Zoe in Yellow

Zoe in Yellow is on Ratvithi Road in the Old City, an open-air complex within walking distance of Tha Phae Gate. Chiang chang, Pentatonic Rock Bar, Babylon Bar and Full Moon Bar are close by. Stay in the Old City and you can walk there without a ride.

It is an open-air bar-club complex, the Old City's main party spot. Several bars and a dance area share the one site, so you can wander between them with a drink. Expect a mixed crowd and a lively, social feel rather than a dress-up one.

It is a mixed party venue, so most people are out with friends and normal dating rules apply. Some freelancers may be around, but do not assume anyone is working. Start with a drink and a friendly chat, and take a no as final. For bar girls, head to Loi Kroh Road.

Nearby are Chiang chang, Sa-bho massage, Pentatonic Rock Bar, Babylon Bar, Full Moon Bar and Roots Rock Reggae. That is a good mix of rock, reggae and ordinary bars, plus a massage shop, so you can have a bar crawl in the Old City without a ride.

Open-air venues like this fill after dinner, and the open-air bars wind down earlier than the big clubs. Chiang Mai's night is shorter than Bangkok's, so do not leave it late. Opening hours change, so check on the night, and ask where the crowd is heading afterwards.

After the open-air bars wind down, the night usually moves to Spicy on Chaiyaphum Road, the after-hours club that fills with freelancers, though it has changed before, so check it is open. Nimman's clubs, such as Warm Up Cafe, are another choice for a younger Thai crowd.

Zoe in Yellow is an open-air complex in the Old City, with several bars and a casual, mixed crowd. Warm Up Cafe is a Nimman club with a younger Thai and student crowd, and a more local feel. Zoe suits a social night close to your hotel; Warm Up is for dancing.

Stay in the Old City, arrive after dinner, and wander between the bars on the site before settling. Pay as you go, watch your drink and keep your phone in a front pocket. Walk to the neighboring bars, such as Pentatonic or Full Moon, if you want a change of music.