Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There were many political and technological factors that ultimately led to the demise of
an independent Lanna state. The Bangkok-based government designated Chiang Mai as
an administrative unit in 1892 during the expansion of colonial rule in neighbouring My-
anmar and Laos. The completion of the northern railway to Chiang Mai in 1921 finally
linked the north with central Thailand. In 1927, King Rama VII and Queen Rambaibani
rode into the city at the head of an 84-elephant caravan, becoming the first central Thai
monarchs to visit the north. In 1933, Chiang Mai officially became a province of Siam.
In 2001, then prime minister and Chiang Mai native Thaksin Shinawatra sought to
make Chiang Mai one of the nation's primary centres of information technology by ex-
panding the airport and building superhighways. Though the prime minister's grand vis-
ion for Chiang Mai was interrupted by his ouster in 2006, the restoration of his political
proxies, including his prime minister sister, has seen renewed promises of a new high-
speed rail system linking Bangkok to Chiang Mai, a municipal transit system and addi-
tional investment. The city is undergoing a rapid expansion as middle-class families relo-
cate to the suburbs, and tourism, especially from China, is increasing exponentially.
Sights
Temples, museums, markets and neighbourhoods make up the bulk of Chiang Mai's at-
tractions.
GETTING AROUND LIKE A PRO
Chiang Mai is a very manageable city to navigate. Most of the cultural attractions are within the old city, which is
easily covered on foot or by bike.
Directions outside of the old city are often given in relationship to the old city's four cardinal gates. The east-
ernmost gate is Pratu Tha Phae, which leads to Th Tha Phae, a main drag that links to the riverside area. This is
where you'll find Chiang Mai's bustling day market (Talat Warorot) and the night bazaar.
Pratu Suan Dok exits the western moat and connects to the leafy environs of Chiang Mai University, modern
metropolis of fashionable Th Nimmanhaemin. Further west is Doi Suthep, the city's picturesque peak. The north-
ern gate is Pratu Chang Pheuak; and the southern gate is Pratu Chiang Mai. Sights beyond the old city are easily
reached by
rót daang
(shared taxis).
Outside of the central city, the highway system has a variety of names that confuses visitors. The innermost
beltway is often referred to as the Superhighway or the 700 Year Stadium Road. Then there are the first and
second ring roads.
A copy of Nancy Chandler's
Map of Chiang Mai
, available in bookshops, is a worthwhile investment. It
shows the city's main points of interest, shopping venues and oddities that you will be pleased to stumble upon.
This schematic map will help you wander with confidence.
