Women’s Journey Thailand 2017 Luxperience Campaign
Welcome to the enticing world of Women’s Journey Thailand...
Baan Dam Museum with the TATNewsroom Bloggers
[caption id="attachment_3036" align="alignnone" width="600"] The main exhibit building of Baan Dam Museum in Chiang Rai with the four tiered Lanna styled architecture constructed entirely of aged and stained teak wood[/caption] Day 2 In the afternoon after our lunch at Doi Tung, we made our way to...
Thai lifestyles with a catty day at Fat Cat Cafe in Bangkok
It is a cat's world out there. Forget the likes of Garfield when you can mingle with these adorable felines for real at the Fat Cat Cafe Club in Bangkok. A whole cafe dedicated to cats and their owners in the heart of the city...
Discovering life in the hills at 5 Hill Tribe Villages Chiang Rai
[caption id="attachment_1343" align="aligncenter" width="600"] 5 Hill Tribe Villages Chiang Rai[/caption] Rarely would you get a chance to spend time with the different ethnic and indigenous groups in Thailand while traveling unless you seek them out. It is quite an adventure where you can experience tribal life, living...
The weird and the wonderful of Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai
[caption id="attachment_1256" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Wat Rong Khun Chiang Rai[/caption] Known as the Black and the White, Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) and Baan Daam (Black House) are both creations by two very controversial artistic sons of Chiang Rai. While one is more immersed in creative...
Tea delight at Choui Fong Tea plantation
[caption id="attachment_1293" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Choui fong tea Chiang Rai[/caption] The province of Chiang Rai is one of the most beautiful Northern provinces of Thailand. Still very much unspoilt by development, the main industry being agriculture and eco-tourism. The mountainous landscape with flowing rivers and valleys makes...
Back to nature at PB Valley Kasalong Restaurant Chiang Rai
[caption id="attachment_1229" align="aligncenter" width="600"] PB Valley Kasalong Restaurant Chiang Rai[/caption] First thought in mind is, who would have thought of building a restaurant out in the middle of no where? PB Valley Chiang Rai is full of surprises, much like their sister site in PB Valley...
Three countries and one river at the Golden Triangle Chiang Rai
Golden Traingle Chiang Rai
Between Chiang Rai city and Mae Sai city, lies the infamous Golden Triangle. Known for the drug smuggling, poppy growing and opium trade, the Golden Triangle has mostly been cleared of these notorious activities, mostly on the Thai side. Before you reach the site of the Golden Triangle, you can see an Opium Museum which is dedicated to the history and tradeof the opium to as recent as the 7-s and 80s. Do not be surprised by numerous police and army checkpoints enroute up to the Triangle but it is a necessity to prevent drug and people smuggling activities. Protocols aside, the Golden Triangle is a beautiful location on the hill overlooking the Mekong River which divides Thailand from Laos and Myanmar (Burma).
Golden Traingle Chiang Rai
There are day tours to the Golden Triangle in Thailand but we chose to drive in order to explore more of this region where normal tours would not go. At the point of the Triangle is the famous Golden Triangle Gateway where the Mekong River divides the 3 countries.
Golden Traingle Chiang Rai
The great Mekong River is not just a source for travel between countries but also a food source for aquatic animals (you will find plenty of little restaurants serving dishes of fish, fresh water prawns and more on three sides of the border here), trade of semi-precious stones and Burmese jade, as well as a way to discover the river communes of the Thai, Laotian and Myanmar peoples.
Some of the boat peoples live on floating homes along the river side while trading on all three borders. However if you want to visit the other two countries, there are ferry boats to Laos and Myanmar a little further up that will take you for a fee but require your passport for disembarking.
Golden Triangle Chiang Rai
Up on the hill at the Golden Triangle sits a remarkable huge gold Buddha, the symbol of peace between the three countries whose main religion is Buddhism. You can have a good view of the Mekong River, Laos and Myanmar from here and a little further down next to the temple is a ferry service. There are a few statues of interest here and most magnificent is a pair of more than life-sized elephants in full regalia guarding the entrance to the temple.
At the main entrance in the front is a statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy and plaque of three terracotta Buddhas.
