Khantoke Dnner Show

[ha55ha]

Hi, I have some family and friends in town and they would like to go to a Khantoke Dinner show, which one would you guys recommend for this evening?

just looking at a random website page I found this list

The Old Chiangmai Cultural Center

Location: 185/3 Wualai Road, Chiangmai 50100

North of Airport Plaza. or the beginning of Chiangmai-Hang Dong Road.

Tel: (66 53) 275 097, 274 540, 202 993-5 Fax: (66 53) 274 094

Business Hours : 07:00 pm - 09:30 pm DAILY.

Nakorn Lanna 1296

Location: 84 Changklan Road, Chiangmai, Thailand.

Tel: (66 53) 818 428-9, 818 400

Business Hours : From 07:00 pm DAILY.

Lanna Khantoke ( Diamond Hotel)

Location : Diamond Hotel

Tel: (66 53) 272 080-5

Mae Ping Khantoke (Imperial Mae Ping Hotel)

Location : Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, Seedonchai Road, Chiangmai.

Tel: (66 53) 283 900

Baan Roy Chan Khantoke

Location: ( Lotus Pang Suan Kaew or PSK Hotel), 7th Floor.

Tel: (66 53) 224 333

Khum Khantoke

Location: Chiangmai Business Park, 130 Moo 4, Nong Pakrung (Behind Carrefour Superstore)

Tel: (66 53) 304 121-2, 260 504 Fax: (66 53) 304 123

thanks in advance for the advice!

[Gonzo the Face]

My recommendation:

Have been sending guests to the Old CM Cultural Center Kantoke for years and never a bad word

Food is good and plentiful. If any negative comment, it would be the drink prices. But I would say this if way offset by the all you can eat food and entertainment...... 370 Baht per person....

Gonzo

[cmsally]

My vote also goes to Old Chiang Mai.

[alant]

used khum khantoke many times for self, friends and family, good show food good and more than enough (they seem to keep filling until you say enough.

like other comments, only slight negative, drink prices are (as you would expect) much higher than at a bar

[elektrified]

I'd also give a thumbs up to the Old CM Cultural Center. Most people I've been there with think the food is the better there than at the others and the show is good and diverse. I've also been to Khum Khantoke about 4 times and it is good as well. But it is more expensive and the food is just O.K. Drink prices are high at both.

[clinique]

Khum Kantoke,, for us

[ha55ha]

I've booked the Old CM Cultural Center as that seems to be the consensus so far. Thanks!

[Thailand]

The Old Chiangmai Cultural Center

[CMwanderer]

Any chance of an updated opinion on this? Is the Old CM Cultural Centre still the best one to go to?

[CMSteve]

Well, the Australian teachers were shot at near the Khum Kantoke a couple of nights back. Other than that, I've never heard anything bad about the Old Culture center nor Khum Kantoke... May just be a decision on which is closer to you.

[jko]

Any chance of an updated opinion on this? Is the Old CM Cultural Centre still the best one to go to?

I went to the Old CM Cultural Centre about 15 years ago and really enjoyed it at that time.

Since I have a number of friends coming here soon, I went to check it out a few weeks ago in anticipation of making a group booking for them.

Wow. What a disappointment.

Despite the fact that they must have made a lot of money over the years, it's at best average, and it needs to be revamped. The impression gained was that they want to get you in and out as fast as possible, with the least creative effort on their part. The food was bland and unremarkable. The only real interest shown in customers was for the drink orders.

The sound system could not cope, and we couldn't hear a word of the commentary from where we were sitting. The show was commonplace and barely entertaining. At the end of it, a large number of people thought the evening was finished, and proceeded to the exit, not realising there was a second act to follow in an amphitheatre a short walk away. This may have been announced, but probably nobody had heard it. Amazingly, no staff seemed interested in redirecting them to the second venue, and when we arrived there only a few dozen people had joined. This was out of a total of hundreds - it must have been a full house that evening. Or perhaps the big tour groups go on somewhere else?

I recalled that this second act had provided a most enjoyable show on my previous visit, and hoped for the same, but I should have got the message already.

First of all, I don't think they have spent a single satang on this second facility since then, either for seating, sound or lighting. The "show" was as uninspired as the first part. The performers looked unhappy, were clearly not enjoying what they did, nor indeed appreciating our presence - not a single smile throughout. We left in company with some disappointed Aussie guests who shared our opinion that it was poorly run, poorly presented, not really worth the money, yet we all agreed, with some creative effort and proper direction, it could easily be turned into a memorable evening.

That said, most first-time visitors to Chiang Mai probably enjoy it for what it is, and don't complain. And considering that few touristy shows anywhere get better over time, maybe I shouldn't have anticipated enjoying a repeat performance of 15 years ago.

So at the end of the day, that's probably the best advice - if you go, don't expect too much.

[jko]

Any chance of an updated opinion on this? Is the Old CM Cultural Centre still the best one to go to?

Forgot to mention that I have not had any recent experience with any other venues, so cannot offer any comparisons in that direction.

Anyway, I hope you have a pleasant evening wherever you go!

Edited July 15, 2011 by jko

[OriginalPoster]

My recommendation:

Have been sending guests to the Old CM Cultural Center Kantoke for years and never a bad word

Food is good and plentiful. If any negative comment, it would be the drink prices. But I would say this if way offset by the all you can eat food and entertainment...... 370 Baht per person....

Gonzo

My recommendation would be to go the the Grace Dental Clinic for a root canal. It's just as interesting and more fun overall.