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ThailandDescription and is it worth a visit
The town of Chiang Saen is located on the banks of the Mekong River, which flows between Thailand and Laos, but there is no border crossing between the countries. And this place could have turned out to be completely unvisited by tourists, if not for its location: Chiang Saen is on the way from Chiang Rai to the center of the Golden Triangle.
Despite its small size today, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Lanna until 1262. Throughout the history of the confrontation between Siam and Burma, it constantly changed hands, which could not but leave its mark on the city. Like Chiang Mai, it was surrounded by a protective wall, the remains of which are still preserved.
Stopping in Chiang Saen specifically to get acquainted with the sights may not be worth it, but if you drive through the city, you can visit some of its temples and museum.
There is a national museum Chiang Saen National Museum ( Chiang Saen National Museum on the map). There you can see the ancient exhibits of the kingdom of Lanna, ceramic and pottery, coins, images of Buddha and mythical animals, household items of ethnic tribes, musical instruments, and of course objects and tools related to the production and consumption of opium. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 16:00, the entrance fee is 30 baht.
Wat Phra That Chedi Luang Temple (Wat Phra That Chedi Luang) is located next to the National Museum and is the tallest building in Chiang Saen. There are several other temples in Chiang Saen that you can visit: Wat Phra Chao Lan Thong; Wat Pa Sak; Wat Phra That Pha Ngao; Wat Sangkha Kaeo Don Han; Wat Phra That Doi Pu Khao, etc. But if you do not plan to enter the city, but drive further to the Golden Triangle along Highway No. 1290 to the north (turn left before entering the city), then it is most convenient to look into the temple Wat Phra That Chom Kitti (Wat Phra That Chom Kitti temple on the map). This temple is located on a mountain, and to get to it, you will have to climb 350 steps on foot. Next to the road at the foot of the mountain on which the temple is located, there is a holy spring with healing properties, but only men can approach it.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Chiang Saen is located 10 kilometers south of the center of the Golden Triangle (Sop Ruak), and about 60 kilometers by road from Chiang Rai (Chiang Saen on the map). You can get here from Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai by buses that run frequently during the day. From Chiang Rai, buses depart every 15 minutes from the old bus station from the city center, travel time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. The schedule and fare can be viewed here (the site does not open well on the territory of the Russian Federation, and it is better to open it through a proxy server or a Tor browser). If you rent a car or motorcycle, then you need to take Highway No. 1 north to Mae Chan, where you should turn left onto Highway No. 1016. You can also get to Chiang Saen from Mae Sai by minibus (Songthew).
Friends, we remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Thailand with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at options with online booking and reviews on these excursion aggregators: