Where to Find Plant-Based and Vegan Food in Chiang Mai
How jay, vegetarian and vegan differ in Chiang Mai, eight places to eat in the Old City and beyond, and a weekend market for produce.
In Chiang Mai’s Old City, a bowl of vegan khao soi, the northern coconut-curry noodle dish, can sit a short walk from the moat. Begin Vegan, on the eastern stretch of Moon Muang Road, is one of several places that serve it without meat, egg or fish sauce.
Chiang Mai has a dense scene of plant-based cafés, alongside the Thai tradition of jay (เจ) food. This guide explains the labels, names eight places to eat, and points to a weekend market for fresh produce.
How we chose
We started from Time Out’s Chiang Mai vegan restaurant list, published in February 2026, and cross-checked areas and hours against older guides from Lonely Planet and Chiang Mai CityLife. We kept places listed in the 2026 piece. We have not eaten at any of them, and opening hours change, so confirm before you travel.
Three labels, three meanings
Jay is the strictest. The term comes from a Thai-Chinese tradition rooted in Buddhist and Taoist belief. It covers food made without meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or dairy, and without pungent vegetables such as garlic, onions and leeks. It also excludes fish sauce and shrimp paste, according to Time Out Bangkok. Look for yellow flags or signs with เจ in red.
Vegan is the Western term. A place that says it is vegan should leave out all animal products, but unlike jay food it may still use garlic and onion, according to Chiang Mai CityLife. Vegetarian (mangsawirat) is looser still, and may include egg or dairy.
At a restaurant that is not clearly vegan, Lonely Planet notes that fish sauce and oyster sauce turn up in many dishes. Three phrases help: mai sai nam pla (no fish sauce), mai sai kai (no egg) and mai sai kapi (no shrimp paste).
Old City: the walkable core
- Begin Vegan (Moon Muang Road). Vegan Thai dishes, noted for khao soi, with staff who can explain what is vegan and what is merely vegetarian. Time Out describes prices as budget-friendly. Open 09:00–22:00.
- Good Souls (52 Sinharat Road, Soi 3). A large menu of vegan Thai dishes plus pizza from an outdoor wood-fired oven. Its sister cafés, The Reform Café and Downtown Vegan Garden, serve nearly the same menu without pizza. Open 08:00–22:00.
- Rad Rabbit Vegan Pizzeria (Moon Muang Road, Soi 9). Fully vegan pizza, pasta, gnocchi and brunch, with cashew cheese made in Chiang Mai. It runs a pay-it-forward scheme for meals. Open 08:30–22:00.
- Asa Vegan Kitchen (Tha Phae Road). Brunch plates, smoothie bowls and Thai curries, with a yoga studio upstairs. Open 09:30–19:00.
- Vegan Meals (Rachadamnoen Road, Soi 1). Simple, garlicky dishes at very low prices, closed on Mondays. Open 10:30–20:30.
- Free Bird Café (Sirimangkalajan Road). Thai and Burmese dishes at a not-for-profit café that supports a Burmese community through its charity arm. The 2026 listing gives conflicting Sunday hours, so check first.
Beyond the moat
- Aum Vegetarian (Suriyawong Alley). Vegetarian Thai food, largely vegan, including massaman, pumpkin and green curries. Time Out warns that some dishes contain egg. Open 11:00–20:00.
- 29 Coffties Vegan (Taewan Road, Santitham). A tiny breakfast-focused spot run by the chef and one waiter. Closed on Sundays. Open 09:30–19:30.
Lonely Planet, in a 2019 guide, put typical main dishes at ฿80–200 and drinks at ฿60–120. Treat those as a floor, not a price list.
A market for produce
Jing Jai Market, at 45 Atsadathon Road, runs on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Central Group describes a farmers’ zone selling organic fruit and vegetables direct from growers in Chiang Mai and nearby. A Thai Holiday Guide page updated in July 2026 lists pesticide-free vegetables and herbs alongside northern sausage and other meat dishes. It is a place to shop with intent, not a vegan market.
Weekend hours vary between sources, from about 06:30 to 13:00 or 15:00. Go early and bring a bag. Arriving in the first hour also gives you the best choice of fresh produce before the stalls start to sell out.
What the research says
A 2016 position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics concluded that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful and nutritionally adequate for all life stages. It says vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B12, from fortified foods or supplements.
“Well planned” matters. If you are changing your diet for health reasons, are pregnant or have a medical condition, talk to a doctor or dietitian first.
Jay festival season
Jay food peaks each year during a nine-day festival in the ninth lunar month. For 2026, Time Out Bangkok lists the main observance as 10 to 18 October, with some Bangkok shrines starting a day earlier or later. Chiang Mai CityLife has reported that many restaurants extend hours or add special menus during the festival.
Know before you go
- Where: Chiang Mai’s Old City, Santitham and Jing Jai Market.
- Price: Typically ฿80–200 for a main dish (2019 Lonely Planet estimate; no recent figures published).
- Book: No booking needed at most places; check Time Out’s list for the latest hours.
- Good for: Plant-based travellers and long-stay residents who want a short list to start from.
- Check first: Whether a place is jay, vegan or vegetarian, hours (especially Mondays and Sundays), and sauces at non-vegan restaurants.
Next time you sit down, ask what is in the sauce before you ask what is on the menu. It tells you more than the sign.
Mali. Mali writes about spas and retreats, meditation and spirituality, food and slow living across Thailand. Her name means jasmine in Thai; she believes rest is a skill, and that the best retreat is the one whose habits you take home.
RestRobin is editorial content, not medical advice. Prices, programmes and opening details change, so check with the provider before you book, and talk to a qualified doctor before starting a treatment, fast or detox programme.
