Day Trips In Chiang Rai Province

[sceadugenga]

I regularly get visitors who expect to be shown around Northern Thailand.

I try to keep the driving down to about four or five hours on good roads and leave about the same amount of time for sight seeing and shopping.

The standard run for me would be Chiang Rai-->Thoeng-->Chiang Khong-->Chiang Saen-->Mae Sai than back to Chiang Rai on the main highway.

Another is Chiang Rai-->Mae Sui-->Fang-->Mae Ai/ThaTon (where the visitors can take the boat down river) or back to Chiang Rai through the mountains.

I'd like to draw up a tour heading East and South through Chiang Kham but have little or no knowledge of this area or it's attractions.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Edited September 3, 2008 by sceadugenga

[sceadugenga]

I''l quickly edit the OP.

The last sentence should read...

Any other suggestions except the one I just received by PM would be welcome.

[klikster]

I regularly get visitors who expect to be shown around Northern Thailand.

I try to keep the driving down to about four or five hours on good roads and leave about the same amount of time for sight seeing and shopping.

The standard run for me would be Chiang Rai-->Thoeng-->Chiang Khong-->Chiang Saen-->Mae Sai than back to Chiang Rai on the main highway.

Another is Chiang Rai-->Mae Sui-->Fang-->Mae Ai/ThaTon (where the visitors can take the boat down river) or back to Chiang Rai through the mountains.

I'd like to draw up a tour heading East and South through Chiang Kham but have little or no knowledge of this area or it's attractions.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

It's not south and east, but how about Doi Maesalong and Doi Tung (palace, gardens and the old temple).

Pu Chee Fa has some nice scenery.

[soap]

I regularly get visitors who expect to be shown around Northern Thailand.

I try to keep the driving down to about four or five hours on good roads and leave about the same amount of time for sight seeing and shopping.

The standard run for me would be Chiang Rai-->Thoeng-->Chiang Khong-->Chiang Saen-->Mae Sai than back to Chiang Rai on the main highway.

Another is Chiang Rai-->Mae Sui-->Fang-->Mae Ai/ThaTon (where the visitors can take the boat down river) or back to Chiang Rai through the mountains.

I'd like to draw up a tour heading East and South through Chiang Kham but have little or no knowledge of this area or it's attractions.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

what about heading south taking in the white temple then carry on south im sure theres a national park on the way till you get to phayao

you must have lunch by the biggest lake i have seen.

on the way back just pick up a case of booze in phan and give me a knock

what a day to remember

[davidgtr]

You guys have heaps of loops to do

1. Fang via Mae Suai That Ton Mae Chan

2. Doi Mae Salong via R1089 & R1130 & R1234

3. Thoed Thai via R1130 & R1334 & R1149

4. Doi Tung via Mae Sai R1 & 1149

5. Doi Tung via R1130 & R1338 & R1149

6. Wawi

7. Chiang Khong

8. Phu Chi Fah

9. GT / Chiang Saen.

If you're unsure of any of these the new GT Rider Golden Triangle guide map is out in Chiang Rai.

Check it out - topography, accurate kms & road classifications.

I reckon this is the best map for the GT ever.

[lannaman]

I regularly get visitors who expect to be shown around Northern Thailand.

I try to keep the driving down to about four or five hours on good roads and leave about the same amount of time for sight seeing and shopping.

The standard run for me would be Chiang Rai-->Thoeng-->Chiang Khong-->Chiang Saen-->Mae Sai than back to Chiang Rai on the main highway.

Another is Chiang Rai-->Mae Sui-->Fang-->Mae Ai/ThaTon (where the visitors can take the boat down river) or back to Chiang Rai through the mountains.

I'd like to draw up a tour heading East and South through Chiang Kham but have little or no knowledge of this area or it's attractions.

Any other suggestions would be welcome.

I used to live in Chiangkham. Really it's a fairly uninteresting town, unless you can visit to see the Thai Lure (spelling???) festival, which I think is in November, it's very colourful with each village having it's own coloured sarongs. Nam Tok Phusang is worth a visit;

a good place to picnic with lots of food stalls loaned mats etc. From there you can carry on into the mountains and reach Phu Chi Fah. Or onto Phayao and the lake as suggested by friend Soap. That will give you a round trip back to Chiang Rai.

