Hey city sister, hey Chiang Mai

On Sunday, Nov. 12, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Chiang Mai Provincial Governor Nirat Phongsittithaworn made the Austin-Chiang Mai Sister Cities initiative official. In the upcoming week, Phongsittithaworn will lead a delegation of 30 that includes government officials, business leaders, innovators and Royal Thai Police officials. The Austin delegation will include City Council members, public safety officials, UT Austin representatives, the Texas Department of Agriculture, venture capitalists from IC2 and Capital Factory, IBM’s X-Force Red team, Austin Region Intelligence Center, the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce and prominent U.S. businesses, plus South by Southwest organizers. “Austin and Chiang Mai share many similarities. Both cities stand as global hubs for art, culture, music, food, and film,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement to the press. “We share a commitment to cutting-edge technology, creative industries, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We envision significant potential for both cities as we collaborate on shared goals.” Austin already has sibling relationships with a number of cities: Adelaide, Australia; Angers, France; Antalya, Turkey; Gwangmyeong, Korea; Koblenz, Germany; London Borough of Hackney, United Kingdom; Lima, Peru; Maseru, Lesotho; Oita, Japan; Pune, India; Saltillo, Mexico; Taichung, Taiwan; and Xishuangbanna, China. In addition, Austin is officially BFFs with Siem Reap, Cambodia; Tehuacán, Mexico; and Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.