Chiang mai

Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of  Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in Thailand. It is 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok in a mountainous region called the Thai highlands and has a population of 1.2 million.  Chiang Mai (meaning “new city” in Thai) was founded in 1296 as the new capital of Lan Na, succeeding the former capital, Chiang Rai. Its Old City area still retains vestiges of walls and moats from its history as a cultural and religious center. It’s also home to hundreds of elaborate Buddhist temples, including 14th-century Wat Phra Singh and 15th-century Wat Chedi Luang, adorned with carved serpents.

The city’s location on the Ping River (a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River) and its proximity to major trading routes contributed to its historic importance. The city’s sprawl has since extended into several neighboring districts, namely Hang Dong in the south, Mae Rim in the north, Suthep in the west and San Kamphaeng  in the east, forming the Chiang Mai urban area with over a million residents. The city municipality is subdivided into four wards, Nakhon Ping, Sriwichai, Mengrai, and Kawila. The first three are on the west bank of the Ping River, and Kawila is on the east bank. Nakhon Ping District includes the northern part of the city. Sriwichai, Mengrai, and Kawila consist of the western, southern, and eastern parts, respectively. The city center—within the city walls—is mostly within Sriwichai ward.

The modern municipality dates to a sanitary district was created in 1915; it was upgraded to a city municipality on 29 March 1935.  First covering just 17.5 square kilometres (6.8 sq mi), the city was enlarged to 40.2 square kilometres (15.5 sq mi) on 5 April 1983. In May 2006 Chiang Mai was the site of the Chiang Mai Initiative, concluded between ASEAN and the “ASEAN+3” countries, (China, Japan, and South Korea). Chiang Mai was one of three Thai cities contending for Thailand’s bid to host the World Expo 2020.  Ayutthaya was ultimately chosen by the Thai parliament to register for the international competition.