Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum, but will be visiting Chiang Rai for the first time in January. We have booked to stay at the Golden Triangle Inn for a few days.

Does anyone know of any rafting trips that are availabe from Chiang Rai? I have read about a two or three day rafting trips that can be made from Tha Ton to Chang Rai, where you can stop at villages along the banks of the Mae Kok. This sounds like a really good trip, but we are flying direct into Chiang Rai with Air Asia, and I have not heard about any trips going in the opposite direction. I guess this is because it is against the flow of the river.

Does anyone know of any rafting trips that we could do from Chiang Rai? Or whether it would be worth going to Tha Ton from Chaing Rai just to do the rafting trip back again?

Many thanks in advance for any advice you might have.

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum, but will be visiting Chiang Rai for the first time in January. We have booked to stay at the Golden Triangle Inn for a few days.

Does anyone know of any rafting trips that are availabe from Chiang Rai? I have read about a two or three day rafting trips that can be made from Tha Ton to Chang Rai, where you can stop at villages along the banks of the Mae Kok. This sounds like a really good trip, but we are flying direct into Chiang Rai with Air Asia, and I have not heard about any trips going in the opposite direction. I guess this is because it is against the flow of the river.

Does anyone know of any rafting trips that we could do from Chiang Rai? Or whether it would be worth going to Tha Ton from Chaing Rai just to do the rafting trip back again?

Many thanks in advance for any advice you might have.

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Hi camille

I will be up there at the end of the week for about 6 weeks so i will try and check it out for you.

I might pm you on lonely planet or leave a message here.

Good Luck

Why not take the long tail boat from Chiang Rai to Thaton, and the bamboo raft back to Chiang Rai? Sorry, don't have any details- haven't done the trip in 20 years...

Hi camille

I will be up there at the end of the week for about 6 weeks so i will try and check it out for you.

I might pm you on lonely planet or leave a message here.

Good Luck

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Thanks very much, that would be appreciated! Have a great time in Thailand.

Thanks for the advice - I hadn't thought of that, it definitely sounds like an option.

Camille

Hi cammille

Looks like that is a no go so i think if you are that keen then go with the bus trip otherwise if you get the longtail up your looking at the sam scenery twice.

The good news is that the weather is nice and cool and the food is great so have a great trip

Thanks very much for checking it out Oysters - think we will decide what to do when we get there, but will consider taking the longtail boat or bus. By the way, do you know off hand roughly how long the bus takes to Thaton?

Thaton is less than 2 hours away by car, but I don't know how often buses run. The longtail boat ride up can be lengthy, up to 7 hours! Sitting on a hard, low wood bench.

At the elephant camp (see photo gallery entry I just put up yesterday) rafting can be arranged, I'm pretty sure. Have seen Farang floating around out there... but if what you want is a stay-over in a hilltribe village, you should contact a local guide.

The rafts I've seen Farang on are not the bamboo thing in my pics - that was for transporting the bamboo for construction purposes.

Bamboo rafting you need to stand up for most of the time directing the boat. When it hits rocks, hit could destroy the boat.

The more comfortable sort of rafting is in a prober made boat. Basicly it reminds a lot about an emergency boat. Safety is well incorporated in the western culture. The same is not true for the thai culture. Be sure safety helmets and wests are provided.

From Jetyod road and to the bus station (of chiang rai city) are lots of places that offers trekking etc. How many of them offers rafting I dont know.