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| Chiang Mai Information & Thailand Travel Guide |
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Location : Chiang Mai is approximately 750 kilometers north of Bangkok and is located in the fertile Chiang Mai valley about 310 meters (1,027 feet) above sea level. The province is large, measuring 130 kilometers from east to west, and 320 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 10,107 square kilometers. There are mountains all around the valley rising to highs of more than 2,500 meters. The four highest mountains are int north and south of the province; Doi Inthanon at 2,565 meters; Doi Hom Pok at 2,289 meters; Doi Chiang Dao at 2,195 meters; and Doi Suthep at 1,678 meters.
Area : Chiang Mai has an area of 20,107 sq km.
Climate : Chiang Mai has its higher elevation than some of the other Thai cities, it tends to have a cooler and drier climate. There are three main seasons: Cool Season (late October-middle February), Summer Season (late February - May) and Rainy Season (June - October) with average temperatures of 21 C. 30 C. and 25 C. respectively.
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People : Population about 1,700,000 Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's largest provinces. With the rest distributed throughout Chiang Mai's 23 districts 80% of the people in Chiang Mai are locals by birth, and speak a dialect that is a slight variation 20% is made up of Thai nationals and foreigners who have moved to Chiang Mai to work, study, or retire.There are many hilltribe people living the mountainous districts surrounding Chiang Mai such as Omkoi, Mae Jam, Chiang Dao, Mae Ai , Fang and Chaiprakran . The main tribes are Akha, Hmong , Lu mien (Yao) , Karen , Lisu and Lahu.
The majority (80%) of the Chiang Mai people earn a living through agriculture and agricultural related professions. The second largest vacation is tourism and its directly and indirectly related jobs.General commerce and industry mainly in the form of handicrafts, and of processing agricultural products are the two other major professions in which the Chiang Mai people are involved.
History : The city of Chiang Mai was founded in A.D.1296 by Phaya Mengri, Prince of Chiengsean, It become the capital of and independent Kingdom called Lanna Thai (a million rice fields) which endured until A.D.1556. When it was subdued by the King of Burma, It was liberated by King Taksin of Siam, and became a Siamese dependency. From A.D.1775 until quite recent times, Chiang Mai was ruled by local Princes, as vassal of the King of Siam. The last hereditary Prince, Chao Keo Navarath, died in 1938. No successor was appointed and Chiang Mai is now governed like other provinces of Siam, King mengrai or Phaya Mengrai built the city a short distance from the left bank of Ping River. Originally, it was surrounded by thick brick walls fronted by a moat, and right side of Doi suthep mountain.
The walls of Chiang Mai of which a large portion is still intact were built after the liberation in A.D.1775 on the foundations of Phaya Mengrai's original walls. Today the moat remains although most of the walls had disappeared. However, the 5 city gates have been restored. They are Chang Phuak (white Elephant) gate in the north, Tha pae gate in the east, Chiang Mai and suan prung gates to the south and finally suan Dok gate in the west.
The Burmese left traces of their long rule behind them, Some of the temples show signs of Burmese influence in their architecture, and the written characters until recently in use were an adaptation of the Burmese alphabet, But the whole of Northern Siam has always remained essentially Thai in culture and character.
When one sees the modern face of Chiang Mai. The traffic hurtling along the newly built roads, the brightly-lit shopping centers, the rapidly-growing international Airport and the smartly dressed business executives, it is all too easy to forget that this is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in all of Thailand, and that fascinating gems and remnants of over 700 years of history hide beneath the cloak of modernity, just waiting to be discovered.
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