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Chiang Mai (, from Thai: เชียงใหม่ , Lanna:ᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩉ᩠ᨾᩲ᩵ ) sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in Northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province and was a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna (1296–1768), which became a tributary state of the Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 to 1939. It is 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok and is situated amongst the highest mountains in the country. The city sits astride the Ping River, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River.
Chiang Mai means "new city" and was so named because it became the new capital of the Lan Na kingdom when it was founded in 1296, succeeding Chiang Rai, the former capital founded in 1262.[1]:208-209
Chiang Mai gained prominence in the political sphere in May 2006, when the Chiang Mai Initiative was concluded between the ASEAN nations and the "+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 (the others were Chonburi and Ayutthaya).[2] Ayutthaya, however, was the city ultimately chosen by the Thai Parliament to register for the international competition.[3][4]
Chiang Mai has positioned itself to become a Creative City and is considering applying for Creative City status with UNESCO.[5] Chiang Mai was one of two tourist destinations in Thailand on TripAdvisor's 2014 list of "25 Best Destinations in the World", where it stands at number 24.[6]
Chiang Mai's historic importance is derived from its close proximity to the Ping River and major trading routes.[7][8][9]
While officially the city (thesaban nakhon) of Chiang Mai only covers most parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai district with a population of 160,000, the city's sprawl extends into several neighboring districts. The Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area has a population of nearly one million people, more than half the total of Chiang Mai Province.
The city is subdivided into four wards (khwaeng): Nakhon Ping, Srivijaya, 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 comprises the north part of the city. Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kawila consist of the west, south, and east parts, respectively. The city center—within the city walls—is mostly within Srivijaya ward.[10]
King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai ("new city") in 1296[1]:209 on the site of an older city of the Lawa people called Wiang Nopburi.[11][12] Gordon Young, in his 1962 book The Hill tribes of Northern Thailand, mentions how a Wa chieftain in Burma told him that the Wa, a people who are closely related to the Lawa, once lived in the Chiang Mai valley in "sizeable cities".[13]
Chiang Mai succeeded Chiang Rai as the capital of the Lanna kingdom. Pha Yu enlarged and fortified the city, and built Wat Phra Singh in honor of his father Kham Fu.[1]:226-227 The ruler was known as the "chao". The city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall since nearby Burma was a constant threat, as were the armies of the Mongol Empire, which only decades earlier had conquered most of Yunnan, China, and in 1292 overran the bordering Thai Lü kingdom of Chiang Hung.[7]
With the decline of the Lanna Kingdom, the city lost importance and was occupied by the Burmese in 1556.[14] Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1775 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Because of Burmese counterattacks, Chiang Mai was abandoned between 1776 and 1791.[15] Lampang then served as the capital of what remained of Lanna. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading, and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of Northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.[16]
The modern municipality dates to a sanitary district (sukhaphiban) that was created in 1915. It was upgraded to a municipality (thesaban) on 29 March 1935, as published in the Royal Gazette, Book No. 52 section 80. First covering just 17.5 km2 (7 sq mi), the city was enlarged to 40.2 km2 (16 sq mi) on 5 April 1983.[17]
The city emblem shows the stupa at Wat Doi Suthep in its center. Below it are clouds representing the moderate climate in the mountains of Northern Thailand. There is a naga, the mythical snake said to be the source of the Ping River, and rice stalks, which refer to the fertility of the land.[18]
Chiang Mai has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen Aw), tempered by the low latitude and moderate elevation, with warm to hot weather year-round, though nighttime conditions during the dry season can be cool and much lower than daytime highs. The maximum temperature ever recorded was 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) in May 2005.[19]
A continuing environmental issue in Chiang Mai is the incidence of air pollution that primarily occurs every year towards the end of the dry season between February and April, and is largely attributable to slash-and-burn farming methods. In 1996, speaking at the Fourth International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement conference—held in Chiang Mai that year—the Governor Virachai Naewboonien invited guest speaker Dr. Jakapan Wongburanawatt, Dean of the Social Science Faculty of Chiang Mai University, to discuss air pollution efforts in the region. Dr. Wongburanawatt stated that, in 1994, an increasing number of city residents attended hospitals suffering from respiratory problems associated with the city's air pollution.[22]
The Thailand Pollution Control Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is actively engaged in finding solutions and is responsible for public awareness campaigns and other initiatives. During the February–March period, air quality in Chiang Mai often remains below recommended standards, with fine-particle dust levels reaching twice the standard limits.[23]
The northern centre of the Meteorological Department has reported that low-pressure areas from
Samsudin Bin Abrahim is the Imam of Chang Klan Mosque in Chiang Mai and a vibrant personality within Chiang Mai's 20,000 Muslim community
Chiang Mai province
Inthakhin city pillar building, Wat Chedi Luang
Street food, Sunday Evening Market
Selling umbrellas, Sunday Evening Market
A soi NE of city center
Police tuk-tuk, Tha Phae Gate
Chang Phueak Gate and part of the old city wall
View south along the eastern moat of city center, Chiang Mai. The road on the right is Moon Muang, on the left, Chaiyapoom
Ho Trai (library), Wat Phra Singh
Sunday Evening Market, Chiang Mai
Huai Tueng Thao Lake, NW of Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai has agreements with four sister cities:[49]
The influx of tourists has put a strain on the city's natural resources. Faced with rampant unplanned development, air and water pollution, waste management problems, and traffic congestion, the city has launched a non-motorised transport (NMT) system. The initiative, developed by a partnership of experts and with support from the [27]
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) aims to market Chiang Mai as a global MICE city as part of a five-year plan. The TCEB forecasts revenue from MICE to rise by 10% to THB4.24 billion in 2013 and the number of MICE travellers to rise by 5% to 72,424.[48]
Chiang Mai has more than 32,000 hotel rooms[45] and Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) is Thailand's fourth largest, after Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK) in Bangkok, and Phuket (HKT).[47]
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Chiang Mai office expects the number of tourists from China to increase by at least 20% in 2013 over 2012, driven by the success of the Chinese film Lost in Thailand.[46] More than 80% of the film was shot in the province.
