Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, Chief Marketing Officer at Central Pattana Public Company Limited (SET: CPN), revealed that the company has invested THB 1.2 billion in its largest transformation in three decades, revamping Central Chiangmai Airport shopping center into a new mixed-use landmark. This project aims to elevate Chiang Mai to its fullest global potential under the concept of “Reimagining Lanna.”
Covering more than 130 rai, the development features a shopping center with a gross building area (GBA) of 173,000 square meters and over 350 premier brands, a 2,800-square-meter convention hall, a tourist hub providing a shuttle bus service to and from the airport, Multi-Generation Space, Northern Thailand’s first GO Wholesale, and future plans for hotel and residential expansion, catering to the lifestyle needs of both locals and international tourists.
Under CPN’s “Thailand… is more than just Bangkok” vision , the company continues to develop mixed-use projects in key cities to enhance quality of life and drive sustainable and robust economic growth. The existence of two shopping centers in Chiang Mai—Central Chiangmai Airport and Central Chiangmai—forms a puzzle that connects both the Old City and New City, encouraging cross spending and supporting multidimensional urban growth.
Central Chiangmai Airport, an integral part of the city for 30 years, is located in the southern zone near downtown, surrounded by business districts, hospitals, more than 150 residential projects (most being long-established large housing estates), educational institutions, and just a 3-minute drive from Chiang Mai International Airport.
Therefore, the transformation of Central Chiangmai Airport is a response to new urban demands, raising it as a new mixed-use landmark and attracting both domestic and international tourists. In 2025, the center saw over 13 million annual visitors, averaging 38,000 per day, with expectations to rise to 42,000 daily visitors in 2026.
Nattakit added that Central Chiangmai Airport is targeting a mix of 70% Thai and 30% international customers. The top five international visitor groups are from the United States, China, Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore respectively. In 2025, Travel + Leisure ranked Chiang Mai as the best city in Asia, reflecting its consistently growing tourism potential. Nearly 10 million Thai and foreign tourists visited from January–October 2025, generating over THB 87 billion in tourism revenue. The top five visitor nations were China, Korea, Taiwan, the United States, and Malaysia.
