Thailand's laid back northern capital offers a wealth of evening entertainment to complement its daytime adventure activities. The leafy, moated city centre houses a range of girlie bars as well as family-friendly restaurants, British style pubs, pumping discos and lively live music venues to keep you entertained, while the university and riverside districts have the city's trendiest selection of night spots.

Live music and discos
People don't normally come to Chiang Mai for the nightlife, but most visitors are pleasantly surprised by the after-hours offerings this northern hub has to offer. The city centre has a host of girlie bars just behind the famous Night Bazaar, while more sophisticated options can be found in the city's top hotels.

Loi Kroh Road in the city centre is the focus of the bar scene but the nearby riverside area offers classier options with its live music venues and refined restaurants. Here you will find everything from jazz to rock in a family-friendly environment. The city's top hotels all have stylish bars, often with DJs, with the Porn Ping Tower home to one of Chiang Mai's longest running discos, Bubbles.

A more youthful scene is found near the university, where the hip Nimmanhaemin Road is swarming with bars. For something a bit different, try a game of bowling at one of the city's bowling alleys or catch an English language movie at the cinema. There is also Thai boxing on hand as well as glitzy cabaret shows at Simon's. More on Chiang Mai.

Bars
The bar scene in Chiang Mai isn't as expansive as in Bangkok or Pattaya but there is plenty of choice. Many people start their pub crawls in the city centre after a jaunt around the Night Bazaar. Just a short walk from this bustling strip is Loh Kroh Road, where dozens of mostly girlie bars can be found.

A bit farther afield, the Old City has a handful of more mainstream bars that attract mostly travellers while the moat road offers Mandalay, a large complex with bars and dance floors, as well as a handful of smaller clubs.

For a late night of revelry, try one of the city's top hotels, with the Duangtawan, Porn Ping and Shangri-La all having hip bars, lounges or discos. If you prefer a more Thai scene, the area around the university is teeming with student-filled bars, many of which offer decent live music. Recommended bars in Chiang Mai.

Eating out
The dining scene in Chiang Mai is getting better each year, with everything from tasty Thai food to spicy Indian curries, Mexican fare, Japanese sushi and Middle Eastern mezze available. The tourist orientated Night Bazaar area is bustling with eateries but for better priced authentic Thai fare, head away from the main strip.

The city has a few restaurants where you can really splurge while it also has great, affordable riverside restaurants that are a night out in themselves, with dining often accompanied by live music. For quick eats there are several markets dotted around the city that serve hot noodle and rice dishes until late.
see also:
Recommended Chiang Mai restaurants.
Dine-Out Chiang Mai.