A khantoke dinner is the best shared night out for a Chiang Mai golf group: a 6:30pm Lanna meal on low trays, live dancing from about 7:10pm, home before 10pm, with tickets from ฿520 per adult. Book it for the night after a morning round, not before a 6:30am pickup. Expect floor seating, which tired golfers' backs will feel.
What is a khantoke dinner?
It is a northern Thai shared meal served on a low round wooden tray, eaten sitting on the floor, with Lanna dance and live folk music.
"Khan" means bowl and "toke" is the low pedestal tray. In Lanna households, the khantoke was how families and guests ate together, and it became Chiang Mai's formal way of welcoming visitors (Wikipedia: Khantoke, accessed 12 October 2026). The modern dinner show packages that hospitality for visitors. Small dishes go on the tray, refills keep coming, and a stage programme of candle dances, fingernail dances and sword performances runs while you eat.
For a golf group it does one useful job: it gets golfers, partners and non-golfers around the same table for a night with a plan. That is harder to arrange than it sounds once a group of eight has split into a bar crowd and an early-bed crowd.
Where should a golf group book khantoke in Chiang Mai?
Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center for the classic version near the Old City, Khum Khantoke for a bigger, newer venue with outdoor seating.
| Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center | Khum Khantoke | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Wua Lai Rd Soi 3, south of the Old City | Chiangmai Business Park (CPB), Soi 2 |
| Hours | 6:30pm to 8:30pm daily | 6:30pm to 9:00pm daily |
| Show starts | 7:10pm | 7:15pm |
| Price | 4 tiers, from performance only to Legacy dinner | From ฿520 per adult |
| Dietary | Original, vegetarian or halal sets | Vegetarian and halal options |
| Best for | Heritage feel, shorter night | Larger groups, outdoor setting |
Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center has run khantoke shows for decades and is widely described as the original venue. It feels like an old Lanna compound rather than a function hall. Khum Khantoke is purpose-built and handles big groups well. For a party of 12 or more, ask both venues to seat you together. Do not assume they will.
If your hotel is in Nimman or the Old City, both venues are a short drive in normal evening traffic. From a resort out toward Mae Rim or Hang Dong, allow more time and leave a little earlier, because the 6pm rush around the moat and the ring roads can be slow.
How much does khantoke cost, and what is included?
Admission runs from about ฿520 per adult direct, or roughly US$40-60 through resellers with hotel pickup. Food refills are included, while drinks and tips are extra.
The reseller price gap is mostly transport. Khum Khantoke's Ticket2Attraction listing shows admission from ฿520. Expedia's pickup packages for the same night sit around US$40-60. If your group already has a private driver for the trip, buy admission only and keep the driver on for the evening.
Old Chiang Mai's Trazy page lists what each tier covers. The Classic set includes Hin-Lay pork curry, fried chicken with makwaen, nam prik ong (pork and tomato chilli dip), pork rinds and sticky rice. Heritage and Legacy add dishes like khao soi and braised beef curry. All refillable.
Which night of a golf trip suits a khantoke dinner?
Night two or three, after a morning round, with no tee time before 8am the next day. Never on arrival night or before your hardest course.
Arrival night loses half the group to flight fatigue. The night before your toughest round, like Chiang Mai Highlands Golf & Spa or Alpine Golf Resort, is the wrong place for a late sticky-rice dinner and a Chang or two. The ideal day looks like this:
- 6:30am: pickup for a morning round at a closer course such as Royal Chiang Mai or Mae Jo
- 1:00pm: lunch at the clubhouse, then back to the hotel
- 3:00pm: rest, pool, or a massage (see our golf and Thai massage recovery guide)
- 6:15pm: driver collects the group
- 6:30pm to 8:30pm: dinner and show
- 9:15pm: back at the hotel
Our best tee times in Chiang Mai guide covers why morning slots matter, especially in the green season, when storms tend to build in the afternoon. A morning round also means the caddies and carts are booked early and the group is off the course before the heat peaks, so nobody arrives at dinner already flat.
Is khantoke good for non-golfers and mixed groups?
Yes. It is the one evening where golf knowledge counts for nothing, so partners and non-golfers join in fully.
In our groups, the non-golfers often enjoy the dinner more than the golfers. They have spent the day at temples, at a cooking class or at a spa while the others played, and this night is theirs as much as anyone's. For mixed groups, our Culture & Golf package alternates rounds with temples, cooking classes and markets from an Old City base, which leaves room for this kind of evening. Our golf group trip planning guide covers splitting a group across golf and non-golf days.
What are the downsides golfers should know?
Floor seating after 18 holes, a set-piece tourist show, and food toned down for visitors. Go for the occasion, not for the best Lanna food in town.
Being honest about this matters:
- Floor seating. Ninety minutes cross-legged on a cushion after five hours on a course is hard on knees and lower backs. Ask about seating when you book if anyone has an injury.
- It is staged. The dancing is lovely, but it is a performance for visitors, with photo time built in. Anyone hoping for a local night out will find it touristy.
- The food is mild. Dishes are pitched at a broad audience. If your group wants real northern Thai heat, have lunch at a khao soi shop instead. Our best khao soi in Chiang Mai list is a good start.
- Drinks cost extra. Water and herbal drinks are included. Beer and spirits are not.
How does khantoke fit around the courses?
Both venues are in the city, so pair dinner with a round at a course close to town and save the far-out courses for other days.
Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center sits just south of the Old City, which makes it an easy evening after Lanna Golf Club, the closest course to the Old City. Groups who would rather play under lights can skip khantoke one night and book Star Dome for night golf instead. For other evening ideas, see our Chiang Mai golf after-round nightlife guide.
The mountain courses are the ones to keep away from a dinner night. A round in the hills means a longer drive each way, and a group that gets back to the hotel at 4pm has little time to rest before a 6:15pm pickup. Put those on a quiet evening with an early night.
Should you book khantoke yourself or add it to a package?
Book it yourself if you already have transport. Add it to a package if you want the night, the driver and the tee times planned together.
The ticket itself is simple to buy. What a package adds is the planning around it: the right night of the trip, an easy round that morning, a driver waiting at 8:30pm, and someone to call if a storm closes the course and the day needs to change. CMGT Golf is enquiry-driven. Tell us your dates and group on our Chiang Mai golf packages page and we send a quote with green fees, caddies, carts, hotel, private driver, airport transfers and any evenings you want included.
Plan a golf trip with a khantoke night includedSend your dates and group size, and we will quote rounds, transfers and eveningsFrequently asked questions
How much does a khantoke dinner in Chiang Mai cost?
Khum Khantoke lists tickets from ฿520 per adult on Ticket2Attraction (accessed 12 October 2026). Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center sells four tiers, from performance only up to its Legacy dinner, and quotes rates on its booking page. If you book through a reseller like Expedia with hotel pickup, expect roughly US$40-60 per adult. Prices change by season and by reseller, so confirm before you book. Drinks other than water and herbal tea are usually extra, and so are tips. For a golf group, the cheapest option is to book admission only and use your own driver.
What time does a khantoke dinner show start?
Both main venues start at 6:30pm. At Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center, dinner is served from about 6:35pm, the performance starts at 7:10pm and the evening ends at 8:30pm, according to its Trazy listing (accessed 12 October 2026). Khum Khantoke runs 6:30pm to 9:00pm with the show at 7:15pm. Both ask you to arrive at least 10 minutes early. For golfers, a 6:30pm start leaves time to shower and rest after a morning round. You will still be back at your hotel before 10pm for an early pickup.
Do you have to sit on the floor at a khantoke dinner?
At the traditional venues, yes. The food comes on a low round pedestal tray called a khantoke, and guests sit on cushions on the floor around it. Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center sets one tray for four guests. After 18 holes, an hour and a half sitting cross-legged is tough on knees and lower backs. Some people in our groups shift around or sit with legs out to the side. If anyone in your group has a bad back or a knee problem, ask the venue about seating when you book. Do not assume a chair will be there.
Is a khantoke dinner good for non-golfers in a golf group?
Yes. It is the evening our mixed groups rate most often, because partners and non-golfers can join in on equal terms. Nobody needs to know the game, the food is mild by Thai standards, and the dancing and live music give the night a shape. It works best early in the trip, when the group is still getting to know each other. Pair it with a day of temples, cooking or a spa for the non-golfers while the others play, and everyone sits down together for dinner.
Can CMGT Golf add a khantoke dinner to a golf package?
Yes. We are enquiry-driven, so tell us your dates, group size and courses through the golf page and we build it into the quote. That usually means choosing the venue, picking the night that suits your tee times, and arranging a private driver for the return trip. Our Culture and Golf package is built for groups who want evenings like this. We do not add hidden ticket markups. If you would rather book the dinner yourselves, we will tell you which night works best around your rounds.
