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Chiang Rai province

{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right"\n! colspan="2" align=center bgcolor="#DEFFAD"|Statistics\n|-\n||Capital:||Chiang Rai\n|-\n||Area:||valign=top|11,678.4 km²
Ranked 12th\n|-\n||Inhabitants:||valign=top|1,129,701 (2000)
Ranked 13th\n|-\n||Pop. density:||valign=top|97 inh./km²
Ranked 46th\n|-\n||ISO 3166-2:||TH-57\n|-\n!colspan="2" align=center bgcolor="#DEFFAD"|Map\n|-\n|colspan="2" align=center|\n|}\nChiang Rai (Thai เชียงราย) is the most northern province (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Laos and Myanmar.

Table of contents
1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 Symbols
5 Administrative divisions

Geography

\nThe average elevation of the district is 580 m. The north of the district belongs to the so-called Golden Triangle, at which the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar converge - an area which was very unsafe because of the drug smuggling across the borders. The Mekong river forms the boundary with Laos.

History

\nChiang Rai became a province in 1910, after being part of the kingdom of Lannathai for centuries. After Lannathai was incorporated into Thailand, it stayed an autonomous region and thus the Chiang Rai area was administered from Chiang Mai.

Demographics

\n12.5% of the population belong to the hilltribes, a minority in the North of Thailand.

Symbols

\n{|\n| valign=top|\n| valign=top|The seal of the province shows a white elephant, the royal symbol. It remembers that Chaing Rai was founded by King Mengrai, according to the legend because his elephant liked the place. The provincial tree is the Tree Jasmine (Radermachera ignea), and the provincial flower is the Orange Trumpet (Pyrostegia venusta).\n|}\n

Administrative divisions

\nThe province is subdivided in 16 districts (Amphoe) and two minor districts (King Amphoe). These are further subdivided into 124 communes (tambon) and 1510 villages (mubaan).\n{|\n!|Amphoe\n!|\n!|King Amphoe\n|--- valign=top\n||\n#Muang Chiang Rai\n#Wiang Chai\n#Chiang Khong\n#Thoeng\n#Phan\n#Pa Daet\n#Mae Chan\n#Chiang Saen\n||\n
    \n
  1. Mae Sai\n
  2. Mae Suai\n
  3. Wiang Pa Pao\n
  4. Phaya Mengrai\n
  5. Wiang Kaen\n
  6. Khun Tan\n
  7. Mae Fa Luang\n
  8. Mae Lao\n
\n||\n#Wiang Chiang Rung\n#Doi Luang\n|}\n

External links

\n*Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand\n*Golden Jubilee Network province guide \n\n

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it" - Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)