By dare , December 4, in Chiang Rai Forum. If by nightlife you mean alcohol and prostitution then yes things like that can be found in Chiang Rai, I am told, but they are not things Chiang Rai is well known for. Though, since the 'Ban on Alcohol Near Schools and Universities" went into effect, the locations have had to change, or become less visible.
The original push was that alcohol could not be sold within meters of schools and universities, at any time of day. There are a heck of a lot of "Thai" venues that are operate till the wee hours of the morning, tucked away in large hotel basements, or spring up in warehouses. Just look for a large group of scooters haphazardly parked nearby. Chiang Rai has it's own miniature skid row where local old people go more for drinking than they do for whoring.
Whoring is mostly limited to a few hill tribe girls. If this is what you are looking for I recommend you go to Chiang Mai which is filled with whore bars, slop shops, junk stores and traffic jams. Yes there is definitely a pretty vibrant nightlife in Chiang Rai. Almost all of it is Thai and the patrons are usually in their early twenties. There are a lot of clubs with live bands especially on weekends. The music can be quite good and almost all in Thai.
If you go to these clubs you will likely be the only farang there. English will be rare but of course the locals will treat you nicely unless you are a jerk. There are lots of pretty local gals in the clubs but don't expect a bunch of pattaya style gals or you;ll be very disappointed. If you're a young nice guy you might be able to meet some of the local gals or they may well completely ignore you.
From what i have seen these bars are places for locals to go on dates or hang out with their local Thai friends. The bigger clubs would be like Par club. The Jed Yod road "nightlife" is very very different from the local CR nightlife and most local gals wouldn't be caught dead there. One has a name that attracted the attention of a previous moderator but I'm sure you'll recognise it when you see it.
