Hi all.

My wife wants to go to Chiang Mai over the long weekend at the end of this month which will be nice but it also falls on a Buddist holiday. I was wondering if any of you guys know if things are a little more relaxed there regarding alcohol sales in restaurants / ma and pa shops, obviously 7-11 are a no hoper. For me it would just suck to go somewhere for a short holiday and find I can't just buy a beer and relax, I mean that's the whole point of a holiday. This will be my first in nearly 3 years as I pretty much work 7 days a week.

Just the amount of extra traffic on the roads would be enough to put me off.

Alcohol sales verboten on the Buddhist holidays. Small shops will still sell of course.

The mom & pop shops in Chiang Mai are no problem. I know several in the Old City that sell alcohol anytime when they are open. Obviously i'm not going to post their details, but I would say you will have no problems. Cheers

Just buy a bottle ahead of time, how hard can it be.

You've picked a bad long weekend for your holiday as far as drink is concerned, The locals can usually find a place with the shutters down but not really much fun.

The big hotels, I think, are exempt but that is as good as it is likely to get.

Do the round a temples on Thursday and Friday and unleash on Saturday.

You've picked a bad long weekend for your holiday as far as drink is concerned, The locals can usually find a place with the shutters down but not really much fun.

The big hotels, I think, are exempt but that is as good as it is likely to get.

Do the round a temples on Thursday and Friday and unleash on Saturday.

Nailed it with "not really much fun."

If you look you will be able to find places selling bottles and maybe small quiet bars on less traveled sois where you can sit and drink. However the places with food, music, people and drinks will be missing the drinks, and probably the music and many of the people. Some places won't bother to open. It will be a quiet weekend.

Just buy a bottle ahead of time, how hard can it be.

Most people that worry that much about getting a drink tend to drink the bottle up in a shorter time than they had planned on drinking it.