Lucie Grace

Top gigs, cosy listening parties and sketching workshops all fuelled by excellent eats keep us busy this rainy weekend. It’s gigs galore in Chiang Mai, with sultry local songsters Madame Blue returning to the stage with their hypnotic jazz and soul performance at North Riff House while indie icons Common People Like You, VELS and Terror Terror head to Yoda’s CNX Gallery for the Pollinate Records showcase. On the other side, there’s a good helping of more hobby-forward events too – from sketch sessions at Chai N Thai and special film screenings with Q&A sessions to tea tasting at Jugnu Studio and the World Cup quarter-finals at Radoast. Game on. 

Thailand is one of the best places for second-hand thrift shopping in Asia, with vintage shop owners from around the world coming to the Kingdom to buy suitcase loads of stock for their stores back in Europe, Australia and beyond. Which is savvy in a way – high-end vintage pieces by big names your grandparents would have fawned over are significantly more affordable here than overseas, especially if you’re an experienced collector and know what you’re looking for. On the cheap and cheerful side, container loads of secondhand essentials are shipped into Thailand on the daily, so we are undoubtedly a prime destination to hit up when in need of a wardrobe overhaul.  Bangkok’s huge scene gets a lot of footfall but do not sleep on Chiang Mai’s vintage micro industry. Over the years it’s blossomed into a hub that rivals the capital, thanks to the creative community that calls CNX home and a growing appetite for more sustainability minded secondhand buys over icky fast fashion.  It’s as if wherever you look, there’s vintage shops in every corner of the city. Places where you can find anything from carefully curated designer bits and old-west leather pieces to Y2K havens. The treasure hunt is real and the prices tasty…most of the time. Here’s our favourite spots in the city to give you just a flavour; we’d need a directory to list them all.

One of the great perks of spending any amount of time in Thailand’s northern capital is its close proximity to natural wonder. There are reams of great day trips to plot from Chiang Mai, many of which are less than an hour’s drive away from the city centre. With Songkran around the corner and burning season soon to be over (oh please, may the burning soon be over) – now is a great time to get planning cooler getaways. There’s even rumour that on the hills, the air quality is a little better – but either way planning for now or for once the smog has cleared has never been better timed.  From scenic mountain top cafes, valleys of waterfalls to rolling rice paddies – we’ve got some of Thailand’s favourite destinations on our doorstep – all great places to reconnect with nature in ways that aren’t ostentatiously over done. So get on your bike, catch a bus or hire a driver and work your way through our list of the best day trips from Chiang Mai right now, or for when the smoke clears. 

Burning season is upon us and with rainy season to soon follow, there’s no time like the present to prioritise indoor self care and float around the spas of the city. With spas, saunas, onsen and wellness centres on just about every street of our moderately-sized zen metropolis, narrowing it down was tough – especially when we take into account the cheaper spots. So we’ve done you a favour and gone for a range that spans all budgets. From the homely, local vibes at places like Heart N Soul to the most lux experiences in town at The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, here’s a list of eight of our faves. We also singled out the spas that offer something special or prioritise traditional Lanna practices – given that Chiang Mai was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, there’s a legacy of healing particular to the north, so why not make the most of it? You can get your oil massages anywhere. Tok Sen? That’s a niche to get into up here. Your limbs will thank you.  Pair your planning with seven of the best onsen in Chiang Mai

Hat Yai – the buzzing southern city recently hit by record-breaking floods – is back on its feet. And thanks to a new wave of young creatives determined to rebuild and reimagine it from the ground up, it’s quickly becoming one of Thailand’s most intriguing comeback stories. Thailand kicked off 2026 with record-breaking tourist numbers in the first two weeks of 2026, with Malaysians making the second largest source market for visitors after the Chinese, many crossing the southern border in search of a weekend escape. And instead of flying north to Phuket or Bangkok, more are pulling up in Hat Yai. So, on a recent trip organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, I headed south to see what’s new – and arrived just in time for Chinese New Year, a festival that runs surprisingly deep here. Dazzled by orange, red and electric-blue fireworks, I arrived straight into the action – firecrackers popping at my feet and a huge dancing dragon, powered by 20-odd impossibly nimble teenagers. The show is on a main thoroughfare in downtown Hat Yai, where a lot of links to China can be found, with gorgeous shrines and temples dotted at regular intervals. Photograph: Tourism Authority of Thailand For context: on November 22, the city and surrounding area – including the UNESCO listed, historic city Songkhla – received the highest rainfall it’s ever seen in 300 years of recorded history, driven by La Nina conditions and increasingly volatile climate patterns. But as dragon dancers swirl thr

New Year’s Eve in Chiang Mai doesn’t stick to just one script – and that’s why we’re sharing a bit of everything to get you in the mood.    You can do the full movie-style moment under fireworks, lanterns and stage lights, dance your way into 2026 in a sweaty club corner, clink glasses over a long dinner or head for the hills to chant your way into a calmer, more enlightened version of yourself. Either way, Chiang Mai delivers every option for an end-of-year send-off that’s as varied as it is memorable – second only to the Thai New Year just a few months down the line.   From big-ticket countdowns and neighbourhood festivals to lantern-lit rituals and rooftop celebrations, here’s how Chiang Mai is welcoming 2026. Choose wisely. Or don’t. It’s only New Year’s Eve. 

Christmas in Chiang Mai might lack snowflakes and woolly jumpers, but it makes up for the lack of frost with sunshine, cocktails and a calendar bursting with events. Sure, the midday heat is real and Santa has likely swapped his red suit for a Hawaiian shirt, but the city is firmly in festive mode. Get ready for a packed few days of feasting, drinking, dancing and zero excuses to stay home.   You can absolutely do Christmas the classic way – piling plates high at indulgent spreads at Skugga Estate, Anantara or Melia – but that’s just the starting point. Elsewhere, Christmas Eve spills onto rooftops, into tiki bars and across dancefloors, with DJ-led blowouts, jungle parties, fire shows, markets and Chiang Mai-style celebrations that are far more exciting than sitting through another rerun on the sofa.   We say skip the stay-at-home movie marathon and lean into the tropics. Whether it’s refreshing rooftop cocktails, basslines till late, Christmas dinners with a twist or playing bar games into the night, this is December in Thailand – and Chiang Mai is doing it its own way. 

The mighty triangle of Thailand’s front row Muay Thai destinations – Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket – are busier than ever and for women in the sport, it all points north. Long established as a Muay Thai epicentre, Chiang Mai has been racing ahead of late as the frontrunner for female fighters. The north is making waves thanks to its women-led training gyms and vast numbers of local and international girls competing with more regular ‘lady fights’ than anywhere else in the country. We’ve even got the first female commentator of the ONE Championships in town – commuting down to BKK for her suited and booted, mic-wielding role. But how did Chiang Mai come to take centre stage?   Photograph: AKA Two-time World Muay Thai Council champion Teresa Wintermyr remembers visiting the north in 2007 and training in Pai for a month before having her first Chiang Mai fight. ‘Back then it was not common for women to fight at all. There were fight events almost every day and there'd be maybe one female fight every two weeks,’ she recollects, beaming. ‘I didn't mean for it to become a career, I just kept doing it.’ After gaining an impressive collection of belts and trophies she opened Sedthee Fight Club with her partner Sedthee Erawan (also a champion fighter). In the midst of a dwindling pandemic, they opened Chiang Mai’s first gym with an English-speaking female trainer. Word got around town that world champion Teresa, who’d been a regular on the fight circuit for over 15 years, was now a

Every mighty metropolis needs an artistic enclave, where for one reason or another, creatives elect to live, work and play. Think Paris’ Southbank, or New York’s Brooklyn in its heyday. Chiang Mai is no different and while we could argue that the whole city is a creative hub, one neighbourhood certainly stands out. Enter: Pong Noi, the leafy green village that stretches between Wat Umong and Wat Pong Noi, winding around the roads (pong noi meaning little curve or bend) in the foothills of our majestic Doi Suthep. It’s an easy going little hamlet that’s generally off the tourist trail, and is inherently calming while having a lot going on – so if you’re looking to spend some time in a part of the city that’s a little more calm and rustic, then explore our Chiang Mai neighbourhood guide to Pong Noi below. What’s Pong Noi known for? These days, when you first hear of Pong Noi, it’s either an invite to a creative workshop, an art event or because pizza is calling. Adirak Pizza has undoubtedly put the ‘hood on the map in the past couple of years and for good reason.  Why do the locals love it? Pong Noi folks will happily spend all week in their neighbourhood as it has everything they could possibly need – great coffee, great food, loads of entertainment and nature in extremely close proximity, if not their back garden. How do I get to the area? Pong Noi is the furthest west point of Suthep, wedged between Canal Road and the mountain. It’s just a 10-minute motorbike ride west of th

