Stay in the Old City on a first visit: more than 30 temples sit inside the walls. Pick the Night Bazaar side for night life. Riverside, on Charoen Rat Road, has live music by the river. Inside the walls a red songthaew costs THB 30.
For a first visit, sleep in the Old City. Pick another area if night life, cafes or quiet matter more to you.
Quick picks
Temples on foot: the Old City.
Night market and bars: the Night Bazaar side.
Live music by the river: Riverside, on Charoen Rat Road.
A restored stretch of the Old City wall at the moat.
The five areas at a glance
Area
Feel
Night
Getting in
Old City
Walled centre, 30-plus temples
—
—
Night Bazaar
Bulk of the city’s hotels and guest houses
Market 18:00–24:00
3/4 km east of Tha Phae Gate, about a 15-minute walk
Riverside
East bank of the Ping River
Live music and restaurants
Bridge over the Ping River to the rail and bus stations
Nimman
—
Loud pubs with live bands
—
Old City: stay here for temples on foot
More than 30 temples lie inside the remaining city walls. The moat is about 1.6 km on a side. The airport is about 2.5 km from the old part of the city.
Inside the walls, the east side has the highest concentration of guesthouses, restaurants, motorbike rental shops and travel agencies. The western half is more Thai. The area around Tha Phae Gate has the greatest number of tourist services.
Tha Phae Gate and the road in front.Ratchadamnoen Road during the Sunday market.
Inside the walls a songthaew costs THB 30; outside the walls you negotiate the price.
If you travel for a festival, Loi Krathong lasts three full days in Chiang Mai, ending on the 12th full moon, usually in November. For streets and rent, see the Old City living guide.
Night Bazaar and Chang Khlan: the hotel strip
The city has grown east to the Ping River, where Changklan Road, the Night Bazaar and the bulk of the hotels and guest houses are. Loi Kroh Road is the centre of the tourist night life.
The Night Bazaar is 3/4 km down Tha Phae Road from the gate, about a 15-minute walk, and runs 18:00–24:00. Thai people rarely shop there.
Changklan Road at night in the Night Bazaar area.
Skip this side if you go to bed early. The busiest night zones are near Tha Phae Gate, on Loi Kroh Road and along Charoen Rat Road. See Chiang Mai night markets for which market opens on which night.
Riverside: the Ping River east bank
The east bank of the Mae Ping River on Charoen Rat Road is famous for live music and restaurants. Past the Si Phum corner, the road runs straight on to a bridge over the Ping River, and beyond it lie the rail and bus stations.
The Ping River seen from the Chansom Memorial Bridge.
Warorot Market is daily 6 AM–6 PM. It sits near the river, east of the walls.
Warorot Market (Kad Luang) Wichayanon Rd, Tambon Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Inside the main market building.
Choose the river for live music with dinner. Charoen Rat Road is one of the busiest night zones. See Warorot Market for floors and food.
Nimman: cafes, co-working and loud pubs
It is a popular hangout for younger Thais. Many co-working spaces offer daily, weekly and monthly rates.
One Nimman 1/1-1/12, 1/5 Nimmanahaeminda Road Nimmanhaemin Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)The One Nimman clock tower seen from the Nimmanhaemin Road junction.
The pubs here feature loud music interspersed with live bands. Little English is spoken in this part of the city, but bar staff, being students, often understand or speak it reasonably well. Visitors who want something racier are better off staying in the east.
Cool season brings more competition for rooms and higher accommodation prices. Songkran, 13–15 April, is huge in Chiang Mai, and accommodation can fill. If smoke bothers you, consider flexible accommodation during burning season. See best time to visit and the burning season.
No person may run a hotel business without a licence. A hotel is accommodation set up as a business to provide temporary accommodation for payment. Accommodation charged by the month or more is outside that definition.
At check-in the manager records you on a registration card, and one guest signs it. The hotel manager where you stay must notify immigration. A hotel manager who misses it faces a fine of THB 2,000–10,000. The TM.30 guide covers the filing steps.
Getting between areas
A red songthaew costs THB 30 inside the walls and needs negotiating outside.
Not confirmed: No dated nightly rate by area was found, so check live booking prices for your dates before you choose. No hotel is registered on this site yet, so none is named here. At check-in, ask the hotel to confirm it will file your TM30.
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
