Chiang Mai has a striking mountain backdrop, over 300 temples and a quaint historical aura. It's also a modern, friendly, internationally-flavoured city with much to offer the visitor - food, accommodation and shopping are all top quality and cheap, and the nights are relatively cool.
Before the 20th century
Thai King Mengrai took over a Mon settlement to develop Nopburi Si Nakhon Ping Chiang Mai (shortened to Chiang Mai - 'New Walled City') in 1296. Mengrai, reportedly a prince from Nam Chao, a Thai kingdom in southwest China, had already conquered the area that is now Lamphun, southwest of Chiang Mai. Immediately after his arrival he built the city walls that visitors can still see remnants of along Thanon Kamphaeng Din.
Later, in the 14th and 15th centuries, Chiang Mai became an important spiritual and cultural centre for the larger kingdom of Lan Na Thai ('million Thai rice fields'), which extended from Kamphaeng Phet - about 300km (186mi) to the south - as far north as Luang Prabang in modern Laos. The eighth world synod of Theravada Buddhism was held in Chiang Mai in 1477.
In 1556 the Burmese captured Chiang Mai for the second time in 500 years. Earlier, before the arrival of King Mengrai, King Anuruddha of Pagan (modern-day Bagan) ruled the area around Chiang Mai in the 11th century. The second period of Burmese control was more successful - they ruled the now-thriving town for over 200 years.
In 1775 Thai King Taksin moved in from the south to again wrest control of Chiang Mai away from the Burmese. Taksin appointed Chao Kavila, a jâo meuang (lord) from nearby Lampang, as viceroy of Northern Thailand. It was in this period that the city established itself as Thailand's northern capital, second only to Bangkok in national importance. In 1800 Kavila built the monumental brick walls around the inner city, and expanded the outer city in southerly and easterly directions, allowing for future development, and establishing a river port at the end of what is today Th Tha Phae (thâa phae means 'raft pier'). Under the leadership of Kavila - and with greater river access - Chiang Mai became an important regional trade centre. Many people migrated to the area, including the wealthy teak merchants from Burma, who are responsible for many of the Shan and Burmese-style temples built throughout the 19th century.
Modern history
Chiang Mai became linked with central Thailand with the completion of the northern railway in 1921. Word soon spread that Chiang Mai, previously very difficult to reach from the more heavily populated south, was a quaint hidden treasure and a perfect destination for shopping and entertainment. Tourism quickly replaced commercial trade as Chiang Mai's primary source of outside revenue. A close second was the tourist-focused manufacture and sale of local handicrafts. Long before the tourists began flocking to the northern capital, Chiang Mai was an important centre for handcrafted pottery, weaving, umbrellas, silverwork and woodcarving. If you visit arts and craft shops anywhere in Thailand today, chances are there will be someone working there who hails from Chiang Mai.
Recent history
In recent years the city has adopted a series of conservation measures designed to preserve its cultural heritage in the face of development pressures. One such measure prevents high-rise construction within 93m (305ft) of a temple or city walls/moats - thereby protecting about 87% of municipal land. Though mostly effective, corruption prevents full implementation - in 2001 a huge multistorey hotel opened within illegal proximity of both the city moat and a nearby historic temple. With Thaksin Shinawatra's election as prime minister in 2001, the city has become the focus of a development drive. Since Thaksin took office, air passenger arrivals have more than doubled and five-star hotel projects abound. Hailing from Chiang Mai himself, Thaksin no doubt has vested interests in the area's prosperity.
