Bangkok made the cut for world's 15 best cities
But Chiang Mai actually kicked our butt.
The US Magazine Travel + Leisure's yearly ranking of the world's best cities just came out, and two Thai cities made the cut.
Bangkok, a yearly staple in the list and previous holder of the no. 1 spot, this year came in at no. 14. In last year's list, which stopped at no. 10, we placed 6th.
The big news however is that Bangkok was joined this year by Chiang Mai, which took the no. 2 spot. Last year, the northern capital did not even make the list.
2016 has been a big year for Chiang Mai with the arrival of Maiiam Art gallery, arguably the foremost contemporary art space in Thailand.
The best city in the world this year went to Charleston, South Carolina in the US, which beat Chiang Mai by 0.41 points according to T+L's ranking system. Cities are judged based on readers’ travel experience around the world, with categories including attractions, friendliness, culture and food.
Bangkok this year scored 88.96, while Chiang Mai came out with a score of 91.25. Other Asian cities which made the list were Luang Prabang (no. 5), Kyoto (no. 6), and Siem Reap (no. 13).
Check out the full list of World’s Best Cities here.
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