About
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand, a mountainous region where the country's northern edge meets the borders of Myanmar and Laos. It is a place to visit for its hills, its landscapes and its sense of distance from the busier south.
The landscape and the people
The province is shaped by its mountainous terrain, and much of the countryside rises into forested hills. Among these hills live several hill tribe communities, whose villages and ways of life give the region much of its character. Visitors who want to understand the area better often find that the hill tribes are as central to a trip here as the scenery itself.
Tea plantations are another feature of the landscape. Their neat rows on the slopes make a calm contrast to the wilder ridges around them, and they are a pleasant thing to see while travelling between towns.
The Golden Triangle
Chiang Rai is known for the Golden Triangle, the border region where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos come together along the Mekong River. The area draws visitors interested in its geography and its history as a meeting point of three countries, and the views over the river are a highlight for many who make the trip.
Planning a visit
- Allow time for the hills, since the mountain roads take longer than the distances on a map suggest.
- Combine a trip to the Golden Triangle with time in the surrounding countryside and tea areas.
- Consider a visit to a hill tribe village, approached with respect for the people who live there.
Chiang Rai suits travellers who want quieter northern Thailand, with mountain air, rural scenery and a border setting unlike anywhere else in the country.
