30 December 2014
Chiang Rai is a city in northern Thailand. The city is near the borders of Laos and Myanmar (formerly Burma) and is the gateway to see the Golden Triangle area and visit the hill tribes villages. The best way to see some of the attractions in the area was via chartering a private van with English speaking guide and driver.
This was the second private tour that I booked with Lanna Kingdom Tours. The same guide Natty picked us up from our hotel at 7.30 AM. An earlier departure time was needed as Chiang Rai is about 3 hours drive from Chiang Mai and more time was needed to make a day trip there and back. It was a good thing that Natty reminded us to bring our passports along as they would be needed to board the boat on the Mekong River later today.
Natty told us that Chiang means “City” and “Rai” was the name of a king. About 700 years ago, the Mongols invaded China and the Chinese border was closed to the Myanmar (Burma) and North Thailand where Chiang Rai is located. The king decided to move south to a new city to avoid the Mogols threat. “Mai” means new, hence the name of the new city was Chiang Mai.
Halfway to Chiang Rai we stopped at the Mae Khajan hot spring. In the old days, this was a small nondescript rest stop for local drivers making the journey between Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. A small hot spring allows them to relax and sooth their feet before continuing with their journey. But with the increasing numbers of tourists making this trip, the area is now pretty commercialised.
Vendors selling eggs in small woven baskets for tourist to cook them in the hot spring water are out and about. There are toilets, souvenirs and food stalls surrounding the large square that serves as a car park and site for man-made geysers. A short distance away, there are pools where one can soak their feet in the hot spring water.
After the brief stopover for us, tourists, to soak our feet in hot water (and the guide and driver to get a cup of coffee), we continued our journey to Chiang Rai to visit the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun).
The temple was built 26 years ago by a local artist who promised to build a temple in his village when he become famous. The place was crowded with plenty of Thais and foreign tourists.
After the temple, we left Chiang Rai and continued our journey to Sop Ruak, about 60 km away. On the way, Natty briefly stopped the van at one of many the roadside stalls to buy what was the sweetest and best tasting pineapple in Thailand.
It was a small species of pineapple with size smaller than my palm and it was only grown in this area.
Lunch was at the second floor restaurant of the Imperial Golden Triangle Resort. The food was mediocre but the view of the “Golden Triangle”, where the borders of Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand meets, was probably the best in the area.
The border is actually formed by the Mae Khong (Thai name) or Mekong River and its tributary (Ruak). There is a small island or sandbank in the middle of the river. That is “no man’s land”. Burma could be seen, just 100m away, across the Ruak tributary and Laos could be seen across the Mae Khong River about 300m away.
The “golden” in the name “Golden Triangle” was because of the opium that was grown the this region in the past. The opium was literally worth its weight in gold.
The Mae Khong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia, and has a length of about 4,350 km. Rising in south-eastern Qinghai province, China, it flows through the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province, after which it forms part of the international border between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos.
Our tour includes a boat ride across the river to visit Donsao Island that is part of Laos but we chose not to do that. Instead, we opted to take a ride on a fast motorboat for some excitement and also to get a closer look at the neighbouring countries. To ensure that we come back to Thailand, boaters have to deposit their passports with the Thai border authorities before boarding the boat.
From the boat, we got a closer look at the Golden Triangle Paradise Resort with its Winwin Casino in Burma. Win win, what a name.
Wonder who would be the winner in the end. Then we saw a building in Laos with a English–looking Crown on the roof.
This is the Kings Roman Casino in Laos. Why so many casinos at this area? Thailand bans casinos. So the rich Thais cross over the borders to gamble.
On the river, large cargo boats bearing Chinese characters, presuming from China, cruised by. Two tall towers, further downstream, hold cables to supply electricity from Thailand to the Kings Roman Casino and other Laotian infrastructure in this area.
On the way back to Thailand, the impressive Golden Buddha (Phra Phuttha Nawa Lan Tue), glittering in the sun cannot be missed.
After disembarkation, we visited the site of the Golden Buddha. Natty told us that this was a replica made to replace the original Buddha lost at the bottom of the Mae Khong River. Only the top part of the head of the original was found. The dimension of the replica is based on the size of the part that was found.
A short walk across the street is The House of Opium. A good place to learn about the history of the Golden Triangle, its link to the opium trade, opium production, opium paraphernalia and information about the hill tribes and even a photo of a giant Mekong Catfish that is over 100kg. Now, what we caught yesterday at Bo Sang Fishing Park seems small in comparison.
Having an appreciation of the hill tribes who lives in the Golden Triangle area, we went to visit the villages of the Akha, Lahu, Yau, Long Neck Karen tribes. To enter the village, we have to pay 500 baht per person and this money is shared by the hill tribe communities.
A few hundred metres of mud tracks led to a village area with sections containing huts and stalls selling handicrafts, one for each tribe. Villagers in their native costumes manned these stalls and are selling souvenirs and handicrafts. I guess these villagers would lived in their own villages and only come here during the day to raise some money for their community. This place also made it easier for visitors to see and appreciate all the tribes at one location instead of driving all over Thailand.
The customs of the tribes such as the long necks and big ears may seem strange to some. It reminded me of how it was customary in the old days in China for Chinese woman to bind their feet when young, such that they have child size, small feet when they reach adulthood. Considered as privilege in those days as only the rich noble ladies could have bound feet and it was also considered a symbol of beauty.
For the long neck Karen, the woman starts wearing the rings as young as three years old. In the past, it was to protect them from tigers who tends to bite the neck. The practice continued due to superstitions and belief that bad things would happen to the village if someone don’t continue the custom. It is not mandatory for them to wear this rings now but many still chose to continue with the custom. After wearing the rings for so many years, the older women risk neck injuries if they take off their rings as the gaps between their neck bones have been stretched.
The hill tribe village was the last stop for the day. The journey back to Chiang Mai took 3 hours, arriving at about 9 PM.
