Chiang Rai is the northern capital of Thailand. Chiang Rai: how to get there, where to live, what to see Excursions from Chiang Rai

Excursions in Chiang Rai from private guides and travel agencies.
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The most northern of all tourist cities Thailand, located 785 km from Bangkok. It is the commercial capital of the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Burma meet. Chang Rai has become popular tourist center, thanks to the numerous sights left over from ancient civilizations. It is believed that this is where the culture of Siam originated. In addition to monasteries and palaces, tourists can see the villages of indigenous tribes and their inhabitants. The settlement of the Karen tribe, a tribe of “long-necked women,” is especially popular.

Just like neighboring Chiang Mai (158 km to the southwest), it is not beach resort. True, there is one beach in the city, and if you wish, you can sunbathe there. The order in Chiang Rai is very specific: after At 21:00 almost all establishments in the city close. Only the Night Market and the cafes located next to it are open. Therefore, go to Chiang Rai in search of nightlife not worth it. Exotic lovers come here, already fed up with beaches and discos. And this is quite understandable - after all, the kind of atmosphere that reigns on the streets of Chiang Rai cannot be found anywhere else.

Video from Chang Rai

The White Temple is the most beautiful attraction in Chiang Rai, although it is not ancient. It began to be built in 1997, according to the design of a famous young Thai architect. The work is still ongoing. The style of the temple can be called avant-garde; it really looks very unusual - not...

Chiang Rai Tours & Activities

The main tourist attraction in Chiang Rai is visiting the ethnic tribal villages. Of particular interest is the village of the Koren tribe - the tribe of “long-necked women”. When a girl from this tribe turns 4 years old, a copper ring is twisted around her neck. With age, the number of rings increases, and the neck stretches to incredible sizes. There are several versions of where such a tradition could have come from. Perhaps, once upon a time, men tried to protect their wives and daughters from predators. Some say that by mutilating their women, they saved them from slavery. But now a long neck is considered a symbol of a woman’s attractiveness. Usually a visit to this village is included in the trekking program, the cost and duration may vary.

The center of the Golden Triangle is located 80 km from Chiang Rai. Some people say there's not much to see there, but that's not true. In this place there is a very beautiful statue of the golden Buddha, two opium museums and a temple. And from here you can sail to the islands of Laos without a visa and take a walk around them. Usually a visit to the center of the “triangle” is the final part of any excursion. Duration of stay in the border zone is 4-5 hours.

You can also get to Burma for one day without a visa through the town of Mae Sai (61 km from Chiang Rai). Groups are also often brought here, although there is nothing remarkable in the city itself. But tourists usually take photographs of the “northern gate” and enter Burmese territory. You need to go back before evening.

History of Chang Rai

Exists interesting legend, related to the history of Chang Rai. According to it, one day King Mengrai's favorite elephant ran away. They looked for him everywhere and could not find him. Then the animal was discovered in a hitherto unknown area. The king was very happy that the elephant was found, and ordered to build...

Chiang Rai is located in the north of the country, far from the capital, so the climate here is somewhat milder than in other areas. The Thais call Chiang Rai the “cold capital”; in fact, the air temperature in the city does not drop below +30°C almost all year round. For this reason, Chiang Rai is ready to receive tourists at any time. But we must remember that here, as elsewhere, three seasons follow each other: dry, hot and wet. If you look at it before planning your vacation, you can choose a period when it is not very hot and there is no rain.

Chiang Rai attractions and activities

Tracking ranks first in popularity among other types active rest in Chang Rai. The reason is that it includes several activities at once, rather than being limited to, say, elephant riding or rafting.

The trekking program usually includes mountain trekking, river rafting, a trip into the jungle on the back of an elephant, overnight stays in ethnic tribal villages and daytime excursions to these villages.

Some tourists are frightened by the prospect of encountering “savages,” but this is an unfounded fear. In fact, the natives have long been accustomed to tourists and have even learned to make money on such excursions.

Chiang Rai's mountainous terrain is ideal for mountain biking. If you book a bike tour along the Mekong River, you can not only admire nature, but also visit villages.

Also in Chiang Rai you can ride a horse or an ostrich.

From aquatic species The most common sports are rafting, kayaking, rowing and canoeing.

Transport features of Chang Rai

Very little developed in Chiang Rai public transport because the city is very small. You can get around it all on foot, and everything you need is nearby. But still there is transport on the streets:

sontaego;
minibuses;
knock knock.

The fare is the same as in Chiang Mai, that is, within $1.

Those interested can take vehicle for rent:

motorcycle - about $10;
car - about $40.

