Hiran Nakhon Ngoenyang (Northern Thai: ᩉᩥᩁᩢᨬ᩠ᨬᨶᨣᩬᩁᨦᩮᩥ᩠ᨶᨿᩣ᩠ᨦᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩈᩯ᩠ᨶ; Thai: หิรัญนครเงินยาง), also known as Chayaworanakhon Chiang Lao, Hiranyanakhon Ngoenyang Chiang Saen, Nakhon Yangkapura, or Thasai Ngoenyang was an early mueang or kingdom of the Northern Thai people from the 7th through 13th centuries AD and was originally centered on Hiran, formerly Wiang Prueksa, in modern-day Thailand near today's Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai, and later on Ngoenyang or Chiang Saen. King Mangrai, the 25th king of Ngoenyang, went on to found Lanna.

In contrast to most contemporary Tai states, Ngoenyang was mentioned in local chronicles, which provide some information about its history.

Following the decline of Yonok Nakhon Chai Buri Ratchathani Sri Chang Saen, sometime before the late 17th Buddhist century (approximately the 12th century CE), a ruler named Lao Chakkaraj—also known as Lao Chok—rose to power. According to local legend, he was either born miraculously beneath a jujube tree or descended from heaven via silver and golden ladders at Doi Tung. Declaring himself king, Lao Chakkaraj established a new royal line known as the Lao Dynasty, as each subsequent ruler adopted the prefix "Lao" before their name.

A pivotal transformation occurred in 1262 when Mangrai ascended the throne as the 25th ruler of Ngoenyang Chiang Lao. Visionary and ambitious, he sought to unify the smaller principalities scattered across the northern region. Upon his enthronement, Mangrai founded the city of Chiang Rai, designating it as his new capital. This act marked the end of the Lao Dynasty of Ngoenyang Chiang Lao and the beginning of the Mangrai dynasty, which later became the foundation of the Lan Na Kingdom.

The precise location of the ancient city of Ngoenyang remains a topic of scholarly debate. Today, it is generally believed that Ngoenyang corresponds to present-day Chiang Saen, a conclusion drawn primarily from the Chiang Saen Chronicle. The text describes the construction of the city as follows:

"At that time, the king, along with his ministers, constructed a moat 700 wa wide and 1,100 wa long along the river, building fortifications with silver platforms and betel nut trees. They called this city 'Hiran Ngoenyang Chiang Saen.' The silver platform built under the betel nut tree was transformed into a great stupa and monastery, named 'Sangka Kaew Don Than,' also known as 'Wat Sangka Kaew Ngoenyang.' The silver throne was dismantled and offered as a donation. On the 5th day of the waxing moon in the 6th month, at midday, the king entered the royal palace there and was specially titled 'King Lao Chakkarat.'"

However, the Chiang Saen Chronicle—translated into Thai as the Chronicle of Ngoenyang Chiang Saen and the Legend of Singhanavati—is the sole document equating Ngoenyang with Chiang Saen. Other regional chronicles offer different interpretations of the city’s location. The Nan Chronicle places Ngoenyang near Tha Sai, while the Chiang Mai Chronicle situates it near the Sai River. It also recounts how King Mangrai, before founding Chiang Rai, reflected on how Lao Chok built his city at the base of Doi Pha Lao and Lao Khiang later renovated Ngoenyang near the foothills of Doi Tung, Doi Tha, and Doi Ya Thao.

The Phayao Chronicle provides yet another perspective, noting that during the reign of Lao Khiang, the city’s moat was expanded near the Lawaa River. The new settlement was called “Yang Sai,” and the river was renamed “Mae Sai.” This version implies that Ngoenyang was located closer to the Sai River (Thailand) at the base of Doi Tung, not at present-day Chiang Saen: