Mae Ai is home to the district headquarters of Mae Ai District in the top of Chiang Mai province, Thailand. 174 km from the city of Chiang Mai and 107 km from City of Chiang Rai.

As an administrative and economic center, Mae Ai plays a crucial role in local governance, infrastructure development, and economic activities, especially agriculture and cross-border trade. The municipality is also home to a mix of ethnic groups, including Thais, Lanna descendants, and hill tribes such as the Karen, Akha, and Lahu, contributing to its vibrant cultural diversity.

Mae Ai municipality was upgraded form sanitation municipality on May 25, 1999. It governs 10 Mubans of Mae Ai Subdistrict and 7 Mubans of Malika Subdistrict.

In recent decades, Mae Ai has experienced economic and infrastructural growth, benefiting from its strategic location and government-led initiatives in agriculture and trade development.

Mae Ai is located in a mountainous region near the Thai-Myanmar border, featuring a mix of fertile plains, forested highlands, the Fang River and Huai Mae Ai streams. The area’s cool winter climate supports agricultural activities and attracts tourists to its natural and cultural landmarks.

The agriculture in Mae Ai is highly competitive, diversified and specialised and it produced in significant amounts include rice, pepper, orange, lychee, longan etc. Agriculture is one of its main economic activities.