Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and the capital of Chiang Mai province, located 700 kilometres north of Bangkok in the mountainous Thai highlands.
Founded in 1296 as the new capital of the Lan Na kingdom, Chiang Mai (meaning “new city” in Thai) succeeded the former capital of Chiang Rai. The historic city centre occupies roughly 1.6 square kilometres, bordered by remnants of ancient red brick walls and a surrounding moat. The city sits on the Ping River, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya, and its position on historic trading routes secured its importance for centuries. While the official city municipality contains approximately 127,000 residents, the wider urban area—sprawling into neighbouring districts such as Hang Dong, Mae Rim and San Kamphaeng—has a population of around 1.2 million. The province itself held an estimated 1.8 million people in 2023. In 2017 UNESCO recognised Chiang Mai as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts, acknowledging the region’s enduring traditions of weaving, silverwork and woodcarving.