Chiang Rai is the main base for exploring Thailand's Golden Triangle. The city itself is incredibly charming - small, cozy, atmospheric, with magnificent ancient and original new temples and museums, plenty of good cheap housing, excellent restaurants and a colorful night market.

Spend at least 2 hours to explore Chiang Rai full days plus a day at the Golden Triangle.

why go

Don't miss it in Chiang Rai

Explore the city on foot, exploring the temples and museums of Chiang Rai.
Rent a motorbike and explore Chiang Rai's new temples, including the iconic White Temple.
Join bike tour to drive around the countryside looking for small temples, villages and waterfalls.
Take at least a day to explore Thailand's Golden Triangle.
Try Thai food at Chiang Rai's night market and learn to cook Thai at local cooking classes.

Temples and museums of Chiang Rai

Among the city temples, two stand out - the ancient Buddhist temple Wat Phra Kaeo, which in difficult times for Siam was the home of the Emerald Buddha - the most sacred shrine of Thailand, later transported to Bangkok and Wat Phra Sing - ancient temple, in which the statue of the main Buddha statue, Phra Buddha Sihing, which is now located in Chiang Mai, was kept for a long time. Both temples in Chiang Rai have copies.

Wat Phra Kaeo, Chiang Rai. Photo credit: Poxxel, Flickr

Monks at Wat Phra Kaeo. Photo credit: Doris Bowling, Flickr

Wat Phra Sing, Chiang Rai. Photo credit: Stefan Fussan, Flickr

"White Temple" - Wat Rong Khun. Photo credit: Silp Satjawattanavimol, Flickr

To the northwest of Chiang Rai, 12-15 km from the city, not far from each other, there are two more interesting newly built temples - the colorful Wat Huay Sai Khao with original architecture and the “little brother” of the white Wat Huay Plakang 9 Tier Temple with a huge statue Buddha. You can only get to them by your own transport or tuk-tuk.

Wat Huay Sai Khao. Photo credit: gt-rider

“Little brother” of the white temple Wat Huay Plakang 9 Tier Temple. Photo credit: Apisak Kanjanapusit, Flickr

Chiang Rai Museums

The Baan dam museum is called either the Black Temple or the Black Houses. A large park area on which small rooms in the form of temples and chedis are built, inside there are art galleries with paintings, sculptures and various products made from bones and horns of animals. The purpose of this largely kitschy art exhibition is to illustrate the dark side of human nature, using traditional Asian elements crops

Baan dam Museum, Chiang Rai. Photo credit: Steven Murray, Flickr

Art gallery inside the Baan dam museum. Photo credit: Duncan Taralrud-Bay, Flickr

Among the more positive and noteworthy art projects in Chiang Rai are the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park, located 5 km from the city, and the Oub Kham City Museum, which contains ancient samples and products of different Asian cultures - from the Lanna kingdom to ancient Vietnamese and Chinese civilizations.

Mae Fah Luang Park. Photo credit: Duncan ursula_bkk, Flickr

Oub Kham Museum. Photo credit: thailandneo

Bike tours

The surroundings of Chiang Rai, unlike most of Northern Thailand, are flat with small hills, and cycling here is a pleasure. Cycling tours start away from city traffic, along charming rural roads past rice fields, gardens and small towns. Popular routes are half a day to the White Temple, a full day to the White Temple and further to the waterfalls, a full day to the Golden Triangle. See more details.

Bike tours in Chiang Rai. Photo credit: Zach W, tripadvisor

Golden Triangle

The classic circuit from Chiang Rai starts in the direction of Mae Sai, a town on the border with Burma with a large market on the border and a bridge crossing into Burma. Next - Sop Ruak, extreme point Thailand at the intersection of the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos, here with observation deck you can see both neighboring countries, and also rent a boat and go to Laos. The last point on the route is ancient city Chiang Saen.

The worst option for visiting the Golden Triangle is large groups and/or Bus tours, try to avoid such experiences). If you are taking a tour from Chiang Rai, try to take either a private tour or a small group tour.

In Chiang Rai you can either use a motorbike for independent trip along the Golden Triangle. You can rent a car with a driver through any guest house or tour office in Chiang Rai (about $50-60 per car).

If you are not comfortable with a motorbike, but want to travel around the Golden Triangle on a budget, then the best option is public transport. In this case, map out the route Chiang Rai - Chiang Saen - Sop Ruak (Golden triangle) - Mae Sai - Chiang Rai, which, in principle, can be covered in a day.

The route Chiang Rai - Chiang Saen - Sop Ruak (Golden triangle) runs minibus every 15-20 minutes (green minivans from Chiang Rai bus terminal). Songthaews (route pick-ups) run between the Golden Triangle (Sop Ruak) and Mae Sai. You can return to Chiang Rai from Mae Sai by bus (about 1.5 hours).

Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai. Photo credit: adventurocity, Flickr

Cooking classes

Chiang Rai, like , is great place for lovers of delicious food. In addition to visiting the Night Market and restaurants in Chiang Rai, the gastronomic experience can be complemented by cooking classes offered in the city. Here you can learn more about the traditions of Thai cuisine and the ingredients used, try your hand at cooking Thai dishes, eat delicious food and generally have fun in the company of nice people.

Chiang Rai is the capital of the northernmost province of Thailand. The distance from Bangkok to Chiang Rai is about 790 km, from Chiang Mai – 155 km. Chiang Rai, although a city, is not as big as Chiang Mai. Currently, about 136 thousand people live in Chiang Rai.

The city was founded a long time ago, in 1262 by the king of the Lanna kingdom on the Kok River. Then Chiang Rai belonged to Burma and only in 1786 it became a Thai city.

Nowadays many tourists come to Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai attracts them not only for its attractions, but also because very close to it is the so-called Golden Triangle, where the border of three countries passes - Thailand, Burma and Laos.

Around Chiang Rai beautiful mountains and many natural attractions. Very close by is the royal villa and a magnificent flower garden. Not far from Chiang Rai there live several northern tribes, whose villages are very interesting to see. At a distance of about 60 km from Chiang Rai there is a Chinese village with tea plantations. The Opium Museum is located in the Golden Triangle, in the Chiang Saen district.

How to get to Chiang Rai

1. By plane. Chiang Rai has an airport located 8 km from the city. Flights arrive here from.

Several airlines operate flights:

AirAsia and NokAir fly from Bangkok's old airport, Don Mueang. Thai Airways flies from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Travel time is 1 hour 20 minutes.

If you are flying from Russia to Thailand, you will arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport, so if you want to fly straight to Chiang Rai, it is better to choose Thai Airways flights. Otherwise, you will have to move from one airport to another, which will take quite a lot of time.

The best way to get from Chiang Rai airport to the city is by taxi (200-300 baht).

2. You can get to Chiang Rai by bus from Bangkok. Buses depart from the northern bus station in Bangkok MoChit. Travel time is 8-10 hours, cost 600-1000 baht (20-30 dollars) depending on which class of bus you choose: VIP, 1st class or 2nd class.

3. You can get to Chiang Rai by Green Bus from Chiang Mai. Travel time is about 3 hours. It is advisable to buy tickets in advance, at least a day in advance. There are many people who want to leave.

It should be noted that there are now two bus stations in Chiang Rai: New Bus Station or Terminal 2 and Old Bus Station or Terminal 1. Old Bus Station is located in the city center, next to the night market. Currently serving only suburban destinations. Buses from Bangkok arrive at the new bus station. Between bus stations there is a minibus. Cost 60 baht (2 dollars).

4. You can get to Chiang Rai by water! On the boat from the town, a public boat leaves from Tha Thon at 12:30 and costs 350 baht ($12). Travel time is 3.5 – 4 hours.

There is no train station in Chiang Rai, so you cannot get to Chiang Rai by train.

Where to stay in Chiang Rai accommodation

There are many hotels and guesthouses in the city, but strangely enough, during the high season (November - February) it is quite difficult to find available accommodation!

You can live in the city itself (it is best to find a hotel near the night market) or stay in the vicinity of Chiang Rai, in the mountains and enjoy nature. During peak season, I advise you to book your accommodation in advance. I always book here: booking.com, if I can’t find anything here, then I look here: agoda.com.

We stayed in a small hotel called Baan Bua Guest House for 460 baht ($15). I booked my stay there very much in advance, the hotel was somehow popular, and all the rooms were occupied!

Green lawn in front of the house, quite a lot of space where you can park your car.

Regular room, fan, large bed, hot shower.
We had breakfast right there, American breakfast for 150 baht per person. Delicious and filling!

What to see in Chiang Rai - attractions of Chiang Rai

In addition to many beautiful places around Chiang Rai, in the city itself you can see several temples

In the city itself there is a beautiful Golden Clock Tower (Clock Tower), every evening at 19:00 the music and lights turn on. But we didn’t catch this show.

I also recommend visiting Chiang Rai night market(Chiang Rai Night Bazar). Here he is even more colorful than. And prices for souvenirs are lower. Perhaps one of the best places in Thailand to buy souvenirs.

