On the third day of my Chiang Rai trip, I woke up early to experience the pure air on Doi Pha Hee. I started at 7 am and then washed my face, brushed my teeth, and had breakfast at the homestay. The menu was boiled rice with pork and egg (but it was a fried egg, not a boiled egg like I used to see, it was strange but very delicious). They also served coffee or hot tea. I sat and enjoyed my meal with a view of the mountain top, watching the sunrise and the gentle sun… It was a delightful morning from the start.
.
.
After satisfying my hunger and enjoying the morning atmosphere, I packed my belongings, checked out, and bid farewell to Doi Pha Hee before embarking on my journey to explore Chiang Rai. I spent two days hiking through the mountains and sleeping in the fresh air of the highlands. Today, I was heading to the important places of Chiang Rai on the plains. My first destination of the day is Mae Sai district, the northernmost district of Thailand. To get there, I took the route from Doi Pha Hee towards Pha Mee, then rode along the road parallel to the Thai-Myanmar border, passing through two or three checkpoints. After about an hour, I arrived in Mae Sai. The route from Doi Pha Hee to Mae Sai is downhill, but I still rode with caution and followed the speed limit indicated by the signs for the safest journey.
I arrived in Mae Sai around 10AM, and my first destination was to admire the view of Mae Sai town and the Thai-Myanmar border at the Wat Phra That Doi Wao temple. This temple is located near the border crossing and sits atop a hill. Visitors can either climb the stairs or drive up to the temple’s pagoda. From the top of the pagoda, I could see a panoramic view of Mae Sai town and even catch a glimpse of the iron bridge on the Myanmar side of the Ruak River.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After visiting Doi Wao Pagoda, I descended to explore Mae Sai Market, an important border trade market of Thailand (unfortunately, during this time of COVID outbreak, crossing the border to shop in neighboring countries is not possible…let’s hope COVID disappears soon so we can do that comfortably again…:-) ). I spent some time wandering around the market, looking for something to eat until noon, then headed to another famous tourist attraction that had made headlines around the world: “Tham Luang Cave“. I followed the Phaholyothin Road towards Chiang Rai (of course, we had to head towards Chiang Rai because I couldn’t ride any further as it is the limit of the border… 😛 ) and after a short 20-minute ride, I arrived at the cave. The history of this place probably doesn’t need much introduction because a local youth football team from Chiang Rai called “Wild Boars Academy” once had an accident and got trapped in this cave for more than 18 days. The team was eventually rescued after a global search effort, but unfortunately, one of the heroic rescuers, Lt. Cmdr. Saman Kunan, lost his life in the process. To commemorate his sacrifice, his statue, also known as “Ja Sam,” was erected in front of the cave entrance, serving as a tribute to this beautiful act of heroism.
.
.
.
.
.
The Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non area features a museum showcasing images and the rescue process of the global-level Tham Luang cave rescue. I spent about half an hour exploring the cave and museum before bidding farewell and heading to my next destination, the “Golden Triangle” in Chiang Saen District. I took Highway 123 and then turned right onto Highway 1290, where there were signs indicating the way and I did not get lost. The total distance was about 35 kilometers, and the entire journey took approximately one hour.
I arrived at the Golden Triangle around 2.30PM. and dropped off my luggage at the hotel I had booked, “Buakham Rim Khong“. Then I took a moment to relax and recover from the long two-wheeled ride to get here. In the late afternoon, I went out to explore the Golden Triangle, which is the ultimate viewpoint in Thailand that connects three countries: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. The only thing separating them is the Mekong River. From this point, you can see the territory of all three countries. If you come to Chiang Saen and don’t visit the Golden Triangle, you might as well not have come to Chiang Saen at all. The Golden Triangle is only 10 kilometers away from Chiang Saen itself. Today, I wanted to enjoy the view of the Golden Triangle first and then go on to see the view of Chiang Saen later (if there is no COVID and the border checkpoints are open, I can take a boat to visit the Laotian side of the city of Huay Xai).
.
.
.
หลังจากนั้นสักช่วงเย็นๆ เราก็ย้ายจากสามเหลี่ยมทองคำ ขับสองล้อคู่ใจเลียบริมฝั่งโขงไปชมวิวที่ตัวอำเภอเชียงแสนยามเย็นกัน โดยตัวอำเภออยู่ติดแม่น้ำโขงมองไปเห็นฝั่งลาวยาวตลอดแนว ช่วงเย็นๆ มีร้านอาหารมาตั้งขายริมแม่น้ำและผู้ออกมาเดินเล่นพักผ่อนกันหนาตา บรรยากาศก็ชิลล์ๆ เหมาะแก่การรีแล็กซ์เป็นที่สุด
.
.
After that, in the evening, I moved from the Golden Triangle and rode my two-wheeled vehicle along the Mekong River to enjoy the view of Chiang Saen District. The district is located adjacent to the Mekong River and overlooks the long stretch of Laos. During the evening, there were food stalls and restaurants set up along the riverbank, and people came out to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. It was the perfect place to unwind and relax.
As dusk approached, I rode back to the hotel to rest after a long day of travel. It was quite a journey, starting from the descent from the mountain to the border town, then to the cave, and finally ending the day walking along the riverbank that borders three countries. It made me feel that the freedom of life is not hard to find, as long as our hearts are open to it. Happiness from freedom is ready to embrace us at any moment…smiling at every moment of life.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Written by : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH
Shipy-Ship 