Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai Bars

Britannia Arms Pub
149 14/15 Changklan Road, Chiang Mai.
Tel: 053-271 921.
An English pub near the Night Bazaar. Claims to serve the best British breakfast in Thailand. Enjoy your toast.

Darling: The Swiss Wine Pub
95/10 Nimmanhemin Road, Chiang Mai.
Tel: 053-215 167.
A small bar seating about 20 people and the place to sample fine wines in Chiang Mai. Run by a Swiss/Thai couple, this is one of the more upscale spots in town. Closed Mondays.

Hilltribe Hemp Cafe
Moon Muang Road, Chiang Mai.
A good-sized bar on the main Moon Muang pub strip. Always filled with a friendly mix of expats and tourists. The staff smile, the music is not all psychedelic and hemp is used for ropes (sorry). Billiards, darts and sports events.

Rasta Cafe
Off Rajawitte Road, behind the Irish Pub, Chiang Mai.
An outdoor, free-spirited pub run by Chiang Mai's own Rasta Men. Bonfires, firedancers and stoned staff combine to create a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere with live and recorded reggae hits.

Red Lion, The
123 Loi Kroa Road, Chiang Mai.
Tel: 053-818 847.
Centrally located, English owned pub with Matthew at the helm. Draught beer, optics, good pub décor and footy on the telly make this a good local. Bar food and better is served lunchtime and evenings.

The Pub
189 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai.
Tel: 053-211 550.
Desperately clinging to the past, The Pub readily boasts being named one of the world's best bars by Newsweek magazine in 1986. But what the boys at Newsweek know about drinking is anybody's guess. Despite that, The Pub is still a decent stop offering a decent Sunday roast and coverage of sporting events.

True Blue Pub and Restaurant
47 Moon Muang Road, Chiang Mai.
Tel: 053-278 503.
Australian pub near Thapae Gate. A easy-going place to watch all the sports events on satellite. Imported meat from Oz, a mean fish and chips and superb banana cake are the stars if the menu.

U.N. Irish Pub and Restaurant
24-24/1 Rajawitte Road.
Tel: 053-214 554.
Realising it was a far cry from an Irish pub, the owners recently added the U.N. tag. Don't expect Kofi Anan, but do be ready for one of Chiang Mai's friendlier expat bars. Sports events, dart tournaments and a pub quiz on Thursdays.

Chiang Rai
You'll be hard pressed to find a Western-style bar in Chaing Rai as this sleepy 'city' simply doesn't go in for that sort of thing. There are a couple of places, such as the Cellar Pub at the Dusit Island Resort, but they're really nothing special. In the absence of any 'pubs', you're best heading for Jet Yord Road (off Banphapakan Road) where you'll find half a dozen or so beer bars, including the interestingly spelled Phatphong Bar - which is probably about the liveliest on the soi.
Baronbonk article on Chaing Rai