Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai's dive bars are the rooms locals defend hardest. Cheap, loud, exactly right. The dive bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Old City, Nimmanhaemin (Nimman), Riverside, Chang Klan all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
NIMMANHAEMIN · $$ · HIDDEN GEMS
Cocktail-and-craft-beer bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for regulars and anyone tired of polished rooms. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
OLD CITY · $ · LIVE MUSIC
Heritage live-jazz bar from 2011. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for music fans who want a drink that matches the set. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
SANTITHAM · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Coffee-and-cocktail bar from the Akha hill-tribe community. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
NIMMANHAEMIN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Craft-beer bar with thirty taps including Thai craft beers. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
OLD CITY · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage backpacker-zone bar. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
RIVERSIDE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage live-music bar on the Ping River. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Chiang Mai or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten dive bars that any serious drinker in Chiang Mai would tell you to put on the list.
Cocktail-and-craft-beer bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for regulars and anyone tired of polished rooms. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Heritage live-jazz bar from 2011. Order: Lemongrass-mango daiquiri. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for music fans who want a drink that matches the set. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Chiang Mai? See our guide to the best dive bars worldwide, or compare dive bars city by city. Or find dive bars near you.