CHIANG-RAI CITY

Chiang Rai is the capital city of the Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand.
The city was founded by King Mangrai in 1262 and became the capital of the Mangrai dynasty. However, it lost this status soon after to a new city built by Mangrai at Chiang Mai. Subsequently, Chiang Rai was conquered by Burma and remained under Burmese rule for several hundred years. It was not until 1786 that Chiang Rai became Chiang Mai vassal. After Siam or Thailand annexed Chiang Mai in 1899 Chiang Rai was proclaimed a province of Thailand in 1933.
In 1432 during the reign of King Sam Fang Kaen of Mangrai dynasty (1402-1441) the Phra Kaeo, or Emerald Buddha, The most revered Buddha figure, was discovered in Chiang Rai when an earthquake split the Chedi at Wat Phra Kaeo. The beautiful jade figure was then seen concealed within.
Chiang Rai is 200 km northeast of Chiang Mai, 62 km south of Mae Sai and the Myanmar border and 850 km north of Bangkok. The Mae Kok River runs along its north side, flowing from west to east and eventually merging with the Mekong River.

Population 62,000.
12.5% of the population belong to the hill tribes, a collective term for the minority ethnic groups in the North of Thailand such as the Karen, Akha, Lisu, Meo and Muser. Many Chinese, particularly from Yunnan Province, have migrated to the area and assimilated with the Thai population to such extent that well over half of the large businesses in northern Thailand are owned by people of Chinese heritage.

(see more: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Rai_province)