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| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Capital: | Chiang Rai |
| Area: | 11,678.4 kmē Ranked 12th |
| Inhabitants: | 1,129,701 (2000) Ranked 13th |
| Pop. density: | 97 inh./kmē Ranked 46th |
| ISO 3166-2: | TH-57 |
| Map | |
The average elevation of the province is 580 m. The north of the province 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.
Chiang 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.
12.5% of the population belong to the hill tribes, a minority in the North of Thailand.
| The seal of the province shows a white elephantA white elephant (also albino elephant is a rare kind of elephant. In Myanmar two have been found and caught, the second one in 2002 after an elephant finding team had searched for one month. In Thailand, white elephants are sacred and a symbol of royal p, the royal symbol. It remembers that Chaing Rai was founded by King MengraiKing Mengrai (or Mangrai ( 1239- 1317) was the founder of the Thai kingdom Lannathai. Mengrai was born in Chiang Saen as son of the local ruler Lao Meng and Princess Ua Ming Chommuong, from the ruling family of the Thai Lue of Chiang Rung, Yunnan. 1259 Me, 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 ). |
The province is subdivided in 16 districts ( AmphoeA amphoe (sometimes also amphur Thai: ) is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Usually translated as district amphoe make up the provinces. Amphoe are further subdivided into tambon. Altogether Thailand has 795 districts and 81 minor) and two minor districts (King Amphoe). These are further subdivided into 124 communes ( tambonTambon ( Thai: ) is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district (amphoe) and province (changwat) they form the third administrative subdivision. As of the 2000 census there are 7254 tambon, not including the 154 kwaeng of Bangkok, which are set at) and 1510 villages (mubaan).
| Amphoe | King Amphoe | |
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