• ‘A New Growth Cycle’ for the city in every dimension, including economy, tourism, and quality of life. The urban landscape is changing, the catchment area is expanding, and purchasing power is continuously growing.
  • Two Central shopping centers in Chiang Mai complement each other like a jigsaw puzzle, filling both sides and linking the Old City and New City to create cross spending power within the province.
  • Highlighting a new master plan for mixed-use development and unveiling a new design for the center under the concept of ‘Reimagining Lanna’, reflecting the contemporary identity of Chiang Mai while expanding the ‘Kad Luang’ area threefold, featuring Michelin restaurants, local food, and over 100 souvenir shops.
  • Featuring 350 leading global and local brands, including highlights such as the first-ever CHAGEE in the North, HarborLand, MUJI Flagship Store, and other famous brands like Uniqlo, global sports brands Adidas, Nike, PUMA, and many more.

Central Pattana Public Company Limited, Thailand's leading sustainable real estate developer, is investing 1.2 billion baht in the largest transformation in three decades, reshaping ‘Central Chiang Mai Airport’ into a new mixed-use landmark of the city, fully elevating Chiang Mai to a world-class city under the concept of ‘Reimagining Lanna’ on a project area of over 130 rai, including a shopping center with a gross building area of 173,000 square meters featuring over 350 leading brands, a 2,800 square meter convention hall, a tourist hub with shuttle bus services to and from the airport, a multi-generation space, the first GO Wholesale in the North, and plans for future hotel and residential expansions to accommodate the lifestyles of both locals and international tourists.

Dr. Natthakit Tangpoonsinthana, Managing Director of Marketing at Central Pattana Public Company Limited, stated, “Central Pattana's vision is that ‘Thailand is not just Bangkok.’ Therefore, we are moving forward with mixed-use projects in key cities to enhance the quality of life of people while driving the city’s economy to grow strongly and sustainably. Having two shopping centers in Chiang Mai, namely Central Chiang Mai Airport and Central Chiang Mai, serves as a jigsaw puzzle that fills both the Old City and New City to create cross spending power and support the growth of the city in every dimension.”

“Central Chiang Mai Airport has been a part of Chiang Mai for 30 years, located in the southern area near the city, including business districts, hospitals, and over 150 residential projects, mostly large villages that have been around for a long time, educational institutions, and just 3 minutes from Chiang Mai International Airport. It is also close to Hang Dong and Saraphi, which are craft communities with a local touch. As the urban landscape changes and expands continuously from the center to the outskirts, the city’s catchment area grows and becomes more sophisticated in terms of income and lifestyle. Transforming Central Chiang Mai Airport is a response to the new demands of the city and elevates it to become the new mixed-use landmark, attracting both Thai and international tourists, with projected traffic of over 13 million people per year by 2025, averaging 38,000 people per day, expected to rise to 42,000 people per day by 2026, while Central Chiang Mai will support the growth of the northern side of the city,” Dr. Natthakit said.

Central Chiang Mai Airport aims to target 70% Thai visitors and 30% international tourists, with the top five countries being the United States, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore, respectively.

Enhancing the Potential of “Chiang Mai” to a World-Class City to Accommodate Massive Tourist Influx

‘Chiang Mai’ is the economic center of the northern region, the largest area in the country, with a population of over 1.8 million in the catchment area. According to the Chiang Mai Treasury Office (March 2025), the GPP (Gross Provincial Product) is 265,000 baht, and GPP Per Capita is 150,000 baht, ranking third in the North and twelfth in the country. It is also one of the most famous and popular tourist cities in the world. In 2025, Travel + Leisure ranked Chiang Mai as the best city in Asia, reflecting its continuously growing tourism potential, with nearly 10 million Thai and international tourists (January-October 2025), generating over 87 billion baht in revenue. The top five countries visiting Chiang Mai are China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and Malaysia.

