Chiang Mai
(2000 est. pop. 170,000). Chiang Mai is Thailand's second biggest city, located approximately 700 kilometers (440 miles) northwest of the capital Bangkok. Chiang Mai is roughly twenty times smaller than Bangkok, but in many ways it rivals the capital as Thailand's cultural and historic heart. Chiang Mai is an ancient city dating back to the thirteenth century (in 1996, it celebrated its 700th birthday), when it served as the capital of Lan Na ("a million rice fields")—one of the Tai peoples' earliest kingdoms.
Chiang Mai is also a province, the fifth largest in Thailand, with a population of approximately 1.5 million (1999). Thailand's administrative system is organized by province, not by region. Therefore, Chiang Mai, known as the "Rose of the North," is the provincial capital.
Built within a series of moats, the old city of Chiang Mai covers only about 4 square kilometers (2.5 square miles) yet is packed with markets, temples, and narrow streets. More modern development and construction, prohibited in the old city, has focused on the growing suburbs. The result is a city that represents Thailand's colorful and rich past, while at the same time providing the best that a modern metropolis can offer.
With over three hundred temples—nearly as many as Bangkok—Chiang Mai is one of the most important religious centers in Thailand. The oldest temple in the area, the spectacular Wat Prathat, is situated near the summit of Doi Suthep mountain, around which Chiang Mai was built. The temple, which contains relics of the Lord Buddha, attracts Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.
Alongside this history, Chiang Mai is also rapidly modernizing and developing into a major commercial center. Tourists use the city as a base for jungle trekking in Northern Thailand, and to visit the region's various hill tribes. Chiang Mai offers a wide array of tour operators and business services for those wanting to explore the more remote parts of the north. Renowned for its night bazaar, Chiang Mai is a vital hub for silks, lacquerware, teak, silver, stoneware, and jewelry. Craft shops can be found throughout the city and local area. Less flattering, Chiang Mai has also become a base for narcotics, as well as the government's war on the drug trade. Located close to the infamous "Golden Triangle" border region between Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma), the city is considered by some to be the unofficial capital of the opium trade's distribution. At the end of the twentieth century, the Thai government had some success in reducing opium production in the north of Thailand.
Chiang Mai is widely considered to be more "relaxed" than Bangkok and other cities in Thailand. Life generally has a slower pace there, and the residents are famous for their easygoing attitude and good sense of humor. With a unique combination of old and new, Chiang Mai is one of the more fascinating cities in Asia.
Further Reading
Moore, Elizabeth, Philip Stott, and Suriyavudh Sukhasvasti. (1996) Ancient Capitals of Thailand. Bangkok, Thailand: Asia Books.
Parahomwichit, Paitoon, ed. (1996) Chiang Mai: Wannii na bii thi 700 (Chiang Mai: Today at the 700th Year). Chiang Mai, Thailand: Witin Books.
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