Chiang Rai is named after its founder Mengrai
Chiang Rai was founded in 1268 by King Mengrai, who later moved his capital here. The city became one of the key muang (city states), within the Lanna Kingdom’s sphere of control – until Lanna began to disintegrate in the 16th century. Although it is now Thailand’s most northerly town, at the time of its foundation Chiang Rai represented the most southerly bulwark against the Mons. It was later conquered by the Burmese and only became part of Thailand again in 1786.
Today, Chiang Rai has ambitious plans for the future. Lying close to what has been termed the ‘Golden Rectangle’, linking Thailand with Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and southern China, the city’s politicians and businessmen hope to cash in on the opening up of the latter three countries. Always searching for catchy phrases to talk up a nascent idea, they even talk of the ‘Five Chiangs strategy’ – referring to the five towns of Chiang Tung (or Kengtung in Burma), Chiang Rung (in China), Chiang Thong (in Laos), and Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (both in Thailand). Roads linking the five are being planned and an EU-style free trade area discussed. Talk, as they say, is cheap; a mini-EU in this peripheral part of Asia seems a distant dream, despite a noticeable increase in cross-border activity.
Chiang Rai videos
