Nan (, ; Northern Thai: ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (changwat), and lies in upper northern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from south clockwise): Uttaradit, Phrae, and Phayao. To the north and east it borders Sainyabuli of Laos.
Nan was inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for the City of Crafts and Folk Arts in 2025.
Geography
The province is in the remote Nan River valley, surrounded by forested mountains, the Phlueng Range in the western part and the Luang Prabang Range in the east. The highest mountain is the 2,079 meter high Phu Khe in Bo Kluea District, northeast of the city of Nan towards the border with Laos. The total forest area is or 61.3 percent of provincial area. (Visitors in fiscal year 2024)
{|
|-
| Doi Phu Kha National Park || || (28,945)
|-
| Si Nan National Park || || (38,495)
|-
| Mae Charim National Park || || (6,251)
|-
| Nanthaburi National Park || || (5,121)
|-
| Khun Sathan National Park || || (21,074)
|-
| Tham Sakoen National Park || || (5,224)
|-
| Khun Nan National Park || || (3,044)
|}
Wildlife Sanctuaries
The two wildlife sanctuaries in region 13 (Phrae) are not in Nan province.
Location protected areas
{|role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|<strong>Overview protected areas of Nan</strong>
|
|-
|thumb|left|700px|
{| class="wikitable" style="width:35%; display:inline-table;"
|-
| style="width:3%; background:#00FF00;"|
| style="width:32%;"|National park
|-
| 1 ||Doi Phu Kha
|-
| 2 ||Khun Nan
|-
| 3 ||Khun Sathan
|-
| 4 ||Mae Charim
|-
| 5 ||Nanthaburi
|-
| 6 ||Si Nan
|-
| 7 ||Tham Sakoen
|-
|}
|}
Environmental issues
Nan and government forestry officials are concerned about deforestation after hill tribes turned 1.5 million rai of forest land into cornfields. Nan Governor, Mr Suwat, says officials have attempted to persuade hill tribes to grow perennial plants such as cashew nuts and bamboo in the forest legally. "It's impossible to solve the deforestation problem without involving the hill tribes," he says. "We must give them a solution to live in the forest and protect nature at the same time." In 1916 the northwestern circle was split and Nan was assigned to the circle Maharat. When the circles were abolished in 1932, the provinces including Nan became top-level subdivisions of Siam.
Before the early-1980s, bandits as well as People's Liberation Army of Thailand (PLAT) guerrillas were a big problem in the province, usually destroying highway construction overnight. With the help of the army and the more stable political system the province improved significantly, but is still a very rural and remote area.
In August 2024, many provinces in the north experienced flooding. For Nan, it was considered the worst flooding in 100 years.
Demographics
Hill tribes constitute 10.5 percent of the population. Inhabitants known as the T'in or Mal people speak a Northern Mon-Khmer or Khmuic language, T'in, an unknown language when Gérard Diffloth's classifications were widely cited in a 1974 Encyclopædia Britannica article.
Symbols
The provincial seal shows a Usuparatch bull carrying the stupa of Phra That Chae Haeng. The buffalo dates back to a legend that the rulers of Nan and Phrae were brothers, and met at a mountain to decide about the boundary between their lands. The ruler of Nan went there on a buffalo, while the ruler of Phrae went there on a horse.
The provincial tree and provincial flower is the Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata). Hypsibarbus vernayi is the provincial aquatic life, what with they swim upstream to spawns in the water source in the forestland of Bo Kluea district. An unseen natural phenomenon that occurs only once a year during the Buddhist holy days of March.
left|thumb|Phra That Chae Haeng
thumb|Orchid Tree flower
Administrative divisions
thumb|300px|Map of 15 districts
Provincial government
The province is divided into 15 districts
(amphoe). These are further divided into 99 subdistricts (tambons) and 848 villages (mubans).
