Doi Luang District Doi Luang District Doi Luang (, ) is a district ("amphoe") in the northern part of Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand. The area of Doi Luang was separated from Mae Chan District and established as a minor district ("king amphoe") on 15 July 1996. On 15 May 2007, all 81 minor districts were upgraded to full districts. With publication in the "Royal Gazette" on 24 August, the upgrade became official. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong, Wiang Chiang Rung, and Mae Chan. The district is divided into three sub-districts ("tambon"), which are further subdivided into
Takao Doi Takao Doi Doi holds a doctorate from the University of Tokyo in aerospace engineering, and has studied and published in the fields of propulsion systems, and microgravity technology. He researched at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and was selected by NASDA as an astronaut candidate in 1985 for the Japanese manned space program while also conducting research in the United States at NASA's Lewis Research Center and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Doi flew as a mission specialist aboard STS-87 in 1997, during which he became the first Japanese astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. He received a