The village of Santikiri is located in the subdistrict of Mae Salong Nok, district of Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai province. Provincial Route 1130 runs right through the village. The villagers' houses nestle against the hilltops on both sides of the road. From above, the road resembles an elevated avenue.

In 1961, two battalions of the 93rd Burmese Division arrived in Thailand. The 3rd Battalion was stationed in the Fang district of Chiang Mai province, and the 5th Battalion in Ban Mae Salong Nok, present-day Santikiri village. The area around Doi Mae Salong had historically been plagued by problems with ethnic minorities, including drug trafficking, opium smuggling, and a military presence. For over ten years, the area had to be closed off as a danger zone. It wasn't until 1972 that the cabinet officially allowed the Chinese National Army (Kuomintang) to operate in Thailand, resolving all these issues. The villagers turned to agriculture, cultivating tea and planting Scots pine trees (Pinus triphyllum). They renamed their village Santikiri. National identity cards were issued in 1978.