Winter in Chiang Rai continues to attract tourists

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Winter in Chiang Rai continues to attract tourists

CHIANG RAI, 9 Dec 2014, (NNT) - Cold weather conditions have continued to attract tourists to the field of flowers in Petchaboon and the sea of fog in Chiang Rai’s famous Mae Fah Luang District.

The average temperature in Chiang Rai has currently dropped to 15 degrees Celsius in the morning, triggering sea of fog on hillsides of Phucheefah, and Phuphatang, as well as at the 12th kilometer mark of Mae Fah Luang District, a popular sightseeing spot in Chiang Rai.

Meanwhile, in Petchaboon, the province has been holding a campaign promoting its famous tourist attraction-- a large garden in BN Farm in Khaokor(เขาค้อ) District-- where a sea of fog can be seen all year long. The venue has been selected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as one of the 12 not-to-be-missed tourism spots in Thailand.

The campaign offers fine foods and quality agriculture products. It also features a pavilion exhibiting the history of Khaokor and other Petchaboon’s tourist attractions.


-- NNT 2014-12-09

[Cpkt8]

More pictures to share?

[DonaldBattles]

Chiang Rai is one of he most beautiful provinces in Thailand. Unfortunately the government spends it's time promoting Chiang Mai. Chaing Mai has become flooded with girly bars and junk stores. The Chinese see to like it. With a million people down in one hole in Chiang Mai my desire to go there is about nil. I do like fishing for the big ones in Bo Saeng.

[robertthebruce]

Chiang Rai is one of he most beautiful provinces in Thailand. Unfortunately the government spends it's time promoting Chiang Mai. Chaing Mai has become flooded with girly bars and junk stores. The Chinese see to like it. With a million people down in one hole in Chiang Mai my desire to go there is about nil. I do like fishing for the big ones in Bo Saeng.

Yep, have to agree ''Chiang Rai'' is Beautiful....

[laocowboy2]

Went there between Xmas and New Year (avoiding the two days) a couple of year ago. Excellent time to visit. Stayed at Le Meridien Reasort - very pleasant (although few other guests). Hired a car and explored the area. Need coats and sweaters at night though if you are thinking of going.

[BV70]

Chiang Rai is one of he most beautiful provinces in Thailand. Unfortunately the government spends it's time promoting Chiang Mai. Chaing Mai has become flooded with girly bars and junk stores. The Chinese see to like it. With a million people down in one hole in Chiang Mai my desire to go there is about nil. I do like fishing for the big ones in Bo Saeng.

Let's keep it a secret eh? You just know it will only head the way of the more popular provinces should it receive too much attention from TAT.

[kalbo123]

Was a few days ago in Chiang Rai, the place is empty, restaurants and bar owner complaining a lot!

Chiang Rai is not much and by the looks of it will never will be.

I don't say I don't like it, but as far as attracting tourists in large groups, they have a very long way to go.

Edited December 9, 2014 by kalbo123

[pomchop]

"Chiang Rai is not much and by the looks of it will never will be."

As they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Personally I find Chiang Rai province/town to be one of the most beautiful and most Thai in all Thailand.

The beauty of Chiang Rai is rarely found in bars but in the slow pace and natural beauty of a rural landscape packed with mountains, rivers, lakes, trails, coffee and tea plantations, rice paddies, and the like.

I have long thought that other than a few directly involved in tourism that the average CR local would not care and barely notice if not another single farang tourist ever showed up....they seem to have their own lives and go about their business as they have been doing for hundreds of years.....the concept of "farang walking ATM's" has yet to become a major factor to the vast majority of CR locals....and I can only hope it will not change anytime soon.

[drjmagic]

I am going to C.R this weekend. Any thoughts on what would be included on a "must see and do" list?

Either post here or message me

thanks

Pete

[DonaldBattles]

To my knowledge the farang population (info from immigration) of all of Chiang Rai Province remains about 700. This excludes temporary people such as teachers and missionaries who are here for a short time.

The very small skid row in town where the bars are covers about 2 blocks. Most locals go to the Hangover Bar owned by Steve which is managed well without solicitors.

