Chiangrai - Wat Phra That Chedhi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang, is located next to the National Museum, was once Chiang Saen’s main temple. There’s no exact date for the temple’s founding, but most agree it must have been between the twelfth and fourteenth century.

The large chedi (pagoda) which gives the temple its name is 18 meters (60 feet) tall. The octagonal shape is considered typical of the Chiang Saen style. Next to the chedi is the ruins of a large wiharn (prayer hall).  Constructed in 1290 by King Saen Phu, the 3rd ruler of the Lanna kingdom, it is the tallest religious Lanna monument in Chiang Rai. In addition, there are also remains of ancient vihans and chedis

Chiangrai - Ban Sop Ruak - Golden Triangle

Ban Sop Ruak, a village in the heart of the Golden Triangle, was once the domain of the opium warlord Khun Sa. Thai and Burmese troops hounded him out in 1996 and he spent the remaining years until his death in 2007 under house arrest in Yangon, where he lived comfortably in the company of a personal seraglio of four young Shan women. His picaresque reputation still draws those eager to see evidence of the man who once held the region under his thumb.

Bangkok - AJ Thiam