‘Chiang Mai’ is Entering ‘A New Growth Cycle’ – Growing in Every Dimension

Chiang Mai is continuously developing its infrastructure and transportation systems. By 2026, Chiang Mai International Airport plans to expand its passenger terminal to accommodate over 16 million tourists and will renovate the existing terminal, expected to be completed by 2033 to support 20-25 million tourists from around the world. Additionally, data shows that Chiang Mai is popular among digital nomads, ranking third in the world with over 30,000 people per year, with over 90,000 expats working in Chiang Mai, and it is also the most preferred destination for over 3,500 retiree expats, distributed in the inner and middle city zones such as Hang Dong, Mae Rim, and San Sai, and it has the second-highest number of international schools in the country.

‘Central Chiang Mai Airport’ Meets the New Demands of the City, Elevating to ‘The City’s New Signature Landmark’

  1. New design concept ‘Reimagining Lanna’: Incorporating Lanna identity into modern design, telling the story of Chiang Mai in a contemporary way, instilling pride in locals and creating a memorable experience for tourists from the moment they arrive, from the interior and exterior design to highlight areas like ‘Kad Luang’ (Indoor Local Market), expanding the area over three times, featuring Michelin food sources such as Koi Chicken Rice, Nimman Grilled Chicken, Lamduan Khao Soi, Butterfly Pea Noodle, Local Food, Best of North souvenirs, and Northern Village craftwork with over 100 shops, aiming to attract quality tourists and establish it as the largest must-visit tourist destination in Chiang Mai.
  2. Featuring 350 renowned brands, both global and local: Covering Fashion & Lifestyle, Food, Specialty, Beauty, IT, and Bank & Financial services to meet the needs of locals and tourists, including:
  • First in the North: The largest MUJI Flagship Store in the North, CHAGEE premium Chinese tea brand, HarborLand, a world-class indoor playground.
  • Famous restaurants and Michelin establishments: Sushiro, a conveyor belt sushi restaurant from Japan, Chantharos, a Thai restaurant under the Michelin-rated brand, and in 2026, preparing to open Thai Cuisine Charm, a popular halal Michelin restaurant in Chiang Mai.
  • Popular brands: Bear House, Boost Juice, Gaga, Koi The’, MIXUE, Naisnow, and Potato Corner.
  • Fashion & Sport brands: Uniqlo, global sports brands in large spaces such as Adidas, Nike, PUMA, and other brands like Charles & Keith, Crocs, Gentlewoman, Skechers, Pomelo, including brands in the Showcase zone like Mitr and With.it.
  • Beauty Brands: BEAUTRIUM and JUNG SAEM MOOL, among others.
  • Brands for Tourists: Hug Thai, Hug Craft, and Good Goods.
  • Comprehensive business integration within the Central Group: Including Robinson Department Store, Tops Food Hall, revamped Supersports, Power Buy, and B2S.
  1. A Year-Round, All-Weather Tourism Destination - Highlighting Chiang Mai’s Identity on the Global Stage Through Year-Round Festivals: Creating new experiences through activities and events that connect Chiang Mai to the global stage, driving the economy and tourism, such as the Thai Local Pride Christmas Tree, a contemporary woven Christmas tree over 15 meters tall under the concept ‘Weaving the Future, Embracing the Origin’, co-created by the Faculty of Architecture at Chiang Mai University and VASSANA, a famous local bamboo weaving brand, the grand Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai, “Paweni Pi Mai Mueang Chiang Mai”, and the Water War music festival, along with the Chiang Mai Flora Festival featuring a variety of flowers and plants, sculptures, lights, sounds, and millions of decorative lights, etc. Additionally, a large 2,800 square meter convention hall will host major city events continuously such as Money Expo, Motor Expo, Chiang Mai Book Fair, concerts, and various competitions, making Central Chiang Mai Airport a lifestyle hub that continuously attracts traffic throughout the year.

Central Chiang Mai Airport is another testament to Central Pattana's commitment to grow alongside Chiang Mai and create a sustainable economic future for the northern region.

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