For the people who spend all of their time in girly bars, Chiang Mai is now the Pattaya North and should be enough for you. Not much here and I don't expect it to change.

The population of middle and upper income Thais moving here do not create a problem as they are mostly dispersed in the country side. They are moving here for the quality of life like I did.

Recent information from Laos indicates that the Chinese have scaled way back the number of people that will be working in the special economic zone to about 300,000 (across from the Golden Triangle). This treat to tranquility is now manageable by the locals.

[canuckamuck]

Was a few days ago in Chiang Rai, the place is empty, restaurants and bar owner complaining a lot!

Chiang Rai is not much and by the looks of it will never will be.

I don't say I don't like it, but as far as attracting tourists in large groups, they have a very long way to go.

I am very pleased to read your post. Please continue to spread the word. Very few places in Thailand like Chiang Rai, and hopefully it can hang on a little longer before it becomes cheesy and corrupted like all the popular places.

[villagefarang]

I am going to C.R this weekend. Any thoughts on what would be included on a "must see and do" list?

Either post here or message me

thanks

Pete

Try this link from this forum. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/652206-top-50-must-sees-in-chiang-rai-province/

[villagefarang]

I don’t see Chiang Rai as a secret or undiscovered destination. It is very popular with Thais wanting a brief winter escape from city living. When the temperature drops you definitely see a lot of Bangkok plates and an increase in traffic.

We do lack tourist infrastructure in the form of transportation, accommodation, restaurants, shopping and other tourist oriented activities. Chiang Mai is the northern hub and Chiang Rai, Pai, Nan and other places are side trips for the average tourist. There are also the tourists who simply pass through Chiang Rai on their way to Laos via the Mekong River.

For now we are still a bit of a niche market but that will no doubt continue to change with time.

Edited December 10, 2014 by villagefarang

[pomchop]

I dont see Chiang Rai as a secret or undiscovered destination. It is very popular with Thais wanting a brief winter escape from city living. When the temperature drops you definitely see a lot of Bangkok plates and an increase in traffic.

We do lack tourist infrastructure in the form of transportation, accommodation, restaurants, shopping and other tourist oriented activities. Chiang Mai is the northern hub and Chiang Rai, Pai, Nan and other places are side trips for the average tourist. There are also the tourists who simply pass through Chiang Rai on their way to Laos via the Mekong River.

For now we are still a bit of a niche market but that will no doubt continue to change with time.

Actually I think CR has a good transport infrastructure to include taxis who will actually use the meter, songtaeows going all over the place, tuk tuks galore, songlors still peddled by guys that appear to be about 100 y.o.... or rent your own bike or motorbike etc....in addition we have two bus stations with buses and vans headed just about anywhere one could want to go and a great airport to connect you via Bangkok to the world.

Accommodation wise I think CR also does quite well for it's size with a decent selection of hotels/guest houses ranging from deluxe to backpacker...as for restaurants for me again there is a plenty big selection that should satisy most any palate and budget.

Tourist oriented activities I guess depends on how it is defined but we have the boat ride down from Tha Ton, the white temple, the black temple and ten zillion other temples...we have mae sai for semi exotic shopping/visa runs etc. We have the golden triangle, the opium museum and more....we have Chiang Khong and the boats from there headed to Laos. We have uncounted possible treks through hill tribe villages, or motorbike or bike adventures on incredible trails. We have both a Saturday and Sunday night walking street as well as a nightly food court/market that attracts more locals than tourists which makes it an even better tourist attraction. We have a nightly tourist "clock show" that most seem to enjoy. We have the annual flower festival that attracts thousands as well as numerous other festivals all over the province. We have elephant rides and ATV and ziplines. We have dozens of massage spots for bargain massages as well as a few upscale spas. Manicures and pedicures etc are dirt cheap and readily available.

As for shopping.....I'm not a big shopper but as a casual observer it does seem that our night markets have a decent selection of tourist junk that is a bit different from many thai markets I've seen. Add in Central Mall for a more common department store type of stuff.