According to Thailand's Department of Tourism, in 2013 Chiang Mai had 14.1 million visitors: 4.6 million foreigners and 9.5 million Thais.[45]
Local public transport is via tuk-tuk, songthaew, or rickshaws. Local songthaew fare is usually 20–50 baht per person for trips in and around the city. For groups, the fare per person is less. Tuk-tuk fare is usually at least 20 baht per trip (the vehicles are comfortable for two passengers, but some can squeeze in four passengers); fares increase with distance.
The locally preferred form of transport is personal motorbike and, increasingly, private car.
Chiang Mai International Airport receives up to 28 flights a day from Bangkok (flight time about 1 hour 10 minutes) and also serves as a local hub for services to other northern cities such as Chiang Rai, Phrae, and Mae Hong Son. International services also connect Chiang Mai with other regional centers, including cities in other Asian countries.
The state railway operates 10 trains a day to Chiang Mai Station from Bangkok. Most journeys run overnight and take approximately 12–15 hours. Most trains offer first-class (private cabins) and second-class (seats fold out to make sleeping berths) service. Chiang Mai is the northern terminus of the Thai railway system.
Chiang Mai is well-connected by bus, train, and air transportation services. A number of bus stations link the city to Central and Northern Thailand. The Central Chang Pheuak terminal (north of Chiang Phwuak Gate) provides local services within Chiang Mai Province. The Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal northeast of the city (which can be reached with a songthaew or tuk-tuk ride) provides services to over 20 other destinations in Thailand including Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, and Phuket. There are several services a day from Chiang Mai Arcade terminal to Mo Chit Station in Bangkok (a 10–12 hour journey).
Chiang Mai has several universities, including Chiang Mai University, Chiangmai Rajabhat University, Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, Payap University, Far Eastern University, and Maejo University, as well as numerous technical and teacher colleges. Chiang Mai University was the first government university established outside of Bangkok. Payap University was the first private institution in Thailand to be granted university status.
Khantoke dinner is a century-old Lanna Thai tradition[41] in Chiang Mai. It is an elaborate dinner or lunch offered by a host to guests at various ceremonies or parties, such as weddings, housewarmings, celebrations, novice ordinations, or funerals. It can also be held in connection with celebrations for specific buildings in a Thai temple and during Buddhist festivals such as Khao Pansa, Og Pansa, Loi Krathong, and Thai New Year (Songkran).
The inhabitants speak Kham Muang (also known as Northern Thai or Lanna) among themselves, though central Thai is used in education and is understood by almost everyone. English is used in hotels and travel-related businesses, and many educated people speak English. The Kham Muang alphabet is studied only by scholars, and Northern Thai is commonly written with the standard Thai alphabet.[39]
Chiang Mai hosts many Thai festivals, including:
Fireworks at Wat Phantao during Loi Krathong, Chiang Mai
Wat Chedi Luang.
Baan Haw Mosque.
Wat Prathat Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples ("wat" in Thai).[29] These include:
To address the increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector in Chiang Mai, the city government has advocated the use of non-motorised transport (NMT). In addition to its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the NMT initiative addresses other issues such as traffic congestion, air quality, income generation for the poor, and the long-term viability of the tourism industry.[27] It has been said that smoke pollution has made March "the worst month to visit Chiang Mai".[28]
[26]
Thailand, China, Manila, Beijing, South Korea
Bangkok, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand
Hong Kong, Beijing, Macau, Shanghai, Taiwan
South Korea, Tokyo, Hokkaido, Australia, China
Provinces of Thailand, Thailand, Myanmar, Chiang Rai Province, Lampang Province
China, Soviet Union, Thailand, South Korea, Bulgaria
Chiang Mai, Oman national cricket team, Thailand national cricket team, Bhutan national cricket team, Maldives national cricket team
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Thailand, Khon Kaen
Bangkok, Germany women's national football team, China women's national football team, Chiang Mai, United States women's national soccer team