The Vegetarian Society of Chiang Mai

Address: 42 Mahidol Road. Haiya, Chiang Mai, 50200

Phone Number: 053271262

Website: https://www.facebook.com/zerobaht/

Opening Hours: 6.00 AM – 2.00 PM Monday to Friday

Cuisine: Thai Vegan

Please note that The Vegetarian Society will be closed from May 25th 2018 to June 18th 2018.

​This is a place that I have been meaning to write about for a long time since they have been well established in Chiang Mai for a very long number of years.  The reason for the delay in writing about here is their opening hours are only from 6.00 AM until 2.00 PM Monday to Friday when most of us are at work.

​It is a large buffet style canteen that is south of the city near the airport. It is entirely vegan. This is a place that you will either love or hate depending on your taste. It isn’t for everyone. If you just want to fill up on cheap food, you cannot really do any better than here. There is an abundance of extremely cheap and mostly healthy, organic food. However, be warned it’s a bit like going to the Hare Krishna tent at a music festival. The food may be cheap and filling but it isn’t always the tastiest. The food is all Thai, but not the unhealthy fried stuff it’s pretty clean, healthy, wholesome food full of grains, beans, vegetables and rice. Not lacking in quality but perhaps sometimes lacking in flavour.

It’s not a particularly comfortable place to sit; there are long benches for you to share with other people. You must also wash your own dishes outside after you eat.

This is Thai owned and Thai run and only a little English is spoken but it will be enough for you to understand what to do. If you’re in doubt just simply take what you want and go and pay. Despite mostly local clientele a few western tourists seem to be able to find out about it.

On certain days such as Buddha days they will have free food and they usually give you a free drink when you pay every time. At other times they however they are closed for days or even weeks at a time.

They are some kind of charity so there are second hand clothes or purchases to be made although we doubt you will find anything that you want to buy.

The better sales will come from their organic produce shop where you can find a host of amazing stuff including herbal cleaners, shampoos, and packaged foods such as rice, nuts, dried soy products and a whole load more. All are sold very cheaply.

I am not exaggerating about the cost. You could be completely full for less than 50 BAHT. If low-cost simple food is on your agenda, you’ll be very highly satisfied.