Mae Kha Canal slowly becoming a major attraction following massive cleanup efforts

Mae Kha Canal is an important waterway and is considered one of the seven auspicious symbols in the establishment of Chiang Mai. It originates from Doi Suthep-Pui National Park and Huay Tung Tao in Mae Rim District and flows through Chiang Mai City, into the Ping River at Sop Mae Kha, Hang Dong District with a total distance of approximately 31 kilometers.

As urban expansion and wastewater discharge have caused the Mae Kha Canal to deteriorate and become polluted over the past decades, Chiang Mai Province has developed a master plan to solve these problems and improve the landscape on both sides of the Mae Cha Canal from the upstream to the downstream. The development of the Mae Kha Canal in the city area, which is the middle section, has made the water clean and clear and has become a popular tourist attraction before reviving the upstream section.

In late February  Buaphong, Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai Province, and Noppadol Na Chiang Mai, Mayor of Don Kaew Subdistrict Administrative Organization, took a boat trip with locals and foreign tourists from Mae Kha Pier to Wat Phra Non Khon Muang in Mae Rim District. This activity was held after the upper part of the canal was restored, and both sides of the canal were adjusted to become a flower garden, a relaxing destination for locals and tourists.

In addition, locals and local administrative organizations worked together to hold the activity “Hom Poi Bupphachat Mae Kha Ngam” by showcasing the boats decorated with colorful flowers, hanging plants, herbs, fruits, and vegetable seeds to create a lively atmosphere to Mae Kha Canal. After that, all the blossoms are taken to develop and restore Mae Kha Canal’s landscape.

What’s more, the study of a wastewater treatment system and a project to improve the landscape at Mae Kha Pier, Ban Phra Non – Ban Pa Ruak in Mae Rim District, a distance of approximately 275 meters, have been carried out to develop into a tourist attraction.