*** Welcome to piglix ***

Chieng Mai

Chiang Mai
เชียงใหม่
City Municipality
Top left: East moat, Chiang Mai; top right: Chedi, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep; middle left: View from Doi Suthep of downtown Chiang Mai; middle right: Tha Phae Gate; bottom left: A songthaew shared taxi; bottom right: Wat Chiang Man
Top left: East moat, Chiang Mai; top right: Chedi, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep; middle left: View from Doi Suthep of downtown Chiang Mai; middle right: Tha Phae Gate; bottom left: A songthaew shared taxi; bottom right: Wat Chiang Man
Chiang Mai is located in Thailand
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Location of the city within Thailand
Coordinates: 18°47′43″N 98°59′55″E / 18.79528°N 98.99861°E / 18.79528; 98.99861Coordinates: 18°47′43″N 98°59′55″E / 18.79528°N 98.99861°E / 18.79528; 98.99861
Country Thailand
Province Chiang Mai Province
Government
 • Type City municipality
 • Mayor Tatsanai Puranupakorn
Area
 • City Municipality 40.216 km2 (15.527 sq mi)
 • Metro 2,905 km2 (1,122 sq mi)
Elevation 310 m (1,020 ft)
Population (2008)
 • City Municipality 148,477
 • Density 3,687/km2 (9,550/sq mi)
 • Metro 960,906
 • Metro density 315.42/km2 (816.9/sq mi)
Time zone ICT (UTC+7)
Airport IATA: CNX – ICAO: VTCC
Website Official website

Chiang Mai (/ˈjɑːŋˈm/, from Thai: เชียงใหม่  [tɕʰiəŋ màj], Lannaᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩉ᩠ᨾᩲ᩵ [t͡ɕīaŋ.màj]) sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest city in Northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province and was a former capital of the Kingdom of Lan Na (1296–1768), which became the Kingdom of Chiang Mai, a tributary state of Siam from 1774 to 1899 and finally the seat of a merely ceremonial prince until 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.

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). Ayutthaya, however, was the city ultimately chosen by the Thai Parliament to register for the international competition.


...
Wikipedia

...