Recommendations For Place For A Party?

[leftcross]

i'm hoping someone can give me some pointers for a good place for a party in CM. i checked out numerous hotels but nothing took my fancy. i also did a search on the forum for wedding receptions and the main suggestion was the Gymkhana Club, but they are proving very difficult to deal with (bizarre considering their financial position right now)

ideally the place would be in central-ish CM, or to the north in the Mae Rim direction.

i need food, booze and music, preferably with a view.

any unique suggestions such as hireable boats on the Ping are particularly welcome.

i live in bangkok so i'm asking you CM guys for the benefit of your knowledge......

the date for the party is thursday may 4

thanks in advance for any info

[ThaiPauly]

Looks like you might just have to put up with what we discussed via P'M's J

I am surprised that nobody has come up with any venues for you yet though.. think its been a bit slow on the board over Songkran, so this post will bump you back up and you may get some replies.

Someone MUST know if there is a boat you can hire

Good Luck

TP

[Ajarn]

For boat rental, try these places...

MAE PING RIVER CRUISES, Wat Chaimongkol pier (Opposite Alliance Francaise), Charoenprathet Rd. Relaxing boat ride as long or as short as you like. Fresh fruit and beverage included. Call Tel. 274822 for pick up.

SCORPION TAIL RIVER CRUISE. Cruise Into Chiang Mais History, English speaking guide Duration : 1.30 Hrs. Depart : 09.00, 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.00 Hrs.Special : Evening Cocktail Cruise departs 18.30 Hrs.Location : Wat Sri Khong Boat Landing, (Opp. Municipal Office), Charoenrat Rd.,Tel : 053-260299 Fax : 053-245888 Mobile : 01-9609398, 01-9510791

[leftcross]

cheers thaipauly and ajarn. the clock is ticking!!! and now the elections will stall it for another couple of days - arggggggghhhhhhhhhh

[chanchao]

The Bear Den?

Most definitely large enough, central, and with a river view. I looked into it for my own wedding but it clashed with some rugby or cricket thing so couldn't rent out the place.

Don't think they have parking for 100 people though, so you need to be a little creative there if you expect a lot of Thai guests who arrive by car. (I think this is solvable though)

[ThaiPauly]

Keep em coming

Bump........

[too true]

The Bear Den?

Most definitely large enough, central, and with a river view. I looked into it for my own wedding but it clashed with some rugby or cricket thing so couldn't rent out the place.

Don't think they have parking for 100 people though, so you need to be a little creative there if you expect a lot of Thai guests who arrive by car. (I think this is solvable though)

We checked out the Bear's Den for a chunki party ages ago. But then chunki pretty much imploded, so we never held it. But it looked great for a party, and the owners were pretty much open to whatever we wanted to do.

[groo]

i think there is no better place than the bears den. parking should not be a problem since most of the guest would probably not own a car?

[ThaiPauly]

I am sure the guy that runs it reads this forum... English bloke I think

[ThaiPauly]

Have you found anything yet J... I see all the adverts at the top of this forum are for THAMES River Cruises

You really need THAT like a hole in the head!!

[chuchok]

i think there is no better place than the bears den. parking should not be a problem since most of the guest would probably not own a car?

Nice spot.

[ThaiPauly]

Glad to see things seem to be coming together.. I think THE BEAR posts here so just pm him

[leftcross]

it seems the bears den is TOO good as it's booked already for that date

my first choice had been the gymkhana club but they were very obstructive, which i found strange seeing as they are in dire straits financially. the gymkhana will be empty that night now instead of having 100 people eating and drinking there.

we have had to settle for a tent in ma's garden - shame because we had a lot of money for a decent bash if anyone could have hosted it.

[chanchao]

> We checked out the Bear's Den for a chunki party ages ago. But then chunki pretty much

> imploded, so we never held it.

Yeah, what happened to Chun-ki? I loved those parties!!! I guess some of those parties were perhaps losing money ? Any chance of giving it another go?

The concept to have a party way out at Mae Ngat lake I thought was brilliant, though I guess it was just too far for regular tourists to get all the way out there.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Ajarn]

it seems the bears den is TOO good as it's booked already for that date

my first choice had been the gymkhana club but they were very obstructive, which i found strange seeing as they are in dire straits financially. the gymkhana will be empty that night now instead of having 100 people eating and drinking there.

we have had to settle for a tent in ma's garden - shame because we had a lot of money for a decent bash if anyone could have hosted it.