[lukamar]

Budget Rentals has a great online map with all sorts of loop routs. I used to use it to get around Phayao. It's one of the few maps that actually have the proper information on it most times along with mileages.

Budget Car rentals Map

There is also a thread around here on what to do in Phayao.

Edited September 3, 2008 by lukamar

[svenivan]

If you're unsure of any of these the new GT Rider Golden Triangle guide map is out in Chiang Rai.

Check it out - topography, accurate kms & road classifications.

I reckon this is the best map for the GT ever.

Hey, I love maps, where can I find this one?

"The standard run for me would be Chiang Rai-->Thoeng-->Chiang Khong-->Chiang Saen-->Mae Sai than back to Chiang Rai on the main highway."

You do this trip in one day? That is not bad.

I would change it to Chiang Rai-->Thoeng--> Phu Sang Waterfall -- Phu Chi Fah --Chiang Khong and back to Chiang Rai.

Another day Chiang Rai -- Mae Sai --- Golden Triangle---Chiang Saen -- Buddha Museum (biggest in the world half way between Chiang Saen and Mae Chan on road 1016) and back to Chiang Rai.

Doi Mae Salong and Doi Tung with the garden in one day (and don´t miss Doi Tung Zoo and the temple in Doi Tung hanging on a cliff, I think it is Phrathat Doi Tung ).

[davidgtr]

If you're unsure of any of these the new GT Rider Golden Triangle guide map is out in Chiang Rai.

Check it out - topography, accurate kms & road classifications.

I reckon this is the best map for the GT ever.

Hey, I love maps, where can I find this one?

In CEI the map is available from

1. ST Motorcycle

2. Nai Inn Books

3. The Legend Hotel

4. Chat House Ghouse

5. Easy Bar

6. Siam Corner Restaurant

7. North Wheels.

8. Orn Books

ST Motorcycle has plastic laminated maps. The others have paper ones.

For other outlets look here.

Hope you like & approve of the map.

Edited September 10, 2008 by davidgtr

[Limbo]

"The standard run for me would be Chiang Rai-->Thoeng-->Chiang Khong-->Chiang Saen-->Mae Sai than back to Chiang Rai on the main highway."

You do this trip in one day? That is not bad.

I guess it comes close to 300 km of which 230 on curvy two lane roads, of which about 50 in mountainous areas.

I am afraid you are talking about more than six hours in the car, even if you drive at a speed that makes your passengers puke.

Skip Toeng and take the road to Wiang Chai at Porkhun (Mengrai). It's the road with the 'arc de triomph' above it.

After 6 kms in Ban Panjamorn you take to the left (follow the sign to Waterford Valley). It saves you at least 40 kms of the rather dull Toeng - Chiang Khong road.

By the way: Ban Sobrak, 'the Golden', is going to be a kind of Disney-land. Cable-cars are going to be constructed of the ski lift type and those are going to cross the triangle, connecting the three countries. It is said to be a rather big Chinese project, but it is very well possible that some hard earned narco Baht from this side of the river get thrown at it as well.

The rumours about yet another casino, this time at the Lao side, I can't confirm yet. For more information you could ask the former interior minister who, for reasons not only known to him, lives abroad now. He might know some more details.

Limbo

Edited September 12, 2008 by Limbo

[sceadugenga]

I must have done this run half a dozen times, I don't start from the 'Rai either, but kick off from the other side of Mae Lao which would add another 40kms in all.

I suppose it would be more than 4 hours drive as we leave about 8am usually and have lunch at Chiang Saen after spending an hour at Chiang Khong.

Usually 2 or 3 hours at Mae Sai shopping then non-stop home. I'll certainly have a look at bypassing Thoeng as an option.

You have to realise that for people who have never been to Thailand before, what is dull and commonplace to us is totally new to them. Every small village, group of hillstribes people working, buffaloes or even three people on a motorcy is new and different to them.

One episode involving cries of amazement had me stopping the car looking for tigers or elephants and all it was was a girl on a motorbike with an umbrella up to keep the rain off.... I'd forgotten that normal people don't do that.

Edited September 12, 2008 by sceadugenga