Getting There

The quickest and easiest way to reach Chiang Rai is by air and a short taxi drive, it is about 1 hours 20 mins from Bangkok by plane with 2 flights daily.

Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai province covers some 11,678 square kilometers with a population of 1.23 million. The average  elevation is 580 meters above sea level, Myanmar borders on the north, and Laos on the north and northeast. The provincial capital is 829 kilometers north of Bangkok .

Chiang Rai was founded in 1262 by King Meng Rai and was the first capital of Lanna Thai (Kingdom of a Million Rice fields). The province contains Thailand 's northernmost point at Mae Sai which is well known for its crisp mountain scenery, and hilltribes. North Chiang Rai and falls within the region known as the Golden Triangle, the area where the borders of Thailand , Myanmar and Laos converge. 

Staying in Chiang Rai

When considering where to stay in Chiang Rai, you basically have to first decide how close you want to be to town. You can stay in the older tourist-class hotels in the center of town, or at newer resort-style accommodations at the edge of the city, or you can get completely away from it all at some isolated resorts in the Golden Triangle area.

The choice really comes down to how much comfort you want and how close you want to be to shopping and dining opportunities. The " Center of Town " hotels are just a short walk from the Night Bazaar and the restaurants lining Phaholyothin and Jedyod Roads. The "Edge of Town" hotels are nicer, but a short cab ride away from the center of town. The Golden Triangle hotels are about an hour away from the city, so dining out is not an option