That's a shame, since there are many many places along the river. What about a thai owned place, like The Resort? Or The Gondola?

[ThaiPauly]

I cocur with Ajarn.. that is a shame..

Dont give up yet J.. you still have time.. try some of Ajarn's suggestions

[too true]

> We checked out the Bear's Den for a chunki party ages ago. But then chunki pretty much

> imploded, so we never held it.

Yeah, what happened to Chun-ki? I loved those parties!!! I guess some of those parties were perhaps losing money ? Any chance of giving it another go?

Not to go off topic here, just answering chanchao's question....

No chance of giving it another go. There were about 12 on the committee - everyone had been here for a while. Some of us are still here, but it takes a lot to get things going, and most everyone else has either left or had babies. The original organisers will all have left Chiang Mai by the end of July, I think.

It was never for money. Just for the music and dancing and the chance to give something to the community.

I think if it had been run by a bunch of 22 year olds, it'd still be going. But we're all late 20s early 30s - all around those big life changes years, I think. 'Twas fun while it lasted, though

[ThaiPauly]

Excuse my ignorance.. but I am really interested to know what a "Chunki" party is... maybee they just passed me by at my age.

[Ulysses G.]

Excuse my ignorance.. but I am really interested to know what a "Chunki" party is... maybee they just passed me by at my age.

Me too...?

[chuchok]

Excuse my ignorance.. but I am really interested to know what a "Chunki" party is... maybee they just passed me by at my age.

Me too...?

Me three?

[Fraktalkid]

Yeah, it does sound rather intriguing, doesn't it? Go on, spill the beans!

[chanchao]

Hehehehehe, I don't know for sure because I only attended some parties, not actually organized them. So please (too_true) feel free to correct:

These parties were organized mostly for fun and also to raise some money for a good cause (I tink it had something to do with the Empower foundation, but not sure). The good thing about the parties was that they were in an unexpected, different location each time, that there was plenty of affordable drinks (buckets, cocktails etc), good DJ/music and the goal was always to go on well beyond official closing time, which sometimes worked out better than other times.

What they did was make an agreement with some restaurant or other venue to have the party there, set up the sound system, charge a reasonable entry fee (included drink) and then have affordable drinks & BBQ and so on and party for as long as possible. Parties were announced either trhough email to people who already registered, along with flyers that were handed out in entertainment areas, bars & restaurants & guesthouses I guess.

So in short they were a VERY welcome addition to the chiang mai party scene, or whatever it is that currently passes for a party scene. Always a very good, young-ish international crowd too.

Some parties the police paid a visit at like 1am or later and that's where it ended, others just went on and on.

One particular wild idea for a party was at the camping ground at Mae Ngat lake inside the national park. Don't know how they arranged that deal, but it involved going all the way out there (FAR!) THEN getting into a longtail boat and boat over to the party site (Pitch black darkness, very fun). There they had set up all the sound systems, video display even and everything. And completely out of reach of the police at that location!! That particular party wasn't a huge success I guess because the logisitcs involved in getting there were just too complex for many people I guess, but I for one wouldn't have wanted to miss it! (Even though rationally it kind of defies belief to have a VERY loud party, at night in the middle of a national park, but HEY, what better reminder that THIS IS STILL THAILAND and ANYTHING GOES!! Or, it used to anyway, because as mentioned before, the Chun-ki people suddenly all grew up and/or moved out. Chiang Mai suffers from that, fun young people tend to not be around forever. Oh well.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Loaded]

my first choice had been the gymkhana club but they were very obstructive, which i found strange seeing as they are in dire straits financially. the gymkhana will be empty that night now instead of having 100 people eating and drinking there.

Had a similar experience there: went to ask about a wedding reception, they left us standing in the reception for 15 minutes and when we chased them up they told us the manager had gone to lunch! We then asked again for details and were given a cheap A4 photocopy of prices by a surly waitress.

Because of its history it will be a shame to see it go, but it doesn't appear they care.

[ThaiPauly]

Hehehehehe, I don't know for sure because I only attended some parties, not actually organized them. So please (too_true) feel free to correct:

These parties were organized mostly for fun and also to raise some money for a good cause (I tink it had something to do with the Empower foundation, but not sure). The good thing about the parties was that they were in an unexpected, different location each time, that there was plenty of affordable drinks (buckets, cocktails etc), good DJ/music and the goal was always to go on well beyond official closing time, which sometimes worked out better than other times.