แบ่งการปกครองแบ่งออกเป็น 15 อำเภอ 99 ตำบล 893 หมู่บ้าน ได้แก่
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:80%"
|- style=
! rowspan="2"| Number
! colspan="2" width=40% | District Name <br>
! rowspan="2"| District<br>
! rowspan="2"| Village<br>
! rowspan="2"| House
! rowspan="2"| Area<br>
! colspan="3"| Population
|-
! width=20% |Thai
! width=20% |English
!Man
!Woman
!Total
|- style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |1.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |11
| rowspan="2" |140
| rowspan="2" |38,127
| rowspan="2" |813.126
| rowspan="2" |40,677
| rowspan="2" |41,247
| rowspan="2" |81,914
|- style="background: #ffffff;"
| เมืองน่าน
| Mueang Nan
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |2.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |5
| rowspan="2" |38
| rowspan="2" |5,001
| rowspan="2" |998.152
| rowspan="2" |8,334
| rowspan="2" |8,018
| rowspan="2" |16,352
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|แม่จริม
|Mae Charim
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |3.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |4
| rowspan="2" |26
| rowspan="2" |4,027
| rowspan="2" |338.210
| rowspan="2" |5,700
| rowspan="2" |5,602
| rowspan="2" |11,302
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|บ้านหลวง
|Ban Luang
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |4.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |7
| rowspan="2" |69
| rowspan="2" |11,989
| rowspan="2" |1,408.122
| rowspan="2" |17,894
| rowspan="2" |15,946
| rowspan="2" |31,812
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|นาน้อย
| Na Noi
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |5.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |12
| rowspan="2" |107
| rowspan="2" |21,768
| rowspan="2" |657.363
| rowspan="2" |31,545
| rowspan="2" |32‘335
| rowspan="2" |63,880
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|ปัว
| Pua
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |6.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |10
| rowspan="2" |91
| rowspan="2" |17,894
| rowspan="2" |702.204
| rowspan="2" |24,831
| rowspan="2" |25,280
| rowspan="2" |50,111
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|ท่าวังผา
| Tha Wang Pha
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |7.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |17
| rowspan="2" |128
| rowspan="2" |6,734
| rowspan="2" |1,894.893
| rowspan="2" |34,307
| rowspan="2" |34,399
| rowspan="2" |68,706
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|เวียงสา
| Wiang Sa
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |8.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |4
| rowspan="2" |40
| rowspan="2" |26,780
| rowspan="2" |760.811
| rowspan="2" |9,528
| rowspan="2" |9,380
| rowspan="2" |18,908
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|ทุ่งช้าง
| Thung Chang
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |9.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" | 6
| rowspan="2" | 60
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 277.115
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 27,097
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|เชียงกลาง
| Chiang Klang
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |10.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" | 4
| rowspan="2" | 48
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 785.608
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 14,256
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|นาหมื่น
| Na Muen
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |11.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" | 3
| rowspan="2" | 31
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 416.837
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 15,681
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|สันติสุข
| Santi Suk
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |12.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" | 4
| rowspan="2" | 38
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 848.341
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 15,316
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|บ่อเกลือ
| Bo Kluea
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |13.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" | 3
| rowspan="2" | 25
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 544.364
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 12,466
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|สองแคว
| Song Khwae
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |14.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" | 7
| rowspan="2" | 61
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 508.236
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 35,929
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|ภูเพียง
| Phu Phiang
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
| rowspan="2" |15.
| colspan="2" |centre|60px
| rowspan="2" |2
| rowspan="2" |22
| rowspan="2" |3,462
| rowspan="2" |518.690
| rowspan="2" |5,032
| rowspan="2" |4,759
| rowspan="2" |9,791
|-style="background: #ffffff;"
|เฉลิมพระเกียรติ
| Chaloem Phra Kiat
|}
----
{|
|- style="vertical-align:top,"
||
- Mueang Nan
- Mae Charim
- Ban Luang
- Na Noi
- Pua
- Tha Wang Pha
- Wiang Sa
- Thung Chang
||
<ol start="9">
<li>Chiang Klang</li>
<li>Na Muen</li>
<li>Santi Suk</li>
<li>Bo Kluea</li>
<li>Song Khwae</li>
<li>Phu Phiang</li>
<li>Chaloem Phra Kiat</li>
</ol>
|}
Local government
As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Nan Provincial Administration Organisation (') and 19 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Nan has town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 18 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 80 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations – SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).
Economy
Economic output
In 2022, Nan province had an economic output of 37.616 billion baht (US$990 billion). This amounts to per capita gross provincial product (GPP) of 86,057 baht (US$2,265). In 2024 the total labourforce was 245,287 of which 241,719 persons were employed in economic activity. In agriculture and fishing 127,993 persons (53.0%) were employed and in the non-agricultural sector 113,726 persons (47.0%).
