Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 762

box, p.769). he river makes a popular
backpackers' trail, not least because of the
laidback waterfront guesthouses in towns
such as Nong Khai . Inland scenery is
rewarding too, with good hiking trails at
Khao Yai National Park .

THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Opium growing has been illegal in Thailand
since 1959, but during the 1960s and 70s,
rampant production and refining of the
crop in the lawless region on the borders of
Thailand, Myanmar and Laos earned the
area the nickname “the Golden Triangle ”.
Two “armies” operated most of the trade
within this area: the Shan United Army from
Myanmar, led by the notorious warlord
Khun Sa, and the Kuomintang (KMT )
refugees from communist China. The Thai
government's concerted attempt to
eliminate opium growing within its borders
has been successful, but Thailand still has a
vital role to play as a conduit for heroin;
most of the production and refinement of
opium has simply moved over the borders
into Myanmar and Laos. More worryingly
for the Thai authorities, factories just across
the Burmese border are now also
producing vast quantities of methampheta-
mines, either ya baa or “ice” (crystal meth),
destined for consumption in Thailand itself.

10

KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK
Only 120km northeast of Bangkok, Khao
Ya i is hailand's most popular national
park. It offers a realistic chance of seeing
wild elephants, white-handed (lar) gibbons,
pig-tailed macaques, hornbills, civets and
barking deer, plus the very slim possibility
of sighting a tiger. he park has lots of
waterfalls and several undemanding
walking trails. he best way to see Khao Yai
is to stay in the park, or in the nearby town
of Pak Chong . You have the choice of
exploring the trails yourself or joining a
backpackers' tour; bring warm clothes as it
gets cool at night.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
You're most likely to spot the animals if
you join a tour with an expert guide, but
if you're short on time or money you can
always take your chances and follow the
trails. Several trails radiate from the area
around the park's visitor centre and
headquarters (at kilometre stone 37), and
a few more branch off from the roads that
cross the park. he most popular include
the paths to Nong Pak Chee observation
tower (4.5km one-way; 2hr 30min); and
to Haew Suwat Falls (8.3km one-way;
3-4hr), which featured in the 1999 film,
he Beach . Brochures with maps are
available at the visitor centre.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
There are two access roads to the park - one from the
south and another from the north - with checkpoints on
both. Everyone travelling by public transport approaches
the park from Pak Chong, about 25km north of the
northern entrance, and around 4hr from Bangkok by train,
2-3hr by bus or a/c minibus.
By songthaew Public songthaews leave from outside
the 7-Eleven shop in Pak Chong, 200m west of the
footbridge on the north side of the main road near Soi 21
(Mon-Sat every 30min 6.30am-4pm, less frequently on
Sun; 30-45min; B40). Songthaews cannot enter the park
itself, so you'll be dropped at the park checkpoint, about

showers. They offer local tours and rent out motorbikes
(B200/day). Double B300

The northeast:
Isaan
Bordered by Laos and Cambodia on three
sides, the tableland of northeast hailand,
known as Isaan , is the least-visited region
of the kingdom and the poorest, but also
its most traditional. Most northeasterners
speak a dialect that's more comprehensible
to residents of Vientiane than Bangkok,
and Isaan's historic allegiances have tied it
more closely to Laos and Cambodia than
to hailand. Between the eleventh and
thirteenth centuries, the all-powerful
Khmers covered the northeast in
magnificent stone temple complexes,
which can still be admired at Phimai and
Phanom Rung . he mighty Mekong River
forms 750km of the border between Isaan
and Laos, and there are four main points
along it where foreigners can cross the
border (there's also a little-used border
crossing into Cambodia from Isaan; see