The population of Lanna, decimated by the early 1800s by decades of fighting and then ravaged by malaria, hepatitis, TB and other disease, began to grow again in the 1960s. In 1924, the total population was 1,342,000. Forced resettlement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries brought in perhaps 100,000 people, to make about a third of the population. Immigrants continued to come from China and Burma, including Karen, Akha, Lisu and Lahu tribals, and more recently, Ho or Haw remnants of the KMT (soldiers of Chiang Kai Sheck). In 1964, 12,021 tribals were recorded in Chiang Rai Province, in 1969 15,475. In 1974, 23,585 Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Yao, Karen and Miao were recorded, and "10,000 Shan, Thai, Chinese and military personnel."

Chiang Mai city had 154,463 registered people in 1972, and the province 1,048,355. By 1986 the city hadn't grown much, only to 157,843 (registered), but the population density of the province had increased from 45 per square kilometer, in 1972, to about 65. Chiang Rai city's official 1986 population was 37,847. There has been an incredible population boom since that time. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces now have over 100 per square kilometer. A guestimate for Chiang Mai gives a couple million to the metropolitan area and over four million in the province. Chiang Rai city has about 200,000 (most with their household registrations elsewhere); the official census of the province records 1,268,569. The Lanna region of Thailand holds about 13 million.