What they did was make an agreement with some restaurant or other venue to have the party there, set up the sound system, charge a reasonable entry fee (included drink) and then have affordable drinks & BBQ and so on and party for as long as possible. Parties were announced either trhough email to people who already registered, along with flyers that were handed out in entertainment areas, bars & restaurants & guesthouses I guess.

So in short they were a VERY welcome addition to the chiang mai party scene, or whatever it is that currently passes for a party scene. Always a very good, young-ish international crowd too.

Some parties the police paid a visit at like 1am or later and that's where it ended, others just went on and on.

One particular wild idea for a party was at the camping ground at Mae Ngat lake inside the national park. Don't know how they arranged that deal, but it involved going all the way out there (FAR!) THEN getting into a longtail boat and boat over to the party site (Pitch black darkness, very fun). There they had set up all the sound systems, video display even and everything. And completely out of reach of the police at that location!! That particular party wasn't a huge success I guess because the logisitcs involved in getting there were just too complex for many people I guess, but I for one wouldn't have wanted to miss it! (Even though rationally it kind of defies belief to have a VERY loud party, at night in the middle of a national park, but HEY, what better reminder that THIS IS STILL THAILAND and ANYTHING GOES!! Or, it used to anyway, because as mentioned before, the Chun-ki people suddenly all grew up and/or moved out. Chiang Mai suffers from that, fun young people tend to not be around forever. Oh well.

Cheers,

Chanchao

wow, what you have described Chanchao seems like great fun... not dissimilar to RAVE's back home...except the money does not go to charity ..it was normally the Drug Dealers that cleaned up

Anybody got a venue big enough to have a Chunki party ???

[too true]

Hehehehehe, I don't know for sure because I only attended some parties, not actually organized them. So please (too_true) feel free to correct:

These parties were organized mostly for fun and also to raise some money for a good cause (I tink it had something to do with the Empower foundation, but not sure). The good thing about the parties was that they were in an unexpected, different location each time, that there was plenty of affordable drinks (buckets, cocktails etc), good DJ/music and the goal was always to go on well beyond official closing time, which sometimes worked out better than other times.

What they did was make an agreement with some restaurant or other venue to have the party there, set up the sound system, charge a reasonable entry fee (included drink) and then have affordable drinks & BBQ and so on and party for as long as possible. Parties were announced either trhough email to people who already registered, along with flyers that were handed out in entertainment areas, bars & restaurants & guesthouses I guess.

So in short they were a VERY welcome addition to the chiang mai party scene, or whatever it is that currently passes for a party scene. Always a very good, young-ish international crowd too.

Some parties the police paid a visit at like 1am or later and that's where it ended, others just went on and on.

One particular wild idea for a party was at the camping ground at Mae Ngat lake inside the national park. Don't know how they arranged that deal, but it involved going all the way out there (FAR!) THEN getting into a longtail boat and boat over to the party site (Pitch black darkness, very fun). There they had set up all the sound systems, video display even and everything. And completely out of reach of the police at that location!! That particular party wasn't a huge success I guess because the logisitcs involved in getting there were just too complex for many people I guess, but I for one wouldn't have wanted to miss it! (Even though rationally it kind of defies belief to have a VERY loud party, at night in the middle of a national park, but HEY, what better reminder that THIS IS STILL THAILAND and ANYTHING GOES!! Or, it used to anyway, because as mentioned before, the Chun-ki people suddenly all grew up and/or moved out. Chiang Mai suffers from that, fun young people tend to not be around forever. Oh well.

Cheers,

Chanchao

That's exactly it Except the charity changed every time.

Actually, I'm glad you explained it. You see, I just helped organize. I think I only ever made it to one party. It's hard to get out with 2 little kids at home. And the "I go this time and you go next time" never really worked with me and my husband.

So if someone else started up a similar thing.... but towards the end there were more and more problems with the police. Oh well. Best to go out with a bang than to dwindle and fade, I'd say.

[thebear]

I am sure the guy that runs it reads this forum... English bloke I think

That's me, co-owner though and I don't run it any more as I'm swatting flies in the desert!

Wife takes care of the place and runs her own business The Farang Cafe at Meechok market. The Bear's Den can probably handle up to a little over 150 people depending upon seating requirements, more if it's a staggering around party, and Chun-ki parties still welcome. Call Khun Joy 053 266587.

In the past Riverside and Goodview refuse to take bookings for groups/parties but that may have changed although I doubt it.

Sorry we could not accommodate leftcross but it was a long standing booking.

Cheers