The best things to do in Chiang Mai this weekend (Oct 2-5)

Sense is back for the fourth time this year with a night of light, sound, taste and smell. This time, the takeover is happening at the Museum of Something (MOS) in Hang Dong, with eye-catching art exhibitions, video mapping, performances and immersive installations. For smell, it's an incense experience and a bustling food market packed with tasty goodies ticks the box for taste. And, for sound, live sets by SL Music and 3D We Are The Band lead into a night of guest DJs from Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia and Chiang Mai. 

Oct 4. B499 online (here) or B600 at the door. Museum of Something. 4pm-2am.

NHI, the Bangkok-based rock band otherwise known as Natural Human Instinct crash into the city with a night of metal, rock and mayhem as part of their Southeast Asia tour. Joined by fellow Bangkokian emerging artists 38 Special and local favourites The Shredder, Olex and Herenity, there’s no doubt in our minds that this night is of high energy and heavy sounds. 

Oct 4. B250 online, B350 at the door. Yoda’s CNX Gallery. 6pm-late.

Legendary Chiang Mai dining spot &THEN returns with its third Double Troubles pairing, this time blending Japanese sake with bold Lanna-Burmese flavours. Certified sake sommelier Khun Gan teams up with head chef Trish for a four-dish menu matched to three premium sakes, from Niida Honke Kaoruyama to Shichihonyari Junmai Tamazakae. Dishes include  the buffalo jin-thop, Thai wagyu beef gyoza and steamed catfish with a boozy twist, served in banana leaf. And once the sake runs out, a wall filled with organic and biodynamic wines will see you through to the wee hours.

Oct 3. B999, recommended to book in advance here. &THEN. 5pm-11pm.

\Swap the clubs and bars for a more refined evening of strings and symphonies as the Libere String Quartet from Mahidol University College of Music joins rising local scholars from Prem Tinsulanonda International School for an enrapturing performance at Anantara Chiang Mai Resort. Interpretations of Baht, Mozart, Shostakovich and Haydn will be performed following a cocktail reception of welcome drinks, canapes and a light snack menu that can be enjoyed throughout the performance. 

Oct 2. B890 for adults, B450 for students and kids. The Function Room, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort. 5.45pm-8pm

Chiang Mai’s freshest blues bar switches gears with a night of contemporary jazz and soulful sounds – and entry’s on the house. Musical outfit BoyPaco kicks off the night by blending smooth grooves with modern improvisation before Dr. Ken’s Aquarium weaves together soulful samples with an energetic mix of blues and blues-rock. Get there early to snag the best seats or arrive fashionably late and get your groove on in the back. 

Oct 3. Free. Soi Dog Blues Bar. 8pm-11pm. 

Get into the Halloween spirit early with hands-on, monster-making pottery sessions at Mitt Studio. Mixing claywork with sculpture, enjoy a few free drinks as you learn the techniques needed to bring your scariest imagination to life. Pinch pots, join slabs, carve our faces, and coil horns – there’s no experience needed, all you need is a spooky imagination and a willingness to get messy. Each participant leaves with at least one glazed and fired piece (ready in 1–2 weeks), with the option to make more for a small fee.

Oct 3 and following weekends all month. B850 per person. Mitt Studio. 2pm-4.30pm

What if your identity wasn’t based on what you buy – but what you grow, share and co-create? That’s the guiding question behind this immersive course, hosted jointly by the Pun Pun community in Mae Taeng and the indigenous P’gakenyoa people of Hin Lad Nai, Chiang Rai. Across two sacred sites, explore what it means to reconnect with the land, the self and each other through ancestral practices, community rituals and ecological living.  This in-depth course offers hands-on learning for topics such as seed saving, wild foraging, traditional farming, organic cooking and even forest beekeeping. A rare collaboration between two inspiring communities offers a chance to slow down, go deep and reimagine what natural life could be.

June 6-11 and Nov 2-7. B12,000, email punpuncourses@gmail.com for registration. Pun Pun Organic Farm and Learning Centre.