A khantoke dinner is a set northern Thai meal served in small bowls on a low round table, eaten sitting on cushions or mats, with traditional music and dance performed while you eat. In Chiang Mai it is offered as an evening package at a few dinner-theater venues, and costs from about 690 baht per adult at the best-known one (October 2026).
The word khantoke (also written khan toke) refers to the table itself: a small, low round table that the dishes are set out on. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes the dinner as a dining tradition of old Chiang Mai and the Lanna kingdom. As a visitor experience it is a staged show, but a pleasant one, and it is an easy way to taste several northern dishes in one evening without having to know what to order.
Khantoke dinner in brief (checked October 2026)
- What it is
- Shared northern dishes on a low round table, with a stage show of music and dance
- Seating
- On mats or cushions at floor level
- Length
- About 2 hours at the venue we checked
- Example price
- Old Chiangmai Cultural Center: 690, 890 or 1,290 baht per adult by package; show only 490 baht
- Vegetarian and halal
- Offered at Old Chiangmai as separate sets (740 baht)
- Book
- Ahead in high season and around festivals
What is served on the khantoke table
Each table gets a set of small bowls to share. According to TAT, the dishes typically include sticky rice, a chicken or pork curry, fried chicken, vegetables, a soup, crispy fried pork skin and chili dips. Sticky rice is eaten with the fingers: take a small ball, press it flat and use it to pick up the curry or the dip.
The northern classics you are most likely to meet are nam prik ong, a mild tomato and minced pork dip, the pork curry kaeng hung lay and the herb sausage sai ua. What each of these tastes like, and how hot it usually is, is covered in our guide to Thai dishes by region.
The food at a khantoke dinner is cooked for a large audience, and it rarely matches a good local restaurant. People go for the setting and the show. If northern food itself is your main interest, a cooking class in Chiang Mai teaches you to make it, and the food stalls covered in our guide to Chiang Mai's night markets are where to eat it cheaply.
The music and dances
While you eat, a program of traditional music and dance runs on a stage or in the open area in front of the tables. TAT mentions traditional dance, music and sword performances. It is a short program of set pieces in northern costume, not a long theater performance, and it runs alongside the meal rather than after it.
Some venues add a section of hill-tribe dances; Khum Khantoke, for example, lists a khantoke parade and hill-tribe dances in its program. These are stage versions performed for an audience, not ceremonies, and that is how to enjoy them. If you want to see living Lanna culture, the temples covered in our page on the temples of the Old City and a festival such as Yi Peng show it in its own setting.
Sit near the front if the show matters to you. At a large venue the tables are spread over a wide area, and the dancers are much easier to see from the first rows. Ask for a table near the stage when you book, and arrive early if seating is first come, first served.
What the price includes, with 2026 prices
Prices differ by venue and by package, and few venues publish them in a form we could check. The Old Chiangmai Cultural Center, which says it held the first commercial khantoke dinner in 1970 or 1971, showed these prices on its booking page on 19 October 2026:
| Package | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | ฿690 | ฿345 |
| Heritage | ฿890 | ฿445 |
| Legacy Premium | ฿1,290 | ฿645 |
| Show only (no food) | ฿490 | ฿245 |
| Vegetarian Classic | ฿740 | – |
| Halal Classic | ฿740 | – |
The packages differ in menu and seating; read what each one includes on the booking page before you choose. Check also whether drinks, hotel transfer and service charge are included, as packages sold through agents and hotels may bundle these differently. We could not read a current price list from a second venue, so use these figures as a guide, not as the going rate everywhere. On tipping, our article on tipping culture in Thailand explains what is expected.
Vegetarian, halal and allergy needs
The standard khantoke menu is built around pork and chicken: the chili dip is usually made with minced pork, crispy pork skin is a classic side and the sausage is pork. Vegetarians and Muslim visitors should therefore book a specific set rather than hope to pick around the bowls. At Old Chiangmai both a vegetarian and a halal version of the Classic package are offered.
For allergies, tell the venue when you book and remind the staff who serve your table. Thai food is not naturally gluten-free, because soy sauce and other sauces often contain wheat; our page on eating gluten-free in Thailand explains what to watch for, and travelers with a serious allergy should read our guide to traveling with a severe allergy. Our general page on vegetarian and halal food has useful phrases.
Choosing a venue without a ranking
We do not rank the venues. The big ones offer much the same core experience, and the right one depends on what you want from the evening. Compare them on these points:
- Location and transfer. How far is the venue from your hotel, and is a pick-up included or extra? Our guide to where to stay in Chiang Mai shows the areas.
- Seating. Sitting on the floor for two hours is hard for some people. Ask whether there are tables with chairs or seats with back support.
- Size. A large venue with many tour groups feels different from a smaller hall; ask how many guests a typical evening has.
- Menu. Check which dishes are served, whether refills are included and whether vegetarian or halal sets are cooked separately.
- Program and timing. Ask when the show starts, how long it lasts and which dances are included.
- Booking terms. Booking directly with the venue makes it easier to ask questions and see exactly what you pay for.
Etiquette at the low table
Expect to take your shoes off before stepping onto the mats. Sit with your legs folded to one side or crossed, and avoid pointing your feet at other diners or at the stage. Wear loose clothing that lets you sit on the floor comfortably. Children usually enjoy the evening, since there is plenty to watch and the food is mild.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a khantoke dinner in Chiang Mai?
At the Old Chiangmai Cultural Center in October 2026, adult prices were 690, 890 or 1,290 baht depending on the package, and 490 baht for the show without food. Vegetarian and halal Classic sets cost 740 baht. Other venues set their own prices.
What food is served at a khantoke dinner?
Small bowls of northern dishes on a low round table: sticky rice, a chicken or pork curry, fried chicken, vegetables, soup, crispy pork skin and chili dips, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The northern pork curry and the tomato and pork dip are typical.
Is a khantoke dinner worth it?
It is worth it if you want an easy evening with a cultural show and a taste of several northern dishes at once. If you mainly care about food, a local northern restaurant or the night markets will give you better cooking for less money.
Do I have to sit on the floor?
Traditionally yes, on cushions or mats around the low table. If sitting on the floor is difficult for you, ask the venue when you book whether it has tables with chairs or seats with back support.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Much-loved, must-eat dishes from different regions of Thailand (khan toke dinner) (checked October 2026)
- Old Chiangmai Cultural Center – Khantoke dinner and booking page prices (checked October 2026)
- Khum Khantoke – Dinner and shows (checked October 2026)