The best craft beer in Chiang Mai after golf is in Nimman (Beer Lab, 15 taps; Chit Hole CNX, 16 rotating taps) and the Old City (Renegade, 10 taps), and most of these bars open between 4pm and 5:30pm. A morning round ends around 1pm, so the realistic plan is a clubhouse lager, a shower and a massage, then a taproom from 5pm.
When can I actually get a beer after a round in Chiang Mai?
Since mid-2026, Thailand allows alcohol sales from 11am to midnight without a break, but most craft taprooms still open in late afternoon.
The afternoon ban is gone. A regulation published in 2026 replaced the old split hours, which had blocked sales from 2pm to 5pm, with one window from 11am to midnight (Asia Brewers Network, accessed 2026-10-17). Hotels and licensed entertainment venues keep their own exemptions. Buddhist holy days can still bring a full day without sales, so check the calendar if your trip lands on one.
In practice this means a cold beer at the clubhouse after an 8am tee time is now legal at any hour. The dedicated craft bars keep evening hours, though. Beer Lab opens at 5pm, Renegade at 5pm, and My Beer Friend Nimman at 5pm. Our guests who tee off early and finish by 1pm usually have four hours between the 18th green and the first good tap list. For tee time strategy, our guide to the best tee times for Chiang Mai golf covers the heat and light trade-offs.
Which Chiang Mai craft beer bars suit golfers best?
Pick by where you're sleeping: Nimman for the most taps, the Old City for walkability, and the Wat Ket riverside for a quiet garden evening.
| Bar | Area | Taps | Hours (as listed) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer Lab | Nimman, Soi 12 | 15, plus 200+ bottles | 5pm to midnight daily | Widest choice |
| Chit Hole CNX | Nimman, Soi 1 | 16 rotating | Mon-Fri 4:30pm, Sat-Sun 6pm, to midnight | Earliest Nimman pour on weekdays |
| My Beer Friend Nimman | Nimman, Soi 9 | Local and imported | 5pm to 11:30pm daily | Relaxed side street |
| Renegade Craft Beer | Old City, Tha Phae Gate | 10 rotating, house ciders | 5pm to midnight (1am weekends) | Old City hotels |
| Namton's House Bar | Wat Ket, Lamphun Rd | 12 or more | 4:20pm to 11:30pm, closed Wed | Quiet garden evening |
| Eight Days A Week Cool Muang | Hai Ya, near Wualai | 10, mostly Thai craft | Late hours, opens early most days | Thai craft focus |
Every bar on this list is a short Grab ride from the others. None of them are loud nightlife venues, and most have a mix of indoor seating and an open front or garden, which matters in the hot season when you've already spent five hours in the sun. If you want something livelier later, our after-round nightlife guide covers bars with live music and later finishes.
Is Beer Lab worth the trip from the course?
Yes, if you want choice. Fifteen taps and more than 200 bottles make it the deepest list in Nimman, though it opens at 5pm.
Beer Lab sits at 44/1 Nimmanhaemin Soi 12, in the Kentary Terrace area (Beer Asia, accessed 2026-10-17). The taps rotate, so a hazy IPA you liked on Tuesday may be gone by Friday. That suits a golf week. Two visits on a five-night trip rarely feel like a repeat.
Nimman is also where many golfers choose to stay for this reason. Restaurants, cafés and bars are within walking distance after a day out at Alpine Golf Resort or Chiang Mai Highlands, both of which are a longer drive out of the city than the courses on the northern edge. Our neighbourhood guide for golf trips compares Nimman against the Old City and the riverside.
Where should I drink if I'm staying in the Old City?
Renegade Craft Beer near Tha Phae Gate is the Old City pick, with 10 rotating taps including beers and ciders it makes itself.
Renegade is at 47 Mun Mueang Road, listed as open 5pm to midnight on weekdays and until 1am on weekends. UGO Bar next door shares the address and serves Renegade's beer from earlier in the day, which helps if you finish early and don't want to wait until 5pm. Mind Cafe on Samlarn Road, near Wat Phra Singh, usually pours a handful of taps from 5pm.
The Old City works well for golfers playing the closer courses. Lanna Golf Club is roughly 10 to 15 minutes from the Old City depending on traffic, so you can be showered and seated at a taproom well before sunset. The moat area is also flat and walkable in the evening, so a group can try two bars without calling a car between them.
What does a craft beer cost in Chiang Mai?
Expect roughly ฿130 to ฿300 for a 330ml glass, with imported beers at the top and Thai-made craft toward the bottom.
That price range is the honest downside of Thai craft beer. A glass often costs two or three times what a mainstream lager costs at the same table, mostly because of excise tax and import costs. Four pints of imported IPA can cost more than a caddie fee. If the budget is tight, a tasting flight gets you the variety without the bill, and a Thai-brewed pale ale is usually the best value on any list.
Why is so much Thai craft beer brewed abroad?