Of course I recognize that CR is not a pattaya, or Bangkok, or Phuket in terms of tourist attractions and for that I am thankful. We don't have and probably won't ever have all the farang style naughty bars etc but hopefully we also won't have a lot of the problems that can come with that.

Anyway...my two satang worth is that any tourist that is looking for something interesting to do other than sit on a barstool should have plenty in/around CR to keep them busy...and even those who want the bar stool can find a place that will welcome them.

[maidee]

its ok, almost time to smoke them out and avoid the place like pest, if you like your health

[drjmagic]

Hi Again,

Thanks to everyone for the great info and the link to the past forum which looked at a similar theme.

I should have been a bit more specific, though.

I will only have 2 days - this Saturday and Sunday - to look around and my main source of transportation will be a rented scooter. Therefore I will be limited to about 50 km radius. Lots of ideas were much further afield.

With that in mind, could I get a few suggestions for the top 8 - 10 must see/do things in and around Chiang Rai. Is there a visitors info center in town where I can get a map and directions?

Also, any suggestions on where to rent scooters for a day or 2? How much should I expect to pay?

Thanks

Pete

[aTomsLife]

To my knowledge the farang population (info from immigration) of all of Chiang Rai Province remains about 700. This excludes temporary people such as teachers and missionaries who are here for a short time.

The very small skid row in town where the bars are covers about 2 blocks. Most locals go to the Hangover Bar owned by Steve which is managed well without solicitors.

For the people who spend all of their time in girly bars, Chiang Mai is now the Pattaya North and should be enough for you. Not much here and I don't expect it to change.

The population of middle and upper income Thais moving here do not create a problem as they are mostly dispersed in the country side. They are moving here for the quality of life like I did.

Recent information from Laos indicates that the Chinese have scaled way back the number of people that will be working in the special economic zone to about 300,000 (across from the Golden Triangle). This treat to tranquility is now manageable by the locals.

"For the people who spend all of their time in girly bars, Chiang Mai is now the Pattaya North and should be enough for you."

This is not true. There is one stretch of block--Loi Kroh--which has girly bars catering to farang. And believe me, they are nothing special. If anything the area is dying. Point being, no one in his right mind would come to Chiang Mai seeking a lifestyle comparable to that on offer in Pattaya.

As for any other places in existence, catering to Thais, I assure you the same types of establishments exist in Chiang Rai, as well as the rest of Thailand.

Chiang Mai has become crowded and noisy, and the air quality leaves a lot to be desired. But sleazy it is not.

[OneZero]

Hi Again, Thanks to everyone for the great info and the link to the past forum which looked at a similar theme. I should have been a bit more specific, though. I will only have 2 days - this Saturday and Sunday - to look around and my main source of transportation will be a rented scooter. Therefore I will be limited to about 50 km radius. Lots of ideas were much further afield. With that in mind, could I get a few suggestions for the top 8 - 10 must see/do things in and around Chiang Rai. Is there a visitors info center in town where I can get a map and directions? Also, any suggestions on where to rent scooters for a day or 2? How much should I expect to pay? Thanks Pete

There is (or at there was for the last 2 years) a free CR city sponsored guided tour of a half dozen historical site within the city (highlight a few temples). A small bus leaves every few hrs, I think, from the Mengrai Statue. I think it takes about an hour. Chiang Rai folks can point you to that statue. If you do that early on day one you can then devote the rest of your time to other things.

[ChiangraiTony]

Chiang Rai and its surrounding areas are much like a hidden gem if you're looking for a laid back relaxing place. If you know your way around and have your own vehicle there is much to experience. I originally wanted my own place there but at that time they only had one condo (contel) and the building was older. It wasn't until fairly recent that they have begun building new condo's. I might add, it looks like the new condo's that have already been built in Chiang Rai are listed higher than the prices in Chiang Mai.

Once building construction of condo's and the like begins, more people will more there. There has been a lot of new construction over the past three years along the Maekok River in Chiang Rai. What was once a gourgious view of quiet and of nature has begun to change. That's okay... I still have my favorite late night resturant and an old style Karaoke Den just around the corner Soi. I love Chiang Rai, mainly because I am able to experience similarities to what Chaing Mai was like many years ago before the growth explosion.