We were also attracted to the Chiang Rai night market by the fact that here you can eat deliciously and not expensively. There is a large food court here. There are tables, and around there are tents with a variety of food.
There are a lot of people. Mostly local residents or Thai tourists. There are very few foreigners. Locals come with their Thai rum, grab food, Coca-Cola and have dinner!

What's missing here! A lot of seafood, delicious fish, shrimp.

Seafood: squid, shrimp

Delicious fish and something not clear :)

And at the Chiang Rai night market, such pots are very popular - Hot Pot, in which you can cook soup. The cost of this soup is 70-100 baht (2-3 dollars) depending on the ingredients.

Hot Pot

Ingredient for soup :)

I wanted to take it, because I really love Thai soups, but then for some reason I chose fish 😎

Dinner with beer at the Chiang Rai night market cost us 400 baht ($13).

When talking about Chiang Rai, it is impossible not to mention massage parlors. In general, when we were traveling to the North of Thailand, I imagined that every evening, before dinner, I would enjoy a Thai massage, which everyone praised so much in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. But that was not the case - we had such a busy program that there was simply no time left for a massage.

There are many massage parlors in Chiang Rai, so we had time before dinner and went for a long-awaited massage.

They took us to a room on the second floor and gave us these pajamas 😎

Ready for a massage! 🙂

we thought it must be a super massage. But, unfortunately, the massage in Chiang Rai did not impress us. Although it was not expensive at all - 150 baht (5 dollars), and I got massages for 250-300 baht. Still, it all depends on the massage therapist, how lucky you are. And I’ll definitely tell you about the best massage in the North of Thailand.

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Our first trip to the north of Thailand ended in the city of Chiang Rai. In this post I will talk about the main attractions of Chiang Rai, as well as our general impressions about the city.

White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

The White Temple in Chiang Rai is the main attraction of the city, for which tourists mainly come here. Construction of the temple began in 1997 and is still ongoing. It is being built at his own expense by one of the most talented living artists and architects in Thailand, Chalermchayu Kositpipat. Exhibitions of his work can be viewed in neighboring buildings. The talent of this man is truly limitless, his paintings and bronze sculptures are simply amazing in their beauty (they cannot be photographed). By the way, the gold clock in the center of Chiang Rai is also his work. Entrance to the territory of the white temple is free.

All tourists visiting the white temple in Chiang Rai are given the opportunity to contribute to the construction of the complex. For 30 baht you can buy an aluminum heart and write your wishes on it. Later, all these hearts are collected and used to form the ceiling in various outdoor structures on the temple grounds. It looks very nice. Few people turn down the opportunity to “publish” their dreams in such an energetic place.

Video tour of white temple in Chiang Rai:

Black Temple (Baan Dam)

The Black Temple in Chiang Rai is not, in fact, a temple. It's just a big black house with a common interior space, in which some installations and exhibitions of contemporary art periodically take place. The territory of the black temple is quite large and includes many medium and small sized buildings. The whole complex is permeated with a gloomy mood of death, skulls and skins of killed animals lie everywhere. The place is quite interesting, but does not make a particularly strong impression. By the way, it is also being built by a modern Thai architect at his own expense.

Doi Tung Royal Villa

We set aside a whole day to visit the Doi Tung Royal Villa. It is located 55 km from Chiang Rai. We got there by bike in about an hour and a half. At first the road goes along a wide highway, and for the last 16 km you need to climb uphill along a winding serpentine road with very beautiful views.

The attraction consists of four objects, for the entrance to each of which you need to pay separately, or you can buy a complex ticket. We decided to visit three objects that are located in close proximity to each other: the interactive pavilion, the Mae Pha Luang flower garden and the royal villa itself. Tickets cost us 190 baht per person.

In the interactive pavilion you can get acquainted in various forms (photos, videos, audio) with the history of the Thai royal family and important events in the life of Thailand. Quite a fascinating excursion.

Just outside the interactive pavilion is the entrance to the Mae Pha Luang Flower Garden. There's not much to say about him. The garden is naturally very beautiful and you can do things there great amount nice photos. The Thais are great masters at creating beautiful gardens and parks.

Just after the flower garden, a little higher on the mountain, is the Doi Tung Royal Villa. The house is built entirely of wood in the style of a Swiss chalet. The villa is operational and members of the royal family periodically relax there. At the entrance to the building we were given audio guides on English language, with the help of which we got acquainted with some interesting facts from the construction of the villa and the life of the queen mother. Filming inside is prohibited.

Search for a hotel in Chiang Rai:

With this, our trip to the north of Thailand has come to an end, and now we are already in the capital of Malaysia, where the Formula 1 racing stage is taking place from March 28 to 30 (post Trip to Malaysia for Formula 1 in March 2014). Also, after returning to Pattaya, we will write a final post about our northern trip, in which we will talk about the most memorable moments and financial expenses.