Thai licensing favours big brewers, so many small Thai labels are brewed under contract in neighbouring countries and imported back.
Under Thai rules, a brewpub must have capacity for at least 100,000 litres a year sold on site, and a bottling brewery needs far larger volumes plus around ฿10 million in capital (Wikipedia, accessed 2026-10-17). Brewing for sale without a licence carries heavy fines.
The result is a tap list where a "Thai" IPA may name Vietnam or Cambodia on the label. That's not a scam. It's how small Thai brewers get to market. Ask the bar staff which beers are brewed locally. In our experience, Chiang Mai bar staff like being asked and will pour a taste before you commit.
Can I combine a taproom with a specific course?
Yes. The closest courses to town make the easiest beer evenings, while far-out courses suit a clubhouse drink and an early night.
Course distance decides the evening. Mae Jo Golf Club and North Hill are both a short transfer from the city, and Lanna is closest to the Old City. All three leave time for a shower before 5pm after a morning tee time.
The Gassan courses in Lamphun take longer. Gassan Legacy is roughly 30 to 45 minutes out, and Gassan Khuntan, up in the hills, is the furthest transfer of the group. On those days, Namton's House Bar on the Chiang Mai to Lamphun road is the natural stop on the way back. Some groups book a later tee time on these days and skip the taproom altogether in favour of dinner near the hotel. Ask us about transfer times for every layout when you send your dates through the Chiang Mai golf packages page.
Does a golf package make the evenings easier?
Yes. A package removes the transfer problem, so the driver brings you back to the hotel and your evening starts as soon as you've showered.
On a CMGT Golf trip, green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, private transfers and on-the-ground support come as one quote. Your driver collects you after the round and drops you at the hotel, not at a bar, so you change and go out on foot or by Grab. The Weekend Warrior 3-night package suits a short trip with three evenings out. The Culture and Golf 5-night package leaves more non-golf time for the city, including a free afternoon that lines up well with the taprooms' opening hours.
Be honest with yourself about the maths, though. If you're playing one round and staying in Nimman anyway, booking that round direct and taking a Grab can cost less than any package. The package pays off at three rounds or more, when transfers, tee times and caddies add up. Tell us your dates and group size on the Chiang Mai golf packages page and we'll send a quote.
Get a quote for your Chiang Mai golf tripRounds, caddies, hotel and private transfers in one enquiry. We reply with a quote, you confirm with a deposit.Frequently asked questions
Where is the best craft beer in Chiang Mai after golf?
For range, Beer Lab in Nimman is the easiest pick. Beer Asia's October 2026 guide lists 15 taps and more than 200 beers, open 5pm to midnight daily. Chit Hole CNX, also in Nimman, has 16 rotating taps. If you're staying in the Old City, Renegade Craft Beer by Tha Phae Gate pours 10 rotating taps, its own beers and ciders included. Namton's House Bar on the Lamphun road side of the river is the quieter choice, with 12 or more taps. Hours change, so check on the day before you set off.
Can I buy beer in Chiang Mai in the afternoon?
Yes. A regulation published in mid-2026 allows alcohol sales from 11am to midnight without a break, so the old 2pm to 5pm ban no longer applies (Asia Brewers Network, accessed 2026-10-17). Clubhouses can serve you a cold beer at the bag drop after a morning round. The catch is the taprooms themselves. Most of the dedicated craft beer bars don't open until 4pm to 5:30pm, so a 1pm finish leaves you a few hours to fill before the best tap lists open.
How much does a craft beer cost in Chiang Mai?
Beer Asia's October 2026 guide puts a 330ml glass of craft beer in Chiang Mai at roughly ฿130 to ฿300, depending on the venue, the style and whether the beer is imported (accessed 2026-10-17). Imported IPAs and barrel-aged beers sit at the top of that range. Thai-made craft sits lower. A mainstream Thai lager at a clubhouse or a local restaurant costs noticeably less, so if price is the main concern, have one at the course and save the taproom for a single tasting flight.
Is Thai craft beer actually brewed in Thailand?
Not always. Thai law sets high bars for brewing: a brewpub needs the capacity to produce at least 100,000 litres a year for sale on site, and a bottling brewery needs far larger volumes plus around ฿10 million in capital (Wikipedia, Beer in Thailand, accessed 2026-10-17). Many small Thai labels are brewed under contract abroad and imported back, so the label can name a neighbouring country such as Vietnam or Cambodia. Read the can if it matters to you. The beer can still be excellent.
Should I drive to a craft beer bar after golf in Chiang Mai?
No. Don't drive after drinking, and don't plan a bar stop around a rental car. Grab is cheap within the city, usually around ฿100 to ฿200 for a cross-town ride, and Nimman, the Old City and the riverside are all short hops from each other. On a CMGT Golf package your private driver handles course transfers, so you get back to the hotel, shower, and take a Grab out for the evening. Your clubs never ride around town in a taxi boot.
