Chiang Mai, some 700km (438mi) north of Bangkok, is Thailand's second largest city (though it does not even have 10% of Bangkok's population), capital of one of the largest provinces of Thailand (roughly 20,000sqkm, 7,720sqmi) and in general the center of Northern Thailand.In many aspects, it's much more pleasant than Bangkok. A common claim is that it has the advantages of Bangkok without suffering the capital's disadvantages.