Being Thailand's 5th largest city, Chiang Mai is also known as the hub of Northern Thailand and more commonly known as the "Rose of the North". As compared to Bangkok, Chiang Mai is much greener as the entire city is surrounded by mountains and countryside. This makes Chiang Mai also a rather quieter place than the capital Bangkok.
If you are flying into Chiang Mai, then Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) handles both domestic and regional international flights. There are however various other airlines which also has flights to Chiang Mai such as Air Asia which is one of the most well known Asian low cost airline which flies daily from Bangkok or KL (Kuala Lumpur).