Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 761

five thousand years. For uninterrupted
views of the meeting of the rivers and of
Myanmar and Laos beyond, climb up to
Wat Phra That Phu Khao , a 1200-year-old
temple perched on a small hill above
the village.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
To get to Sop Ruak you'll have to go via Chiang Saen or
Mae Sai first. From Chiang Saen, you have a choice of
regular blue songthaew or rented bicycle (an easy 10km
ride on a paved road). From Mae Sai, blue songthaews
make the 45min trip from Th Phaholyothin, about 300m
south of the bridge.

features rescued from the ruins.
Originally the town's main temple, Wat
Phra That Chedi Luang next door is worth
looking in on for its imposing, overgrown
octagonal chedi, said to contain a relic of
the Buddha's breastbone. Outside the
town's ramparts just to the northwest,
Wat Pa Sak (daily 8am-5pm; B50) is the
most impressive of Chiang Saen's many
temple ruins. Enshrining relics of the
Buddha's right ankle, the central,
square-based chedi owes its eclectic shape
largely to the grand temples of Pagan in
Myanmar and displays some beautiful
carved stucco decoration.

10

CHIANG SAEN
Combining the tumbledown ruins of an
ancient trading post with sweeping
Mekong River scenery, CHIANG SAEN ,
60km northeast of Chiang Rai, makes a
relaxing base camp for the border region
east of Mae Sai. Armed with a Chinese
visa, it should also be possible to move on
from here to Jing Hong, by either cargo
boat or irregular passenger boat - ask at
Gin's Guesthouse (see below).

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Buses from Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai and songthaews
from Sop Ruak and Mae Sai stop just west of the T-junction
of the main Th Phaholyothin and the river road.
Songthaews from Chiang Khong stop on the river road to
the south of the T-junction.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
At night, street stalls specializing in suki (Thai hot pot) set
up on the illuminated riverfront north of the T-junction.
Throughout the day, and in the evenings, a range of street
stalls set up on Th Phaholyothin.
Gin's On the riverside road to Sop Ruak, 2km north of the
T-junction T 053 650847. Chiang Saen's best budget
option by far, an attractive, helpful guesthouse, which also
serves good food. Choose between A-frame bungalows in
a lychee orchard and spacious rooms with polished wood
floors in the main house, all en suite, most with hot

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
he informative National Museum on the
main east-west street, hanon
Phaholyothin (Wed-Sun 9am-4pm;
B100), houses some impressive, locally
cast Buddha images and architectural

INTO LAOS AT CHIANG KHONG
Chiang Khong , 70km downriver from Chiang Saen, is the only crossing point into Laos in this
part of Thailand. The journey from Chiang Saen is convoluted and time-consuming: green
songthaews run when they're full and you usually have to change to a red songthaew halfway
at the village of Ban Hat Bai. The journey can take up to four hours. Regular buses run to
Chiang Khong from Chiang Rai (every 20min; 2-3hr), and there are direct a/c minibuses from
Chiang Mai, available through travel agents, or from the bus station. Chiang Khong's best
guesthouse is the helpful, easy-going Ban Tam-Mi-La , down a riverside lane off the main street
1km north of the bus station ( T 053 791234, W baantammila.com; B400; farm homestays also
available). It has an excellent restaurant (daily 7am-7pm) with awesome views across into Laos.
Tourists cross the border via the new Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, 8km downstream from
Chiang Khong (daily 6am-10pm), where thirty-day visas for Laos (see p.345) are available on
arrival. From the Lao town opposite Chiang Khong, Houayxai (see p.385), you can get passenger
boats down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, and buses to elsewhere in northern Laos.
From Chiang Khong, catch a tuk-tuk to the bridge (B150-200; Ban Tam-Mi-La are currently
offering free lifts once a day to guests, at 8.30am). Then there are shuttle buses across the
bridge (B25/person), and songthaews on the Lao side to the piers for Luang Prabang boats
(B60-100/person).