Phuket Hotel Advice - Chiang Rai - Phuket Resorts Thailand

Chiang Rai Guide

The Province of Chiang Rai, covering some 11,600 square kilometres at an average elevation of 580 metres above sea level, lies in the heart of the fabled Golden Triangle "

The province of Chiang Rai, lies in the heart of the fabled Golden Triangle, the area where the borders of Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Laos converge.
Chiang Rai is a traveler's paradise, offering a broad range of activities among stunning mountain scenery where exotic hilltribes, historic Buddhist shrines, riverine adventures and elephant treks number among the major attractions.

The Provincial Capital
The riverine provincial capital, founded in 1262, is some 785 kilometres north of Bangkok. The most convenient way of reaching the capital is by daily Thai International from Bangkok, or from the neighboring provincial capital of Chiang Mai.
The ten-hour coach ride from Bangkok to Chiang Rai is probably best made overnight since passengers can avail themselves of sleep before early morning arrival.
The capital may also be reached from Tha Thon in Chiang Mai province by a scenic 4-6 hour (depending on climatic conditions, such as rain, and other factors such as high waters and fast currents) longtail boat ride along the Mae Kok River.

The provincial capital contains several deluxe hotels and resort complexes, guest-houses and inns, indeed accommodation to suit every pocket. Besides being a major dining, shopping and entertainment centre, the provincial capital is probably the most convenient spot from where to make excursions into the surrounding countryside, since most attractions can be reached within a convenient one day return.

City attractions include monuments dedicated to King Mengrai The Great, the thirteenth-century founder of Chiang Rai (and Chiang Mai in 1296); and Buddhist temples such as Wat Phra Singh and Wat Phra Kaeo, the latter believed to have been the original home of Thailand's most revered Buddha image, the Emerald Buddha, now enshrined in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo.

Colorful Hilltribes

Chiang Rai is the home of the several different hilltribes, the most numerous of which are the colourful Akha, have their own customs, their own language, their own culture and decorative art forms .

Silver is their preferred symbol of wealth. Indeed, Akha women wear, besides equally distinctive miniskirts and leggings, unusual headdresses made from plumes and vintage silver coins largely of French Indochinese or British Indian origin.

Many such women are accomplished weavers of cloth which they decorate with their own distinctive, predominantly geometric embroidery. Such items number among the more popular souvenirs, and come in the form of purses. bags, jerkins, waistcoats and similar apparel .

Akha silver ware is also a popular purchase, and comprises mainly bracelets, necklaces, belts and pendants.

Northward Bound
Most provincial attractions lie north of the provincial capital. Road travelers can visit major destinations within the space of one day. At Mae Chan some 29 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Highway 110 continues northwards to Mae Sai, the northernmost point of Thailand ( 63 kilometres north of the provincial capital ); Route 1010 veers eastwards towards Chiang Saen (60 kilometres from the provincial capital) which occupies the Mekong riverbank facing Laos, and here resort hotels and complexes, quest houses and inns offer comfortable accommodation.

Chiang Saen was an ancient capital of Lan Na Thai (Kingdom of One Million Rice fields) which dominated northern Thailand from the late 1200s. Chiang Saen was founded by King Mengrai before Chiang Rai and is historically important, because a distinctive style of Buddhist sculpture evolved there during the late thirteenth century.

Several noteworthy religious monuments include the hilltop Wat Phra That Chom Kitti, the ancient Chedi Wat Pa Sak, and Chedi Luang, a 58-metres high structure with a 25-metres circumference base which was constructed in 1290 as LAN NA Thai's largest religious monument .

Adjacent to, and almost dwarfed by the chedi, a branch of the National Museum contains bronze Buddha images and artifacts excavated locally.

12 kilometres north of Chiang Saen, a riverside area has been officially designated

The Golden Triangle.
The spot, known locally as Sop Ruak, precisely marks the convergence of the Mae Sai and Mekong rivers which form the borders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

A commanding panoramic view of the area may be enjoyed from the riverine Wat Phra That Phukhao's hilltop pavilion.



Chiang Rai Tours
Chiang Rai City and Temples Private Tour
Chiang Rai Doi Mae Salong and Akha Hilltribe Village
Chiang Rai and Golden Triangle
Khao Yai National Park