About iChiangRai
From learning HTML to building a community—and becoming your trusted local travel partner.
Our journey began with learning how to create websites in HTML. In 2003, that knowledge grew into iChiangrai.com, before social media became part of everyday life.
“Welcome to Chiangrai My Home” — the welcoming idea recorded on the original website on 24 July 2003.
A digital home built through learning and friendship
The founder’s journey began by learning HTML and creating web pages by hand. That foundation led to learning PHP-Nuke—the first content management system used by iChiangrai.com—and made it possible to turn a personal idea into a bilingual community website in 2003.
iChiangrai.com began with a simple dream: to create a warm online place where people could share stories, photographs and ideas about Chiang Rai. The first site welcomed both Thai and English readers and described its hope that a simple community could be built “with love and friendship.” Forums and a web photo gallery made that promise tangible.
Across more than two decades, the technology evolved from HTML to PHP-Nuke, Mambo and Joomla. Its purpose expanded from community exchange into local knowledge, cultural interpretation and practical travel services—while the original spirit of local welcome remained.
Our journey
Learning to build for the web
Before iChiangrai.com was launched, its founder began by learning HTML and building web pages manually. This first step provided the foundation for everything that followed.
The beginning: “Chiangrai My Home”
iChiangrai.com launched as a bilingual community website with news, member pages, forums and photo sharing. The surviving snapshot is dated 24 July 2003.
Community stories and visual culture
The site grew into a space for attractions, traditions, Lanna culture, daily life and community photography.
Mambo and a wider international audience
A new Mambo-powered generation expanded English information about Chiang Rai's geography, history, festivals, local communities and destinations.
The Joomla era
iChiangRai moved into Joomla, creating a more structured publishing platform for local news, Lanna heritage and destination knowledge.
From information to travel assistance
Hotel booking, transport and locally supported travel began appearing alongside the growing idea of experiencing Chiang Rai with local people.
From website to local travel business
By 2011 the website publicly presented iChiangRai Company Limited and a broader range of tour, transport and booking services. Today the company operates under TAT licence 21/00869.
Two digital gateways
ichiangrai.co.th appeared as the corporate and Thai-language gateway, complementing the community and international reach of ichiangrai.com.
Local intelligence for a new era
Our next chapter brings together decades of human knowledge, community memory and AI-assisted tools to make travel information more useful—while people, place and responsible local care remain at the centre.
One story, two gateways
ichiangrai.com
Community heritage • English travel information • Local knowledge • Stories for international visitors
ichiangrai.co.th
Thai travel services • Tour programmes • Local experiences • Direct traveller support
What still guides us
Stories grounded in Chiang Rai and the Mekong region.
Welcoming travellers as friends, not numbers.
Licensed operation, clear information and direct care.
Preserving digital history while building what comes next.