City Detail

Chiang Mai (, from Thai: เชียงใหม่ [tɕʰīəŋ màj] (listen), Northern Thai: ᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩉ᩠ᨾᩲ᩵, เจียงใหม่ [t͡ɕīəŋ.màj] (listen)), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, 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.Chiang Mai (meaning "New City" in Thai) was founded in 1296 as the new capital of Lan Na, succeeding the former capital, Chiang Rai.: 208–209  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 (thesaban nakhon, "city municipality") of Chiang Mai officially only covers most parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai district, with a population of 127,000, dating its census area back to 1983 when Chiang Mai's city area was enlarged for the first and last time since...