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 north of Bangkok in a mountainous region called the Thai highlands, and has a population of approximately 127,000 within the city municipality as of 2023.
The heart of the city is commonly defined by a square area about 1.6 km x 1.6 km. It is bordered by ancient red brick walls and has a moat surrounding it.
However, the greater urban area, including surrounding districts such as Hang Dong, San Sai, and Saraphi, forms a metropolitan region with an estimated population exceeding 1 million. At the provincial level, Chiang Mai had a projected population of 1.8 million in 2023, according to Thailand's National Statistical Office.
Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 as the new capital of Lan Na, succeeding the former capital, Chiang Rai. The city's location on the Ping River and its proximity to major trading routes contributed to its historic importance.
The city municipality of Chiang Mai officially only covers parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai district in the city centre and has a population of 127,000. This census area dates back to 1983 when Chiang Mai's municipal area was enlarged for the first and last time since becoming the first City Municipality in Thailand in 1935. 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 khwaeng : 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.
History
founded Chiang Mai in 1294 or 1296 on a site that the Lawa people called Wiang Nopburi.The city succeeded Chiang Rai as the capital of Lan Na. Phayu enlarged and fortified it and built Wat Phra Singh in honor of his father, Khamfu. With the decline of Lan Na, Chiang Mai lost importance and was occupied by the Toungoo Empire in 1556. It formally became part of the Thonburi Kingdom in 1774, by an agreement with Kawila, after the Thonburi king Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Subsequent Burmese counterattacks led to Chiang Mai's abandonment between 1776 and 1791;
The modern municipality dates to a sanitary district that was created in 1915; it was upgraded to a city municipality on 29 March 1935. First covering just, the city was enlarged to 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,. 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.
Chiang Mai was one of two tourist destinations in Thailand on TripAdvisor's 2014 list of "25 Best Destinations in the World", where it stood at number 24. Chiang Mai is also the place where the new idol group CGM48 was founded.
Emblem
The city emblem shows the stupa at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in its center. Below it are clouds representing the moderate climate in the mountains of northern Thailand. There is a nāga, the mythical snake said to be the source of the Ping River, and rice stalks, which refer to the fertility of the land.Demography
Population
Following the municipal city area's enlargement to 40.2 km2 in 1983, no changes or updates have been made to it, even with the population increasing substantially in the years after. In 1983, Chiang Mai's urban area, with a population of 127,000, already exceeded the municipal city limits, and has grown to over one million people in 2022.Chiang Mai Municipality has now become a small part of the current city-scape, making up only most parts of the capital district Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai in the inner city. To reflect the city's growth beyond the municipal borders, official government documents by the and the - published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette - regularly update and outline the current city boundaries. The first revision of such an updated urban area was published in 1989, with the second one following in 1999. The third revision from 2012 expands the old municipal city border inside Muaeng Chiang Mai district to Mae Rim in the north, San Kamphaeng and Doi Saket in the east, Hang Dong and Saraphi in the south, and Suthep in the west. This new extent, with a size of 405 km2, serves as Chiang Mai's principal city border and urban area.
The urban area has a combined population of 1,198,000 residents, making Chiang Mai the second largest city in Thailand after Bangkok and twice as big as the third largest city Nakhon Ratchasima. As neither the Department of Local Administration nor the National Statistics Office count expatriates, non-permanent residents, migrant workers and citizens from other Thai provinces living and renting in Chiang Mai in their official population figures, it is estimated that the real population figure for Chiang Mai could be as high as 1.5 million.
Since Thailand's outdated census methods prevent the determination of official metropolitan areas outside of Bangkok, presently there are no official sources indicating how large the extended metropolitan area is.
Geography
Chiang Mai Municipality covers an area of 40.2 square kilometres, while the urban city covers an area of 405 square kilometres. The city's sprawl reaches into six neighboring districts: Mae Rim, Doi Saket, San Kamphaeng, Hang Dong, Saraphi and Suthep. Chiang Mai is the only city outside Bangkok to reach into other districts.The city is situated in a broad basin in the Thai highlands and lies at an average elevation of 300 m elevation above sea level. Chiang Mai's city centre sits west of the Ping River, a tributary to the Chao Phraya River. The city's sprawl extends outward in all directions, especially north, south, and east. East of the city is the Khun Tan mountain range. Abutting the west side of Chiang Mai lies the Thanon Thong Chai mountain range, with the twin peaks of Doi Pui and Doi Suthep prominently rising above the city with elevations of over 1700 and 1600 metres, respectively.
Parks and green spaces
There are several parks and green spaces inside the city. Buak Hat Public Park, located in the south west corner of the old city is the most frequented public park in Chiang Mai. Directly opposite, to the south-west, is Kanchanaphisek Park, a park with remnants of the old extended city walls. Bigger parks include Lanna Rama 9 Park to the north in Chang Phueak district and Ang Keaw Reservoir, located near the northern entrance to Chiang Mai University. As of 2024, there are plans to reopen the Chiang Mai Railway Park opposite of the central train station.Climate
Chiang Mai has a tropical savanna climate, 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 in May 2016. Cold and hot weather effects occur immediately but cold effects last longer than hot effects and contribute to higher cold related mortality risk among old people aged more than 85 years.Government
The Administration of Chiang Mai Municipality is responsible for an area that covers approximately 40.216 square kilometers and consists of 4 Municipal Districts, 14 sub-districts, 94 municipal communities, and 89,656 households.According to Municipal Act B.E. 2496, the duties of the Municipality cover a lot of areas which include clean water supply, waste and sewage disposal, communicable disease control, public training and education, public hospitals and electricity, etc.
The mayor, or the highest executive, is directly elected by the eligible voters in the municipal area. The mayor serves a four-year term and is assisted by no more than four deputy mayors appointed directly by the mayor. The mayor will thus be permitted to appoint deputies, secretaries and advisors including the mayor himself or herself totally no more than 10. The current mayor is Tussanai Burabupakorn, as of June 2018.
The Municipal Council is the legislative body of the municipality. It has the power to issue ordinances by laws that do not contradict with the laws of the country. The municipal council applies to all people living in the municipal area. The Chiang Mai City Municipal Council is composed of 24 elected members from 4 municipal districts who each serves a 4-year term.