Is there anything better than Halloween on a Friday? Things might be a bit more muted this year, but the ghouls are still ghouling. From live music to murder mysteries, free ice cream (yes, you heard us) to pumpkin carving and soulful Day of the Dead celebrations to boot – Chiang Mai’s got Halloween on lock this year. The only truly scary part is deciding where to go. 

Given the mountains of Chiang Mai are simply bubbling with geothermal hot springs, you’d think that the city would have been bathing mad since the year dot. But it seems that a local love of all things Japanese, coupled with the global boom of the wellness industry post-2020 are to thank for the recent explosion of onsens appearing in and around the city – traditional Japanese spas known for hot baths, saunas and the odd ice plunge. Never ones to miss a new trend, we’re fully embracing the city’s pash for bathing culture, but out of respect for Japan, must note the term ‘onsen’ is sometimes used a little liberally here. In Japan, onsen are baths full of natural hot spring water, however our shortlist includes a few that are better described as onsen-adjacent – with all the hallmarks and experience of an onsen, but without the natural spring water on tap. And unlike the bath houses of our East Asian neighbour, tattoos are allowed in all the spots here – we’re visiting Japan in spirit and that’s good enough for us.

Last week we featured the people behind Chiang Mai’s burgeoning vinyl revival - but now we have you excited about the scene, how can you lock in and build your very own collection? Very easily in fact.  The city is awash with vinyl listening bars, cafes and restaurants awaiting you - some that let you select an LP, some that curate the experience and kindly ask you to keep your mitts to yourselves. Then of course there are the record stores holding the market together with boxes upon boxes of wax discs, many of which come with sound systems in situ and buckets of experienced enthusiasm. Here are our favourite vinyl spots in Chiang Mai.

Film buffs can smile this weekend as we have some big names in town for a special screening. Skip your afternoon plans and see Morte Cucina – the story about a highly skilled cook with a tragic past who takes revenge by trapping her attacker through her mastery of Thai cuisine. After the show, stay for a special Q&A session with director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and cinematographer Christopher Doyle and find out more about the story and inspiration behind the flick. English subs. July 12. Major Cineplex, Central Festival Chiang Mai. 2pm onwards

Watch Norway take on England as the World Cup quarter-finals roll into the early hours, not at home, but at a sports bar in the heart of the city. Forget how late it is and head to Radost Sports Bar and catch the match, shown on nine huge 4K TVs with English commentary, while the bar keeps going until the end. With special late licensing, there’s also darts, American pool, foosball, arcade machines and a board game room to keep you occupied, distracted, awake or all three. Also, if you prefer other matches, they’ve got them all – all the way until the final.  July 11 to morning July 12. Reservations recommended. Radost Sports Bar. 5pm-6am, kick-off 4am

The city's most low-key reggae joint, Sriphum Melodic, brings a Reggae Zing Splash to our Sunday, mixing reggae rhythms and Isan influences for a free session to close out the week. The lineup features live sets from High-Up, acoustic performances by Piba Prakong Ruesi and Mitsukaze, plus an energetic closing show from Songkhue Riddim, an Isan reggae band blending roots grooves with northeastern Thai sounds. Vinyl lovers can also catch Selecta Ghieluun spinning an all-analog, 100 percent vinyl DJ set to close off the evening. July 12. Free entry. Sriphum Melodic. 6pm-1am

The brand new Jugnu Studio is back again with another hot topic – this time, poetry with a side of tea. Small tea tasting sessions start you off, with three high-quality Taiwanese teas to sip and savour, while poems and stories are shared around the table. Bring a poem you’ve already written and share it with others, or make one up on the spot – it’s often how the best ideas arise. Each session is limited to just eight participants, so best to book in early to secure a pew.  July 10. B350 per person, DM the studio on Instagram to book. Jugnu Studio. 3pm-5pm 

