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| Chiang Saen Amphoe | ||
| province | Chiang Rai | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 50.344 (2014) | |
| height | 363 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Chiang Saen is a very old and historic city in the province Chiang Rai in the Northern Thailand. The most important tourist destination in the municipality is the so-called Golden triangle, the triangle of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
background
Chiang Saen is one of the oldest and most historic cities in Northern Thailand. Here was the cradle of the Kingdom of Lan Na, which shaped the north of what is now Thailand for centuries. The story of Ngoen Yang, the forerunner city of Chiang Saen, began according to recorded chronicles in the 9th century AD, although today's historians consider many of them to be legends. In any case, it was much older than the today much larger cities Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, which were only founded in the 13th century. Mangrai, the first king Lan Nas and founder of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, came from Ngoen Yang.
The original Ngoen Yang was abandoned at some point. Instead, the actual Chiang Saen was founded on the banks of the Mekong in 1329. The walled city was roughly the shape of a rectangle and was about 3,000 meters by 1,400 meters. The remains of the fortifications can still be seen today.
From the 16th to the 18th century, when northern Thailand was part of what was then the Kingdom of Burma (Ava) was controlled, Chiang Saen was an important fortified city that served as the military and political center of Lan Nas and where a Burmese governor resided. Even after Chiang Mai had shaken off Burmese rule in 1774 and instead became a vassal of Siam (forerunner of today's Thailand), Chiang Saen remained under Burma for 30 years. It was not until 1804 that the city was captured by combined northern Thai and Siamese troops, destroyed and its population deported to central Thailand (where their descendants still live today).
The city remained deserted for decades, only in 1881 it was re-founded and settled with families from the provinces of Lamphun, Lampang and Chiang Mai. But it never regained its former size, which can still be recognized from the ruins.
getting there
By plane
The airport Chiang Rai is about 55 kilometers from Chiang Saen.
By train
There is no connection to the rail network.
By bus
From the northern Bus station Mo Chit in Bangkok, 875 kilometers away, the state-owned company offers The Transport Co. Ltd. (Bo. Kho. So.) three long-distance buses to Chiang Saen and back every day. The journey takes 12–13 hours and costs 529–632 baht, depending on the car class. The private company Sombattour runs the route twice a night (once from Mo Chit, once from Vibhavadi) with buses of the very comfortable carriage class Supreme for 983 Baht (as of June 2016).
Society Greenbus runs once a day from Chiang Mai via Lampang, Phayao, Chiang Rai to Chiang Saen and on to the "Golden Triangle". The journey takes 7½ hours for the entire route and costs 231 baht in the A-Class and 297 baht in the more comfortable X-Class (both are air-conditioned, there is a toilet on board in the X-Class). The departure from Chiang Mai is 10 a.m., the return trip from the Golden Triangle is 8 a.m. (as of May 2016).
In the street
Chiang Saen is at the end of road no. 1016, which is at Mae Chan (between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai) branches off from the major national road 1. From Chiang Rai it is about 60 kilometers, which takes an hour's drive, from Mae Sai 37 kilometers (40 minutes), from Phayao 165 kilometers (2:45 hours), from Chiang Mai 250 kilometers (4 hours). From Bangkok it is 865 kilometers, the actual travel time is about 10½ hours.
By boat
mobility
Worth seeing
Old town
- Historic city fortifications
- Wat Pa Sak (Thai: วัด ป่า สัก, "Monastery in the teak forest"). Immediately outside the city wall, ruins of a Buddhist temple. Impressive, well-preserved chedi with a square base in Mon style.
- Wat Phra That Chedi Luang (Thai: วัด พระ ธาตุเจดีย์ หลวง). Remains of the former main temple of Chiang Saen. The octagonal chedi is still the tallest building in Chiang Saen at 88 meters high.
- Chiang Saen National Museum (Thai: พิพิธภัณฑสถาน แหง ชาติ เชียงแสน). Small national museum next to Wat Chedi Luang. Collection of art-historically significant Buddha statues in the Chiang Saen style.
Wat Phra That Pha Ngao
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A good three kilometers south of the city center is the at least 700 year old temple Wat Phra That Pha Ngao. A partially uncovered Buddha statue in Chiang Saen style found here is even much older. Also worth seeing is the pretty, gold-colored teak monastery library. From the pagoda on a hill you have a wide view over the surroundings.
Golden triangle
About nine kilometers north of the city center of Chiang Saen is the confluence of the Ruak river (border river between Myanmar and Thailand) in the Mekong (border river between Laos and Myanmar or Thailand) and thus the triangle of these three states. This place is known in tourist circles as the "Golden Triangle" and is considered an attraction. However, some travel writers refer to it as one of the biggest tourist traps in Northern Thailand.
The historical, notorious Golden triangle did not designate a specific place, but the entire, approximately 950,000 km² border area of Laos, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Thailand, in which during the second half of the 20th century 90% of the world's opium was produced and various warlords operated. After the opium cultivation was eliminated in the 1990s and the militant groups disarmed, the Thai tourism industry discovered the potential of the "brand" Golden triangle and began to advertise trips to the previously insignificant village of Sop Ruak near Chiang Saen, calling it the "Golden Triangle". This is right on the border triangle, but never played a special role in drug cultivation or smuggling.
The landmark of the Thai side of the triangle is a large golden Buddha statue on a decorative, but not floatable ship.
However, the two museums about the history of opium production and smuggling in this region are interesting:
- The House of Opium. The older and smaller of the two opium museums on the Golden Triangle. The history of opium, especially in Southeast Asia, the mountain peoples and the warring parties involved in drug smuggling, is illustrated using maps, diagrams and objects (such as old opium scales, vessels, pipes and lamps) and explained in understandable English-language texts.Open: Daily 7 am–7pm.Price: Entry 50 baht.
- Hall of Opium. Has a different perspective and is designed much more generously and professionally than the smaller and somewhat amateur-looking “House”, which is why the two complement each other rather than overlap in terms of content. Here the history of opium is placed in a broader context, including the European opium trade, the effects of imperialism, the opium wars with China in the 19th century, etc. The entrance to the "Hall" is quite spectacular through a 137 meter long, only dimly lit tunnels under the mountain, decorated with scenes of hell. This is intended to illustrate the consequences of opium addiction. This is followed by exhibition rooms with video presentations, diagrams, maps, photographs and comprehensive, informative texts in perfect English (not a matter of course in Thai museums). At the end there is a well-equipped museum shop and café.Open: 8.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.Price: Entry 200 baht.
activities
- Boat trip on the Mekong to the island 1 Done Xaothat already belongs to Laos. The approach takes place with very loud, narrow long boats with truck engines. To enter the island, you only need to bring your passport, a visa is not required, entry is required, which must be paid in US dollars. The formerly very peaceful island has developed into a tourist meeting place with a considerable number of stalls in recent years. Anyone who collects entry stamps in their passports can definitely consider this island as their destination.
shop
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
security
trips
Excursions to neighboring Laos or Myanmar are particularly popular among Thais because there are casinos there that are forbidden in Thailand.
