Chiang Mai vs Phuket: Registered Companies 2026
In short
Chiang Mai wins. It holds 65,164 registered companies against Phuket's 52,557 as of 2 July 2026. That is a lead of 12,607 firms. Chiang Mai also books more revenue, 527.2 billion baht to Phuket's 389.3 billion. Each Chiang Mai company earns about 8.09 million baht, versus 7.41 million in Phuket. Both provinces run on tourism, accommodation, food service and real estate rather than factories.
Chiang Mai or Phuket: which has more companies?
Chiang Mai is the bigger business base. It carries 65,164 registered companies as of 2 July 2026, against 52,557 in Phuket (DBD, 2026). That is a gap of 12,607 firms. Put another way, Chiang Mai carries about one and a quarter times Phuket's company base. The lead holds on money as well as headcount. Chiang Mai companies together report 527.2 billion baht in revenue, while Phuket companies report 389.3 billion. Chiang Mai sits at 3.3 percent of all registered companies in Thailand, Phuket at 2.6 percent. Neither is a manufacturing center. Both economies lean on tourism, accommodation, food service and real estate, which is unusual for provinces of their economic weight.
Chiang Mai vs Phuket, company count and revenue
- Chiang Mai companies65,164
- Phuket companies52,557
- Chiang Mai revenue, billion baht527
- Phuket revenue, billion baht389
Figures in companies and billion baht.
Chiang Mai leads on both measures. The revenue gap is wider in proportion than the company gap.
Two tourism capitals, side by side
| Measure | Chiang Mai | Phuket |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 65,164 | 52,557 |
| Share of national total | 3.3% | 2.6% |
| Total revenue | 527.2 billion baht | 389.3 billion baht |
| Revenue per company | 8.09 million baht | 7.41 million baht |
Registered companies, revenue and per-company revenue for Chiang Mai and Phuket, as of 2 Jul 2026.
Why the northern capital pulls ahead
The two provinces are often paired as Thailand's tourism twins, one in the north and one in the south, so the size gap is easy to miss. Chiang Mai is not only a resort town. It anchors a wider regional economy of universities, hospitals, farms and a large domestic services market that Phuket, an island built around visitors, does not carry. That deeper base shows up as more registered firms and higher per-company revenue at 8.09 million baht versus 7.41 million. The read for anyone choosing a base in the north or the south is simple. Phuket concentrates a smaller number of firms around a tourism engine, while Chiang Mai spreads a larger, slightly more productive company base across more of the economy. Provincial output data reflect the same split, with Chiang Mai's activity spread across more sectors than Phuket's tourism-concentrated economy (NESDC, 2025).
Definitions
- Registered company
- A juristic person recorded in the Department of Business Development registry with a registered address in the province, counted whether it is currently trading or dormant.
- Revenue per company
- Total provincial company revenue divided by the number of registered companies in that province. A rough measure of the average scale of a firm.
- Share of national total
- A province's registered company count as a percentage of all 1,989,709 registered companies in Thailand as of 2 July 2026.
Assumptions
- A company is assigned to the province of its registered address, which may differ from where it actually operates.
- Total revenue reflects only companies that have filed a financial statement, so dormant or non-filing firms add to the count but not to revenue.
- Revenue figures are the latest filed annual values and are not adjusted for inflation or season.
Methodology
Company counts and revenue are aggregated from registered juristic persons in the Department of Business Development registry, filtered to companies with a registered address in each province, as of 2 July 2026. Revenue is the sum of the latest filed annual revenue for companies in the province that have submitted a financial statement. Revenue per company divides total provincial revenue by the province's company count. National share divides the provincial company count by the national total of 1,989,709 registered companies. Figures are provincial aggregates and are not seasonally adjusted.
How we verified this
- Chiang Mai revenue per company recomputed as 527,200,135,278 divided by 65,164, which equals about 8.09 million baht, matching the stated figure.
- Phuket revenue per company recomputed as 389,338,309,392 divided by 52,557, which equals about 7.41 million baht, matching the stated figure.
- Chiang Mai national share recomputed as 65,164 divided by 1,989,709, which equals 3.3 percent, and Phuket as 52,557 divided by 1,989,709, which equals 2.6 percent.
- Confirmed Chiang Mai leads on both measures: 65,164 companies is greater than 52,557, and 527.2 billion baht is greater than 389.3 billion baht. The count lead of 12,607 was checked as 65,164 minus 52,557.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates by province. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
- Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council. (2025). Gross regional and provincial product. NESDC, Thailand. https://www.nesdc.go.th/en/info/gross-regional-and-provincial-product-gpp/
Frequently asked questions
Does Chiang Mai or Phuket have more registered companies?
Chiang Mai, with 65,164 registered companies against Phuket's 52,557 as of 2 July 2026, a lead of 12,607 firms.
Which province generates more company revenue?
Chiang Mai, whose companies report 527.2 billion baht in total revenue versus 389.3 billion baht for Phuket.
Which province has more productive companies?
Chiang Mai edges ahead on revenue per company at about 8.09 million baht, compared with about 7.41 million baht in Phuket.
Are these provinces dominated by manufacturing?
No. Both lean on tourism, accommodation, food service and real estate rather than heavy industry.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Chiang Mai vs Phuket: Registered Companies 2026. Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/chiang-mai-vs-phuket-business-comparison-2026
Data & corrections
Download the data (CSV)Spot something off, or want to ask about the data? Email insights@maxsolutions.co.th. We publish corrections.
Written by
Chatpong L.Founder, Max Data, Max Solutions Co., Ltd.
Chatpong L. leads Max Data, a company-intelligence platform built on Thailand's official business registry. He writes about the structure of the Thai economy using primary registry data. His work covers company formation, industry concentration, and regional business activity.
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This page reports company-level and aggregate statistics only. It names no individuals and makes no claims about any person. Figures are provided for information and may be revised as source data updates.