Bites & Neighbours brings together two of Chiang Mai's favourite names for one night only at The Bottle Club, and we’re honestly really excited for this one. Welcoming the team from SEII for an evening of signature cocktails, exclusive Bumbu rum pours and a special takeover menu by chefs Black (Blackitch) and Beer (Blackano), there’s a ton of flavour and fun to be had. The menu features eight sharing dishes and a dessert designed to match the drinks. No doubt this lively neighbourhood hangout is already cool, but with vinyl sets from OG Street Coffee Crew and Fangnary keeping the party going until midnight, there’s many-a-reason to block off your Saturday night for this one. July 11. Booking required, DM their Instagram to secure a spot. The Bottle Club. 6pm-midnight

The team at our favourite new venue doplace are making the most of their unfathomably cosy sofa and cushion adorned nest this Sunday by hosting a tea and listening party. With brews of Taiwanese tea and vinyl selections that meditate on our relationship with time, this promises to be a Sunday afternoon well spent. Not to mention their delicious menu from Chef Trish – who also runs all things culinary downstairs at Goodcery. Drop doplace a line in advance to book a spot in their living room-esque space.  July 12. From 250B. doplace (Upstairs at Goodcery Space). 5pm-7pm

Local indie label Pollinate Records are throwing a mega gig on Saturday that sees a double headline show from Brit-pop inspired icons Common People Like You and industrial rockers VELS take to the stage at Yoda’s. Special guest support comes from Terror Terror ending their recent rainy season tour with a video release knees up. July 11. 150B. Yoda’s CNX Gallery. 7.30pm-midnight

All about etchings? Didn’t know the city has a sketching club? You do now. And the band of merry mark makers are taking their meet up event somewhere delicious this weekend. Join the Chiang Mai Drawing and Sketching Club for their (generally) weekly Sketch & Kvetch event at Chai N Thai, grazing on South Indian plates while working on your current masterpiece and chatting to fellow artistes. July 11. Free. Chai N Thai, Nimman. 12pm-4pm

DJ Bird brings his signature blend of hip-hop, R&B, jazzy house and groove-heavy beats to 828 Alleyway for a special night away from his usual decks at The Toys Club. A familiar face in the cooler spots around town, he’s the man behind Chiang Mai’s 1st Press and Bangkok’s Yayyyyy Record Bar. No doubt you’ll find the smoothest selection of vinyl-inspired grooves that turns into a late-night soundtrack that just keeps rolling. July 10. 828 Alleyway. From 10pm. Free entry

One of the highlights of this year’s Shambhala in your Heart festival, Madame Blue are coming out of their gig hiatus and returning to the stage this Friday. Get ready to be seduced by their sultry jazz and soul at snazzy new live music venue North Riff House, which is, you guessed it, north of the moat. Support comes from Late n Liam so grab a table nice and early for a Friday well deserved. July 10. Free entry. North Riff House. 5pm-midnight

This painfully cool cafe and restaurant hit the zeitgeist on the head last year when they first launched their daytime dance off. Now a monthly affair (or thereabouts), the team push the mismatched mid-century furniture to one side and a dancefloor awaits, with local DJs spinning the best urban, R’n’B, hip-hop and the occasional pop banger while you smash back a Mocha. It’s not all sobriety, beers are on sale, but with a coffee menu as good as theirs, why would you do that?  July 5. Free entry. Fringe, Wat Ket. 1pm-6pm

Books don't always need to collect dust in a library with unpredictable opening times, or at least that’s the idea behind IN BETWEEN WORLDS – a three-day pop-up library fest at our favourite city spot, Anusarn Building, Sanpakoi. Flick through old books curated by four of Chiang Mai’s most beloved independent bookstores (Alphabet CNX, Book:Republic, Rare Finds Bookstore and Anyway Cafe), with a full range of classics to kids, specialist titles to rare finds. But it doesn’t end there. Workshops on hand lettering, risograph printing and traditional bookbinding get us all back to the 'artifacts of bookmaking' – keeping minds busy between chapters. And there’s even a mini-exhibition on stories behind the books – showcasing everything from early handwritten notes and editing proofs to page layouts and cover design.  July 3-5. Free entry. Anusarn Building, Sanpakoi. 9am-5pm

