About Mae Hong Son Province

Mae Hong Son is a town in north-west Thailand, capital of Mae Hong Son Province.  Neighboring provinces are (clockwise from north) Shan State of Myanmar, Chiang Mai and Tak. To the west, the province borders Kayin State and Kayah State of Myanmar. Mae Hong Son’s nickname is “the city of three mists”. It is hemmed in by the high mountain ranges of the Shan Hills and is the most mountainous province in Thailand, occupying 12,681 square kilometres (4,896 sq mi). The province is often covered with mist. Mae Hong Son town was originally established in the early-19th century as an elephant training camp as ordered by the then King of Chiang Mai. As of 2012 Mae Hong Son was the poorest province in Thailand. Mae Hong Son is 883 km north of Bangkok and 251 km north-west of Chiang Mai.

Topography

Most of the areas of Mae Hong Son Province are the complex mountain ranges of the Thai highlands, parts of which are still covered with rain forest. Of the approximately 6,976,650 rai of national forest reserves, it is estimated that 88 percentage is forested.

Climate

Mae Hong Son has a tropical savanna climate. Winters are dry and warm. Temperatures rise until April, which is very hot with the average daily maximum at 38.7 °C (101.7 °F). The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm.

Transportation