Roots Rock Reggae
Roots Rock Reggae is the original Chiang Mai reggae venue on Ratvithi Road next to the Zoe in Yellow complex, running live bands nightly playing ska, roots reggae, dub, and rock covers. The space has an outdoor garden seating area at the front with timber tables and a covered stage at the rear, plus a small indoor bar room for cooler nights. The crowd skews heavily backpacker and traveler with a steady Thai contingent that's been coming for years. Drinks are cheap: beer 80-110 THB, simple cocktails 150-180 THB, no cover. Bands typically play three sets running from 9:30 PM until 1 AM. The venue is a long-running local institution.
Where to stay near Roots Rock Reggae
Hotels and rentals within walking distance.
What to Expect
An outdoor garden reggae bar with timber tables, a covered stage at the rear, and live bands running three sets through the night. The energy peaks after midnight as the Zoe complex begins to thin and spill over.
Outdoor, music-driven, reggae-bar feel. A long-running Chiang Mai institution with the right energy for the after-Zoe crowd.
Roots reggae, ska, dub, classic rock covers, occasional Latin
Backpacker casual. Shorts, sandals, T-shirts standard.
Reggae fans, late-night travelers continuing from Zoe, budget drinkers, anyone wanting live music without the price of Boy Blues or Riverside.
Cash strongly preferred, cards slow
Price Range
Beer 80-110 THB, cocktails 150-180 THB, no cover, band tips 50-100 THB
Beer ~$2.30-3/€2-2.80, cocktails ~$4.20-5/€3.80-4.50
Hours
17:00 to 01:00 daily, live music from 21:30
Insider Tip
The outdoor garden seating fills first; arrive by 9 PM to claim a table near the stage. Cash works much faster than cards. Tip the band 50-100 THB if a cover lands well; they pass the hat between sets.
Full Review
The venue sits in a building immediately east of the main Zoe in Yellow outdoor bars on Ratvithi Road, with an outdoor garden seating area at the front and a covered stage at the rear. Reggae-themed decor covers every wall: Marley posters, Rasta flags, ska-band photographs, and timber accents. Seating is mixed between low timber tables, plastic chairs, and a few bench seats along the edges.
The band programming runs nightly with rotating local musicians. The lineups typically feature a three-piece band (guitar, bass, drums) with a vocalist, covering reggae and rock from the 1970s through 2000s. Sets run from 9:30 PM in three rotations with breaks for the band to pass the hat for tips. Volume is loud but the open-air setup keeps it manageable for conversation in the seating areas.
Compared to the Loi Kroh satellite Roots Rock Reggae room, this original location is larger, more open, and pulls more foot traffic from the adjacent Zoe complex. Compared to Boy Blues Bar at the Kalare complex, this is younger, looser, and reggae-focused rather than blues-focused. Within the Old City's music venues, North Gate Jazz and Roots Rock Reggae split the live-music traffic; North Gate is the music-focused destination, Roots is the social bar with music.
The band tip culture matters here. The musicians depend on tips and 50-100 THB after a memorable cover is standard. Generous tipping often gets song dedications or callouts from the stage. The bar staff handle English orders smoothly.
The Neighborhood
Roots Rock Reggae sits on Ratvithi Road immediately east of the main Zoe in Yellow outdoor bars. North Gate Jazz is two minutes north through Chang Phueak Gate. The Spicy nightclub is 10 minutes east on Chaiyaphum.
Getting There
From Tha Phae Gate, walk 10 minutes north along Moonmuang Road. From the Zoe complex, the venue is adjacent. From Nimman, 15 minutes by Bolt at around 110 THB.
Address
40 Ratvithi Road, Tambon Si Phum, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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Browse Thailand eSIM plansOther Venues in Old City
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