Northern woman:

The borders of three amazing Asian countries - Thailand, Myanmar and Laos - constitute a special region called the Golden Triangle. total area The region is quite large, while the tourist center is the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak rivers in the village of Sop Ruak in Thailand. Travelers from all over the world head to the north of the country to see with their own eyes three great countries at the same time.

But not so long ago, completely different motives brought people here. The “opium paradise” attracted smugglers with a thirst for profit. The policies of neighboring powers have successfully overcome the situation, and this issue is no longer on the agenda. So what can you profit from in the Golden Triangle now? The pristine beauty of Don Sao Island, a descent along the Mekong River, a visit to the observation deck at the top of Wat Phra That and, of course, a visit to the opium museum will diversify your vacation.

Kok River

The Kok River is full-flowing and the most long river in Northern Thailand. It begins in Myanmar and flows through picturesque places, some of which are nature reserves, and flows into the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle region, where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. The border in this place is precisely the river.

Kok links the Thai provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai and is the most important route between them. This is why walks along the Kok River are so popular among tourists: following the flow of the river, you can watch the inhabitants of these places, stop the boat near the shore and continue traveling through the jungle, or get to the city to admire the ancient temples.

What sights of Chiang Rai did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.

Mount Doi Tung

Mount Doi Tung is located in the Golden Triangle. This “Triangle” is the intersection of the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. The main income of local peasants has always been income from growing opium poppies, which had a detrimental effect on the local population. However, in the 80s of the last century, the royal family began to revive these places, and Doi Tung became one of the most important projects. The once disadvantaged region turned into a blooming garden when the mother of the current monarch of Thailand moved into a palace built here especially for her.

The Doi Tung project occupies 150 sq. km of land and employs more than 11 thousand people. Now, instead of opium poppies, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and coffee are grown here. The project is directly supervised by the royal family.

Wat Rong Khun Temple is considered to be the most unusual Buddhist temple Thailand. It is relatively young - its construction began in 1997. The creator of this unique monument- Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who, according to rumors, erected the temple only with his own money in order to perpetuate his name in history. The artist made every detail, every roof slope, every figure in the temple according to his own sketches.

It is simply impossible to describe the temple in words. It looks as if it was created not by man, but by some unprecedented force. The stark white jagged temple is surrounded by ponds teeming with sacred fish. Inside the temple you can look at the works of the artist Chalermchayu and even buy some of them.

Monument to King Mengrai

In Chiang Rai, at the exit from the city, next to the road to Mae Chan, there is a tall dark monument against the backdrop of a golden carved wall with sharp ends. This is a monument to Koroi Mengrai, the founder of the city. According to legend, King Mengrai was looking for his elephant on the banks of the Kok River and, admiring the beauty of the area, decided to found a city here. Many city tours start from this place as a sign of respect to the founding king.

Opium Museum

The world's most famous Opium Museum is located in Thailand for good reason. It was in this country that almost until the end of the 20th century, opium production was almost the only means of ensuring the life of local peasants. The museum's exposition is designed in such a way that, moving from one exhibition to another, one can imagine the development of the production of narcotic drugs in Thailand from ancient times to the present day. The museum's extensive collection includes production tools, agricultural implements, posters, as well as modern multimedia resources.

The museum is open every day except Monday from 8.30 to 16.00.

Museum "House of Opium"

In the very center of the Golden Triangle is the private museum “The House of Opium”. Its collection is not as extensive and varied as that of the large and famous Hall of Opium, but it is also worthy of attention. Here are examples of agricultural implements used in poppy cultivation, utensils for making opium, a collection of old photographs and much more. Price entrance ticket several times cheaper than a ticket to the large Opium Museum.

In addition, the “House of Opium” is open every day, seven days a week, from 7.00 to 19.00

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Wat Umong Temple

Wat Umong is one of the most unusual temples in Thailand. It was founded in 1927.

The temple consists of caves that are connected by tunnels. Translated from Thai, "Umong" means "Tunnel". Inside the underground temple there are Buddha statues illuminated by candles.

Most of the territory is occupied by a pond and forest. The pond is home to large carp and turtles. “Wise trees” grow in the forest near the temple; there are signs with written Buddhist sayings on them. The temple houses a replica of the Ashoka pillar with four lion heads and the wheel of Dharma, installed in the 13th century. This is a global symbol of the spread of Buddhism.

There is also a library-museum and a meditation school, where classes are taught in English.

The most popular attractions in Chiang Rai with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places to visit famous places in Chiang Rai on our website.

More attractions of Chiang Rai

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