Chiang Rai is located at the northernmost part of Thailand bordering Myanmar (Mae Sai - Thachileik) and Laos (Chiang Khong - Baan Huayxai). The average elevation of the province is 580 meters above sea level. Therefore, the weather is pleasantly cool during the winter months from late October to early March. Chiang Rai’s gateway is Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI) with more than 2 dozen domestic flights daily and a dozen international flights weekly.

Chiang Rai was founded by King Meng Rai 757 years ago in 1262, and was the first capital of the Lanna Tai Kingdom before it was moved to Chiang Mai. It became a territory of Siam in 1786, was annexed in 1899, and formally became a province in 1933. Today, the quaint city of Chiang Rai is fast becoming a cosmopolitan tourist destination with friendly people, wonderful natural attractions and a unique Lanna culture, legacies of the ancient Lanna Kingdom.