The hospital was built in 1939 in order to expand the service of the Chiang Mai Municipality Hospital to the public. Known locally as Suan Dok Hospital, it was officially named Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital in 1941 and became the teaching hospital for the Faculty of Medicine in 1959. There have been phases of expansion and development since then. The name was changed to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital in 1983 by Royal permission. The hospital consists of several buildings: an old 7-story building, the 15-story Sujinno Building, and the 15-story Sripat Building, which is under construction. The Sujinno Building was finished in 1983 in commemoration of the 60th birthday of Luang Pu Wan Sujinno, a very highly revered monk in Thailand. Standing in front of the building is a statue of Prince Songkla Nagarind Mahidol– the father of modern Thai medicine. The new Sripat Building is in commemoration of Queen Sirikit's 60th birthday and is expected to be in use in 1996. This building will be for patients with more severe problems and complications. The hospital with all three buildings has 1,800 beds and serves 414,362 out-patients and 49,200 in-patient each year. Many joint programs have been set up with other hospitals and health centers both inside and outside the Chiang Mai area to provide medical and educational support for physicians and medical students. In cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health, physicians from the Faculty of Medicine provide medical services at rural health centers or give special lectures for doctors and other health personnel at provincial hospitals.