Cafeography
ที่นั่งกลางแจ้ง · Chiang Mai

Outdoor seating cafés in Chiang Mai

Gardens, courtyards and terraces on the river.

Photo: Halimatu Sa'diah - Koruch, Pexels License

An outdoor table suits Chiang Mai best in the cool season, November to February, when January highs average 30°C and nights fall to around 16°C.1 Late in the dry season the picture changes: smoke from agricultural fires can make the air hazardous and hide the mountains, and the rains that follow are heaviest in August.1

Nimman and the Old City have the most cafés with outdoor seats, almost level, and the rest are spread from the foot of Doi Suthep to the banks of the Ping.

Local tip: Between February and April, check a live PM2.5 reading before choosing a garden table, and favor cafés that also have an indoor room or air-conditioning so you can move inside.

Where these cafés are: Nimman (23), Old City (22), Tha Phae & Night Bazaar (7), Santitham (6), Suthep & CMU (5), Riverside & Wat Ket (5), Chang Phueak & north (2), South Chiang Mai (2).

At a glance

72Cafés listed
52With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Bloomin' Moon, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–17:00).
  • Closes latest: Haiya Ta-bur Experience Space, until 00:00 (Mon–Tue 08:00–00:00 · Wed Closed · Thu–Sun 08:00–00:00).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (67%), open late (15%), indoor seating (15%).
Nimman

PAK Cafe

  • ภาควิชาวิทยาการคอมพิวเตอร์ คณะวิทยาศาสตร์มหาวิทยาลัยเชียงใหม่, 239 ถนน 1 นครพิงค์
  • Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00
  • +66911986191
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Chiang Mai's weather for sitting outside

December and January are the driest months, with about 11–14 mm of rain each. The hot season runs from March to June, and April is the peak, with average highs of 36.7°C.1

Rain picks up in May, at about 168 mm, and the wet season proper runs from July to October; August, with about 223 mm, and September, with about 207 mm, are the wettest months.1 In those months a café with both a garden and a roof is the safer choice.

Smoke season and garden tables

Air pollution in Chiang Mai comes mainly between December and April, when fine-particle dust can reach twice the standard limits; PM2.5 hit 183 µg/m³ in 2018.2 Research covering 2005–2009 found PM10 averages in the burning months well above the 120 µg/m³ safety level, with a peak of 383 µg/m³ on 14 March 2007.3

Some cafés with outdoor seats also have an indoor room or air-conditioning, among them CoolMuang (08:00–20:00) and Bloomin' Moon (07:00–17:00) in the Old City, Bella Goose Coffee (07:00–16:00) near the night bazaar and Coffee INC. Nicohub (07:00–21:00) in Nimman.

Outdoor seats in the Old City and Nimman

Inside the moat, Fern Forest Cafe at 54/1 Singharat Road opens 08:30–18:30, Zohng Coffee at 58 Intrawarorot Soi 2 08:00–17:30, and Pimm's Cup: Roastary Lab on Sam Lan Road 07:00–16:00, closed Mondays. NOWHERE Coffee Brewers, on Moon Muang Lane 6, opens late in the morning, at 11:00, and stays open until 20:30.

In Nimman, Nine One Coffee on Soi 11 and On the Bread on Soi 13 have outdoor seats, as do Ristr8to and First Officer Coffee Roasters. For an evening table, 8 Lot of Taste at 8/5 Nimmanhaemin Road and Ombra Cafe on Ratchaphruek Road are open until 22:00, and Yesterday until midnight.

Toward the forest and the river

Near the university, More Craft at 13/5 Ban Ram Poeng (08:30–16:00), Munchies Café at 168 Ubosot Soi 9 and Obchoei Original Homemade (Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00) all have outdoor seating. On the east bank, Nat Wat Home Cafe on Charoen Rat Road and Niyom Coffee (08:00–20:00) do too. On Charoen Muang Road, Brewing Room at No. 147 opens 08:00–16:00 daily, and Son Of A Brew serves on weekdays only.

North of the center, Pals Cafe on Patanngam Road sets its tables outside from 08:00 to 17:00 and closes on Wednesdays. In Santitham, Kinphak Cafe serves vegan food at its outdoor tables daily from 10:00 to 21:30.

Sources

  1. Chiang Mai travel guide (Climate; Drink), Wikivoyage, accessed October 2026
  2. Chiang Mai, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Air pollution in Thailand, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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By area: Old City Nimman Santitham Tha Phae & Night Bazaar Riverside & Wat Ket Suthep & CMU Chang Phueak & north South Chiang Mai

FAQ

Outdoor seating in Chiang Mai: questions

When is the best time of year to sit outside at a café in Chiang Mai?

The cool season, November to February, is the best time for outdoor café seating in Chiang Mai: January highs average 30°C, nights fall to around 16°C, and December and January see only 11–14 mm of rain. April is the hottest month, with average highs of 36.7°C, and August, at about 223 mm, the wettest.

Is the air in Chiang Mai safe for outdoor café seating during burning season?

Not always. Air pollution in Chiang Mai comes mainly between December and April, when fine-particle dust can reach twice the standard limits; PM2.5 reached 183 µg/m³ in 2018. In those months, check a live reading first, and choose a garden café that also has indoor seating or air-conditioning.

Which Chiang Mai cafés have outdoor seating by the Ping river?

On the east bank of the Ping, Nat Wat Home Cafe on Charoen Rat Road and Niyom Coffee on Charoen Muang Road have outdoor seating, Niyom until 20:00. On the east bank, Nat Wat Home Cafe on Charoen Rat Road and Niyom Coffee, open 08:00–20:00, also have outdoor seating.

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