Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [259]
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Mix Bar ( Map; 0 5399 9999; DusitD2 Chiang Mai, 100 Th Chang Khlan) Looking for a night out on a town that is more cosmopolitan than Chiang Mai? Chart a course to DusitD2 hotel’s slinky cocktail bar, a swish elixir after roving the night market. The last weekend of the month hosts gay-friendly rainbow parties.
NimMahn Bar ( Map; Th Nimmanhaemin) This open-air bar used to be the warm-up spot for the Warm-Up club ( Click here), but it has recently morphed into the smoking room now that the butts have been kicked out of the air-conditioned clubs.
Glass Onion ( Map; 0 5321 8479; Rooms Boutique Mall, Th Nimmanhaemin) Tucked away at the far end of the walking mall is this small lounge bar outfitted in ’60s-style mod fashions. While the barely legals try to blow their eardrums out at Nimmanhaemin’s dance clubs, this is the domain of grown-ups desiring cocktails and conversation. The bar also enjoys a gay-friendly reputation.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Live Music
Riverside Bar & Restaurant ( Map; 0 5324 3239; 9-11 Th Charoenrat) In a twinkly setting on Mae Ping, Riverside is a one of the longest-running live-music venues in Chiang Mai. The cover bands made up of ageing Thai hippies stake out centre stage and fill the room with all the singalong tunes from the classic-rock vault. It is the perfect antidote for electronica overload.
Good View ( Map; 0 5324 1866; 13 Th Charoenrat) If the Riverside is too rustic for you, go next door to Good View, which features a more modern interpretation of cover tunes.
Le Brasserie ( Map; 0 5324 1665; 37 Th Charoenrat; 11.15pm-1am) North of the riverside restaurants, Le Brasserie is a popular late-night spot filled with devotees of local guitarist Took. Rock and blues from all the dead legends fill the set. Food service is available inside the bar or out the back by the river.
Tha Chang Gallery ( Map; Th Charoenrat) Next door to the Gallery restaurant, this tiny music venue has great live jazz and blues nights. It was closed for renovation at the time of writing.
North Gate Jazz Co-Op ( Map; Th Si Phum) This tight little jazz club packs in more musicians than patrons, especially for its Tuesday open-mic night.
Sudsanan ( Map; 08 5038 0764; Th Huay Kaew) Down a driveway diagonally opposite Kad Suan Kaew, this warmly lit wooden house is filled with a lot of local soul. Long-haired Thais and expats (who know how to use a squat toilet) come here to applaud the adept acoustic performances that jog from samba to pleng pêu·a chee·wít (songs for life). Be prepared for some bowed heads and sniffles during particularly tear-jerking songs.
Clubs
Warm-Up ( Map; 0 5340 0676; 40 Th Nimmanhaemin) The perennial favourite of the dance-floor divas, Warm-Up aims to please with a little bit for everybody, including an interior courtyard filled with seating for dancers who need a breather. Off to the sides are various enclosed boxes dedicated to different DJ genres, from lounge and break beats to rock. Young hipsters arrive in their coolest duds: tight jeans, spiked wolf hair-dos, sparkly shirt dresses and pointy heels. But ever youthful fa·ràng join the crowd as well. Warm-Up occasionally hosts nationally known Thai bands.
Monkey Club ( Map; 0 5322 6997; Soi 9, Th Nimmanhaemin) Merging dinner with dancing, Monkey Club attracts a tribe of affluent Thai students and a few expats who might migrate from the garden seats to the glassed-in, all-white bar and club. It is an alternative to Warm-Up for the social butterflies.
Discovery ( Map; 0 5340 4708; 12 Th Huay Kaew) You don’t have to be hip to have fun at this disco. It is big, loud and totally cheesy – the perfect recipe for joining the massive blob of gyrating bodies. Discovery is across the street from Kad Suan Kaew.
Bubbles ( Map; Pornping Tower Hotel, Th Charoen Prathet). A tad sleazy but Bubbles still mysteriously wins the affections of the prowlers and the ravers alike. The dance floor heaves with a mix of