Chiang Mai has just been named the Top City in Asia as well as ranked second for the World’s Best Cities in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2016 readers’ survey. The northern Thai city was nominated by the readers of the influential magazine, who also ranked Bangkok at No. 5 in Asia and at No. 14 for the World in the same poll.

The online publication’s readers were asked to judge Asian destinations on various factors including the local culture, food, shopping and landmarks as well as the friendliness of the people and overall value for money. The cities were then rated out of 100 with Chiang Mai scoring 91.25. The city was praised by the Travel + Leisure readers for its “peace and quiet” and “funky fusion restaurants, historic temples and massive markets” as well as for boasting all the conveniences of a major city. Bangkok had a score of 88.96 and was praised for its arts scene and trendy hangouts.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “Chiang Mai has always been popular with local and international tourists, and so it’s good to see that the city is receiving more international acclaim. The lovely weather and charming culture of the ancient Lanna capital make Chiang Mai a wonderful retreat the whole year round, and as it’s a culinary and arts centre, there’s always something to enjoy in the city as well as adventures in the surrounding hills.”

Chiang Mai has also been ranked highly on a recent list of best cities for Digital Nomads – people who work online and do not need to be tied to an office. The Nomad List ranks the best cities for digital nomads based on living costs, Internet speed, weather, safety and more than 50,000 other data points. Chiang Mai was recently ranked as the world’s top city for Digital Nomads with Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, taking second place in the global list.

Source: TATnews