Nan about 668 kilometers north-east of Bangkok, is a rather relaxed little town in the remote valley of the Nan River in Northern Thailand. The area is still covered with dense jungle but arable land is used for agriculture. It is an ancient city steeped in history with its long association with both, Lanna-Thai and Sukhothai kingdoms.
The people of Nan descend from the Lan Changs (Laotians). Their ancestors moved to settle around present-day Pua district which is rich in rock salt deposits, about 700 years ago at the time when Sukhothai was becoming the kingdom of the Thais. They subsequently moved south to the fertile Nan River basin which is much more extensive.
Nan's history is deeply involved with its neighbors, in particular Sukhothai which played an important role in both political and religious terms before Nan became a part of Lanna, then Burma and now Thailand. Today Nan is still the home of numerous Thai Lue (ไทยลื้อ) and other hill tribes who retain highly interesting customs and traditions.
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