 m², with 250 shops, it rivals the Central Plaza Chiang Mai in size. Central Festival opened in late 2013 and includes an ice rink, IMAX and 4DX cinemas, dozens of restaurants and shops on five floors. A food court on the fifth floor as well as at the ground floor level (with better prices). All banks and mobile phone companies are represented.

Mon-Thu 11:00-21:30; Fri 11:00-22:00; Sat Sun 10:00-22:00

Centre for Thai Studies, Chiang Mai University Language Institute

1-year courses and short conversational programs. Website has on-line application form and FAQ.

Chapter 2W0

A gem of a cafe set in a sprawling garden. Excellent coffee and juice concoctions. Mouthwatering breads and desserts.

Daily 06:00-17:00

Chiang Mai Cabaret Show

A nightly revue, dancing to Western tunes by ladyboys in lavish costumes. The one hour show is tame and family-friendly, with children frequently in the audience. Lots of dancing to ABBA tunes and extravagant costumes, with no nudity. The show's length is perfect and the price is surprising affordable. Good fun. Happy Hour precedes the show, 19:30-20:30, and also follows the show.

Daily show, 21:30-22:30·200 baht cover, includes one drink

Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery

A place of history and remembrance. A statue of Queen Victoria is overlooking the place.

Chiang Mai Gate Market

A major shopping venue for fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish for locals. Between the ring roads and in the vicinity are numerous food stalls.

Chiang Mai Historical Centre

หอประวัติศาสตร์เมืองเชียงใหม่

This modern multimedia history and cultural education centre has guides dressed in elegant traditional Thai clothing who will usher you into an air-conditioned room to watch an English-subtitled orientation video about Chiang Mai and the north. Next, you will be pointed to a series of rooms documenting the region's history and culture in chronological order from the pre-Muang period (7,000-12,000 years ago) to the early river civilizations, to the early kings through the wars with the Burmese and the last dynasty, to the city today and its plans for the future. Other rooms are devoted to Buddhism and other regional beliefs, agricultural history, hill tribe peoples and other regional cultures, and a run-down of the royal dynasties. The exhibits consist of a smart visual mix of video, scale models, enlarged photos, wall murals and text in Thai and English. This complex also shared with the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre

Tue-Sun 08:30–17:00·90 baht

Chiang Mai University Art Museum

There are exhibitions by undergraduates from the Fine Arts Department at Chiang Mai University. These change often and the work on display is of high quality. Each month there is usually at least one art exhibition featuring the works of artists from Southeast Asia. The museum also hosts musical concerts, often free, in the adjoining theatre.

Tue-Sun 09:00–17:00·Free

Chiang Mai Zoo & Aquarium

A large park with over 400 species of animals, extremely popular with Thai tourists, and long queues may be encountered during Thai holidays. While better than some zoos, many animals are nevertheless kept in small enclosures. The zoo operates a dual pricing system wherein non-Thais are charged approximately double the price of Thai nationals. Additional charges are applied for the aquarium. Many of the animals can be fed for a charge of 10 or 20 baht. The park is pretty large, and expect plenty of hills if you want to walk the complete route, so taking the "tram," which is an open-air cart, is a faster and more convenient way to get around, though the last tram starts at 16:30. It's possible to drive through with your car, and there are parking spots next to the animal exhibits. If you have a rental scooter or bike, definitely bring it though. The zoo closes at 17:00, but many visitors wander to the exit gate well past closing time.

Daily 09:00-17:00·Zoo Ticket 350 baht for adults, 120 baht for children; Aquarium Ticket 450 baht for adults, 350 baht for children; as of December 2025 Panda House Tickets are not available

Chiangmai Saloon

American-style burger and steakhouse. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, music videos and sports on three 3-m screens, pool tables and free Internet, free popcorn and peanuts, over 50 kinds of margaritas, Chang beer on tap. Is open everyday from breakfast until late.

Chit Hole CNX

Besides the funny name, it is a place with 16 different kinds of draft beer, some local ones from Chiang Mai. Small music groups of 2-3 persons.

195 baht for a 350 mL glass and 250 baht for a 550 mL glass