History of Chiang Rai dates back to 1262 A.D. when it was founded and established by King Ramkhamhaeng’s friend King Meng Rai of Sukhothai Kingdom of Thailand. The city of Chiang Rai is situated beside the river Kok. Chiang Rai’s History also has a close relation to the
city of Chiang Mai as thirty four years later Chiang Mai was founded and the two towns had fraternal relations for a long time. Chiang Rai came under the precincts of Lanna Thai Kingdom which was under the rule of Burma and remained as a colony from 1558 to 1774 A.D.
The historical sites in Chiang Rai are the evidences of the long subtle history of Chiang Rai that is quite fascinating. It was under the rule of King Taksin the king of Siam of the period of Thonburi that Chiang Rai’s history took an abrupt and positive turn and was won back from the grip of Burmese. Chaing Rai was conceded as a frontier town until in the year 1933 it came to be known as a province of Siam. Tour to Thailand would be incomplete if the tourist does not visit Chiang Rai and become familiar with its history. Apart from the traditional Thai temples, there are also a number of temples where you will find a striking influence of the Burmese culture. Sightseeing in Chiang Rai could be one of the most memorable experiences for the tourists as they will come across the hill tribes that include Akha, Lisu, Mien and Hmong who live in villages that are provided with the support of Chiang Rai’s Hill Tribe Development and Welfare Centre.
Chiang Rai’s history is bizarre because of the fact that the province of Chiang Rai also embraces the place of Doi Mae Salong Mountain which is the abode of a tribe known to have hailed from China and they still speak Chinese to say the truth! A visit to Chiang Rai becomes almost indispensable on your Thailand vacations since the history of Chiang Rai has in store a lot of interesting facts for the historians, anthropologists as well as the common tourist.
Travel.mapsofworld.com provides the full information on History of Chiang Rai.
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