The Emerald Triangle

[lampard10]

Now here's a poser for you. The obvious answer that will come out is T.I.T. but lets try it.

I was doing a trip around the National Parks of Ubon & Sisaket last week with an American Doctor and his three teenage daughters, and I promised to take my charges to see Chong Bok & The Emerald Triangle. Now this elusive destination is on Maps, Signposted from near and afar and even when you travel along the road in the vicinity a huge arrow proclaims 'The Emerald Triangle'

Alas from there you are on your own. No signs. No nothing. Only a fresh cut dirt road with road surfacing equipment strewn along it as if it had fallen out of the sky. Every now and again we came across a gang of workmen, building bridges, digging holes, and even in one case rolling a stretch of freshly churned mud. We asked almost everybody we came upon where the phantom Chong Bok was and were greeted with a various string of replies; Don't know. No such place. Just round the corner. About 10 km's. About 20 kms.Never heard of it.Where?After about 20 km we turned back, disappointment etched on our faces.

I googled Chong Bok, and there is such a place, and evidently they're building a golf course there with holes in all of the three countries it's in. Why was it hardly any of the workmen knew just where they were building this road to?Or even how far they had got? Don't bosses tell these people just where they are going? And what happened to the original road? HELP. I promised my American friend and his brood I would get to the bottom of this mystery. CAN ANYONE TELL ME.

[Gazza]

I tried getting to the ET by bike a few years ago. Figured I'd see the place before any proposed projects got under way.

I remember stopping at an army checkpoint at the mouth of a dirt road and being told that I couldn't go along that way due to political tensions with the Camboes. I think it was after the 'Phra Vihan belongs to us, no it doesn't' fiasco.

Meant to try again a few months ago after doing a visa run at Chong Chom(?) but decided against it due to the hot weather.

I read somewhere that said that you would need to have GPS co-ordinates to know where the 3 countries actually meet. Apparently there supposedly wasn't anything there to see anyway but forest, regardless of the exact location.

[bkkharry]

I remember reading that there are still a lot of land mines in that area. With all the supposed landmines can not really understand why they would want to build a golf course there. Then again TIT