First established as an outpost of the Lan Xiang kingdom, the original Chiang Khan was destroyed by Haw warriors from China's Yunnan region in the 1700s. The town was later reestablished in its current location, this time as part of the Siamese empire, and was boosted when large numbers fled the north bank of the river after French colonialists assumed control of Laos in the late 19th century. It was during this period that Chiang Khan's signature wood houses were built.