Right at the center of Chiang Rai city finds the monument of King Mengrai, the great king who founded Lanna Thai kingdom. King Mengrai was originally the ruler of Nakhon Hiran Ngoen Yang, an ancient town off in Chiang Saen. With a will to create a great kingdom of Lanna folks, he advanced his power to nearby kingdoms (Chiang Rai was one of them) until he successfully established the Lanna Thai kingdom in 1296 with his power centered at Chiang Mai.