{| class="wikitable" style="width:45%; display:inline-table;"
|+ <big>Gross Provincial Product (GPP)</big>
|-
! style="width:6%;"|
! style="width:44%;"|Activities
! style="width:30%;"|Baht
! style="width:20%;"|Percent
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#1f77b4;"|1 ||Agriculture and fishing ||style="text-align:right;"|10,893,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|29.0
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#aec7e8;"|2 ||Trade ||style="text-align:right;"|4,107,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|10.9
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#ff7f0e;"|3 ||Education ||style="text-align:right;"|3,994,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|10.6
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffbb78;"|4 ||Defence + publ.admin. ||style="text-align:right;"|3,135,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|8.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#2ca02c;"|5 ||Finance ||style="text-align:right;"|3,130,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|8.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#98df8a;"|6 ||Manufacturing ||style="text-align:right;"|2,963,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|7.9
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#d62728;"|7 ||Construction ||style="text-align:right;"|2,647,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|7.0
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#ff9896;"|8 ||Real estate ||style="text-align:right;"|2,358,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|6.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#9467bd;"|9 ||Human health ||style="text-align:right;"|1,606,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|4.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5b0d5;"|10 ||Transportation ||style="text-align:right;"|528,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|1.4
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#8c564b;"|11 ||Other service activity ||style="text-align:right;"|409,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|1.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#c49c94;"|12 ||Energy ||style="text-align:right;"|371,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|1.0
|-
| style="text-align:center;background:#e377c2;"|13 ||Information ||style="text-align:right;"|368,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|1.0
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|14 ||Mining ||style="text-align:right;"|336,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.9
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|15 ||Hotel and restaurant ||style="text-align:right;"|281,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.8
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|16 ||Pastime ||style="text-align:right;"|201,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.5
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|17 ||Administration ||style="text-align:right;"|154,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.4
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|18 ||Water supply ||style="text-align:right;"|130,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|19 ||Scientific activity ||style="text-align:right;"|5,000,000 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.0
|-
! !!Total !!37,616,000,000 !!100
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="width:45%; display:inline-table;"
|+ <big>Employed persons</big>
|-
! style="width:10%;"|
! style="width:50%;"|Activities
! style="width:20%;"|Workforce
! style="width:20%;"|Percent
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#1f77b4;"|1 ||Agriculture and fishing ||style="text-align:right;"|127,993 ||style="text-align:center;"|53.0
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#aec7e8;"|2 ||Other service activity ||style="text-align:right;"|24,960 ||style="text-align:center;"|10.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#ff7f0e;"|3 ||Trade ||style="text-align:right;"|21,882 ||style="text-align:center;"|9.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#ffbb78;"|4 ||Defence + publ.admin. ||style="text-align:right;"|12,532 ||style="text-align:center;"|5.2
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#2ca02c;"|5 ||Manufacturing ||style="text-align:right;"|12,436 ||style="text-align:center;"|5.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#98df8a;"|6 ||Construction ||style="text-align:right;"|12,174 ||style="text-align:center;"|5.0
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#d62728;"|7 ||Hotel and restaurant ||style="text-align:right;"|8,440 ||style="text-align:center;"|3.5
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#ff9896;"|8 ||Education ||style="text-align:right;"|6,397 ||style="text-align:center;"|2.6
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#9467bd;"|9 ||Finance ||style="text-align:right;"|4,784 ||style="text-align:center;"|2.0
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5b0d5;"|10 ||Human health ||style="text-align:right;"|4,378 ||style="text-align:center;"|1.8
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#8c564b;"|11 ||Scientific activity ||style="text-align:right;"|2,551 ||style="text-align:center;"|1.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#c49c94;"|12 ||Transportation ||style="text-align:right;"|825 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.3
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|13 ||Mining ||style="text-align:right;"|541 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.2
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|14 ||Household enterprise ||style="text-align:right;"|482 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.2
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|15 ||Pastime ||style="text-align:right;"|472 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.2
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|16 ||Water supply ||style="text-align:right;"|291 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|17 ||Administration ||style="text-align:right;"|283 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|18 ||Information ||style="text-align:right;"|240 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.1
|-
| style="text-align:center; background:#e377c2;"|19 ||Energy ||style="text-align:right;"|58 ||style="text-align:center;"|0.1
|-
! !!Total !!241,719 !!100
|}
Agriculture is the province's main economic activity, but tourism in 2016 contributed an estimated 30% to the provincial GDP. The number of hotel rooms in Nan has doubled to 4,000 in 2016. The Tourism Department says arrivals to Nan rose by 19% to 1.76 million in 2015, of which Thais numbered 1.44 million. Tourism revenue rose by 14% to 4.43 billion baht. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects tourist arrivals to Nan will rise by 10% to 1.94 million in 2016 as tourism revenue grows by 10% to 4.88 billion baht. "We want only quality tourists, not a big volume", said a spokesman. In 2018 some 939,240 tourists visited Nan, up 4.4% year-on-year, contributing 2.6 billion baht in tourism income, a gain of 8.3%. Most visitors—97%—are Thais, of whom 62% were repeat visitors. Just 3% were foreign tourists from the US, France, China, Japan, and Laos. In the first eight months of 2019 Nan welcomed 643,129 tourists, up 0.2% year-on-year, generating 1.94 billion baht in income, up 2.1%.
According to the Bangkok Post, the top two attractions in Nan province are Doi Samer Dao and Wat Phumin, a temple with many "local art masterpieces".