Chiang Mai Province of approximately . The mountains of the Daen Lao Range () at the north end of the province, the Thanon Thong Chai Range () stretching in a north-south direction, and the Khun Tan Range in the east of the province are covered by rain forest. The Mae Ping, one of the major tributaries of the Chao Phraya River, originates in the Daen Lao mountains. The highest mountain in Thailand, Doi Inthanon at , is in Chiang Mai Province. Several other national parks are also in the province: Doi Suthep-Pui, Ob Luang, Sri Lanna, Huai Nam Dang, Mae Wang, and Pha
Doi Kham be reduced to ashes. Also, the number of people growing opium poppies was increasing. At the king's command, the royal project was created to provide alternative sources of income for hill tribe villages that formerly relied on opium production and swidden agriculture. The meaning of the words "Doi Kham" comes from two northern Thai words. The word "doi" means 'mountain' or 'hill' while the word "kham" is a shortened word for "thongkham" which means 'gold'. The Royal Project Foundation operates four research stations and thirty-five development centres that work with 295 villages containing 14,109 families. Involved are approximately 85,000 rural