Top Accommodation
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Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
A series of stunning Lanna-style residences
Top Restaurants
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Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
A series of stunning Lanna-style residences
Top Attractions
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Wat Mahawan
E of Pratu Tha Phae 
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Chiang Mai University Art Museum
Chiang Mai University
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Wat Suan Dok
Pratu Suan Dok Area
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A Perfect Day
By China Williams
Chiang Mai is known as Thailand's cultural capital, and the usual traveller's routine is to tour the old temples, take a cooking course and trek off to see a hilltribe village. But Chiang Mai is also a very liveable, low-key city that is fun to explore on a bicycle. Although there are high-tech bikes for rent in Chiang Mai, I've always been a fan of the single-geared push bikes with shoddy brakes and the old-fashioned kick stand - the kind of bike a proper Victorian lady would ride in her full-length skirt. (It is a familiar reminder of my days as an English teacher when I rode about a provincial Thai town on a similar bike wearing a modern version of the Victorian costume.) One of my favourite bike outings is poking around the neighbourhood on the east side of the river near the San Pakoy market. The roads are illogical, the pace is slow and the trees tall and majestic. Another beloved spot is the Pratu Chiang Mai market. In the mornings I'd join in with the local housewives to pick up lunch for my son, who survived our Thailand tour on sticky rice and grilled chicken (plus junk food from 7-11 bought by his Thai babysitter). I'm also a sucker for public transport in Thailand and the sŏrng tăaou (converted pick-up trucks) that act as shared taxis were my daily companions. Chiang Mai's sŏrng tăaou drivers would often have their wives or girlfriends ride up front with them in the evenings and on weekends; it was a charming example of the companionship of Thai marriages. Eating normally dominates my memory of a place and my tastebuds recall the spicy bowl of kow soi (a northern Thai noodle dish) I had at the Sunday Walking Street, the grilled pork bought at an evening-only restaurant on Th Nimanhaemin, the zesty northern Thai sausage my friend introduced me to at a market south of the city, and the many vegetarian meals served at the religious society restaurants.
Unless you don't mind the almost daily torrential rain of the monsoon, the best time to visit Chiang Mai is between October and April; the other months are a virtual washout. The mildest temperatures are in December and January. Nights in Chiang Mai are regularly cooler than in southern Thailand.
It can be quite hot in Chiang Mai, with the April average temperature 36°C (95°F). Nights are regularly cooler than in southern Thailand.
Average weather
Main Currency
Currency: Baht (THB)
Symbol: Bht
Transport
Getting there and away
Chiang Mai's airport takes regular traffic from Thailand's major cities (including seven daily flights from Bangkok), as well as from other regional centres.
Buses also ply the route between Bangkok and Chiang Mai several times a day. The trip takes between 10 and 12 hours, depending on the money you pay. Trains also connect Chiang Mai to her southern capital.
Getting around
Chiang Mai has only one city bus line of limited use, so most residents get about in săwngthăew (pick-up truck taxis) or on bicycle or motorcycle.
The best way to get around is bicycle. They are cheap to hire, environmentally friendly, give the lungs a workout and can be rented conveniently from many guesthouses and along the east moat. There are also hordes of săwngthăew, túk-túk (three-wheeled motorised taxis) and săamláw (three-wheeled pedicabs) which are cheap enough but contribute to unnecessary traffic congestion and pollution. There are plans to initiate a mass transit system in Chiang Mai: a rail system would certainly help with the current congestion woes.
Health & Legal Requirements
Dangers and annoyances
Upon arrival in Chiang Mai by bus or train, most waiting sǎwngthǎew (pick-up truck taxis) and túk-túk (motorised pedicab) drivers will try to get you to a particular hotel or guesthouse so that they can collect a commission. Since the better guesthouses refuse to pay any commissions, this means if you follow the driver's lead you may end up at a place with less appealing conditions or an out-of-the-way location. A handful of guesthouses now maintain their own free shuttle services from the train station. At any rate if you call a guesthouse from the bus or train station, staff will be delighted to arrange a ride to avoid paying such exorbitant commissions.
Beware bus or minivan services from Th Khao San in Bangkok, which often advertise a free night's accommodation in Chiang Mai if you buy a Bangkok-Chiang Mai ticket. What usually happens on arrival is that the 'free' guesthouse demands you sign up for one of the hill treks immediately; if you don't, the guesthouse is suddenly 'full'. Sometimes they levy a charge for electricity or hot water. The better guesthouses don't play this game.
Theft is more of a risk on the Th Khao San buses than on legitimate buses that leave from Bangkok's Moh Chit terminal.
Many less expensive guesthouses in Chiang Mai will evict guests who don't engage trekking or tour services through the guesthouse, or who don't eat meals regularly at the guesthouse. If in doubt, be sure to ask before checking in whether it's OK to take a room only. When trekking, don't take anything with you that you can't afford to lose
fast facts
| Full name | Chiang Mai |
|---|---|
| Currency | Baht, THB (Bht) |
| Population | 170000 |
| Languages |
Thai (official) |
| Time zone(s) | GMT/UTC: +7 |
| Measurements | Metric is widely used, but there are some local variations. |
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