Rolling nine years strong, Pai Jazz & Blues Festival is back with an absolutely packed line up this weekend, June 3-5.  A major highlight of green season in the north, the musical fest takes over the stages and mixing desks across Pai’s town centre – changing the soundtrack from sleepy hippy hangout to an international, multi-venue jazz affair.  Jazz of all shapes and sizes is humming from street corners, for three full days and nights packed with talent from Thailand and beyond. But fear not, it’s still the same small scale, intimate event it ever was – and that’s just how Pai likes it.  And perhaps most excitingly, drum roll please, this year admission to the Official Main Venue, Jazz Up (formerly known as the Jazz House) is completely free with no tickets required, making it easier than ever for us to enjoy top-drawer live music in the heart of Pai. Pai Jazz & Blues FestivalPhotograph: Pai Jazz & Blues Festival Pai Jazz & Blues Festival 2026 From July 3-5, Jazz Up – handily located just minutes from Pai Walking Street – will host five live shows a day, with jazz, blues and more performed from 4.15pm to 10.30pm every evening. Beyond the main shows, the festival continues its signature bar hopping experience with a solid network of partner venues across town, including Pai Coffee Studio, Cafecito, Janym Pai, The Bottle & Cat's Whiskers, Limoncello Pai, The Blue Ox, Silhouette by Reverie Siam, Vinyl Sky Lounge and Supermoon Pai. With so much going on, we’re wondering where

Earlier this month, an Etihad Airways flight glided onto the runway at Chiang Mai International Airport for the very first time – marking a massive moment for the city’s global connectivity. And, as you’d expect, they did it with a bang.  From November 4 2025, the Abu Dhabi-based airline has officially become the first and only carrier linking Chiang Mai directly with the Middle East. This means that for anyone heading west to Europe and beyond, gone are the days of the arduous Bangkok stopover – as long as you can afford the privilege.  To celebrate the news, Etihad Airways sent their best delegates to Chiang Mai where they launched the inaugural flight. The event was one of the biggest I’ve ever seen in Chiang Mai. Every hotel manager, dignitary, politician and influencer were there – and since then the news has been the talk of the town.  Bosang umbrella painting, cocktails and canapes aside, the event spotlighted the new route that aims to bring global tourists to Chiang Mai, and more importantly, give Chiang Mai folks a direct link to the Middle East, and beyond.  As part of the launch, Etihad Airways are offering a special two-day stopover in Abu Dhabi before jetsetters fly onwards to Europe or Africa. The Etihad Stopover Programme, booked directly through the Etihad website, includes a complimentary hotel stay for up to two nights for travellers transiting through Abu Dhabi’s sparkly new Zayed International Airport. Did we mention they’re flying Airbuses too?  Photogr

Arriving in a very sleepy Chiang Mai one bright November day in 2021, it was clear to this newcomer that I’d rocked up in a creative city, but perhaps one that was slowly stretching its limbs and coming out of hibernation.  Only a few live music venues had survived 2020, and any thoughts I had of record shopping or spinning were a distant, pre-pandemic memory. DJing and record collecting was something I’d left behind in Europe, surely not on the cards again in the near future. Oh how wrong I was.  Chiang Mai’s vinyl revival is now in full swing with seemingly unstoppable momentum. A vibrant community of devoted wax lovers have launched stores, listening bars, festivals and record labels – each one determined to put the city on the global map as a music destination. Through collaboration and commitment, it seems to be working.  Photograph: Deaf Shop Centrifugal to the scene, Deaf Shop is now a local institution for vinyl lovers. Opening their doors in May 2022, owner Mum Pimolpud came with years of working in Bangkok’s music industry and her partner Laurens Brouwer, DJ and founder of independent label Liquorish Records, came with a colossal record collection. Inspired by a trip to Japan, they decided to open their own listening bar, where customers now pour in for a drink, a dance and the chance to select an LP they want to hear, from the rows of racks that line one side of their venue. It was a brave move in a city that was still finding its feet. ‘No one was waiting for th