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CHIANG RAI – Situated in the northern part of Thailand, Chiang Rai slips under the radar of tourists as the area is not as popular as its neighboring city Chiang Mai.

However, Chiang Rai actually offers one-of-a-kind attractions, varying from a majestic white temple to Akha tribe tradition, which cannot be found anywhere else.

Those wanting to know more about Chiang Rai may consult the list below:

Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)

Pha Mee village

Located in Mae Sai district, Pha Mee village is home to the Akha hill tribe. In the past, the village was known as an opium producer and conflict area. However, with the help from the late King Rama IX, Pha Mee has transformed into a peaceful village.

During Asean Travel Journo Camp – a nine-day trip organized by Thai Journalists Association and Thai AirAsia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Association of Southeast Asian Nations – The Jakarta Post discovered that the tribe recently developed a community-based tourism program, allowing tourists to catch a glimpse of their daily lives through various activities.

By contacting local guides such as Local Alike or go to the Pha Mee directly, tourists can expect to learn about Akha hill tribe tradition, the village history, sample the local Arabica coffee or hop on the village’s giant swing.

Singha Park

Singha is recognized as a Thai beer producer. However, in Singha Park, visitors would not see brewery or the likes, but instead a picturesque oolong tea plantation.

Meanwhile, tucked inside the park, the Phu Phi Lom restaurant is ready to satisfy your taste buds with Northern Thai delicacies.

By Jessicha Valentina
The Jakarta Post

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Chiang Rai is often compared to what Chiang Mai was like years ago before tourism boomed and saturated the local community. This Northeast Thailand gem sits within the heart of the Golden Triangle just a mere few hours from the borders of Laos and Myanmar and a scenic four hour bus ride through Doi Luang National Park from Chiang Mai.

Out of the way for most travelers, Chiang Rai has remained unspoiled by the robust influx of tourism. It boasts contemporary Asian urban flair with an artistic and hippie-esque ambiance while retaining Thai authenticity. I set down roots in Chiang Rai after backpacking around Southeast Asia for five months. You can get a taste of the small town expat life here and how the expats and locals have peacefully integrated, living side by side in harmony.

Before I moved to Chiang Rai, a spontaneous weekend visit while traveling was enough to make me fall in love with its quirky charm and creative vibes. What does a weekend in Chiang Rai look like? Sit back, close your eyes and take my hand. Let’s go on a Chiang Rai adventure.

First, we travel there on the back of an elephant…

Just kidding folks, I know riding elephants is a touchy subject; Chiang Rai has its own international airport if you’d rather fly. The popular option is to travel by bus from Chiang Mai. Purchase your ticket at the Green Bus counter in Arcade Bus Station. They have regular buses leaving throughout the day.

Transportation Tip: Renting a motorbike for the weekend allows the most freedom, but if you want to get around using local transportation, take the blue songthaews for 20-30 baht 50 cents- $1) per person.

WAKE UP. We’re in Chiang Rai! Let’s find a place to stay…

The bus station in Chiang Rai is located in the heart of the city center. You can find plenty of accommodation options at reasonable prices, whether you seek a dorm, guesthouse or hotel room. Here are my top recommendations:

Friends House Chook Dee: This is my ultimate hostel recommendation, conveniently located in the city center, just a 10 minute walk to the bus station. Chook Dee isn’t your typical Thailand hostel. The crew that runs the place have made it into a chill hangout where friends- whether local Thai regulars, expat regulars or backpackers gather to relax, drink and kick it. There are dorm and private rooms available.

Chian House: It’s tricky to find this teak wood Lanna style abode-turned-guesthouse, because it’s tucked away in a Thai neighborhood. There are soi dogs roaming the street, children playing, neighbors gossiping outside their homes and stores or they’re enjoying beers while watching football on TV. Chian has a quirky pack of guests- some are long term travelers, expats or weekenders. Nevertheless, everyone is family! They offer some tasty Thai and western fare enjoyed community style in the evening, a swimming pool and private rooms and bungalows.

I’m hungry, let’s eat

The dining options in Chiang Rai are diverse and delicious. Coconuts Bar may look like just a…well, bar…but you’d never guess that their curries are out of this world. The Panang curry is the best I’ve savored thus far, or any of the indian curries for that matter.

For both Thai and western dishes, especially brunch, Chivit Thamma Da is a MUST. Dress cute and bring your camera because the setting is like something out of a fairy tale. Sit outside the rustic, shabby chic style farmhouse along the tranquil Kok River and dig into their smoked salmon benedict on crispy potato pancakes. For dinner, get lost in the aromatic flavors of the North Thai pork curry and don’t forget to indulge in a creamy slice of homemade lemon cheesecake.

If you want some super tasty, cheap local Thai food then you need to visit this family run establishment. The khao man gai (chicken and rice) and tom yum soup are superb, all for around 40 baht ($2) a dish.

It’s Friday night, time to dance

Chiang Rai nightlife isn’t overrun by backpackers, elephant pants and face paint. On Jetyod Road, there is a string of bars with a mix of expats and locals. Peace House is a favorite for live music on Friday nights, where talented reggae band Croissant fills the air with the sweet sounds of Pink Floyd and Bob Marley. Peace House is as laid back as it gets, with a beautiful sitting garden for guests to enjoy drinks and socialize.

Let’s get out and explore

Chiang Rai is best known for the White Temple and Black House. Nationally recognized Thai artists showcase their eclectic architectural styles with earthbound renditions of heaven and hell.

If sightseeing isn’t your jam, nature reigns supreme on the city outskirts. Drive a motorbike into the mountains past rice paddies and trek through misty jungle to cleanse yourself in one of many gushing waterfalls. In Mae Salong the sprawling tea plantations offer breathtaking panoramic shots and just a couple of hours away, climb up into the heavens, where the village Phu Chi Fa sits far from the rest of the word. Wake early and witness a stunning sunrise from above the clouds.

Or, we can do some shopping

Saturday walking street in Chiang Rai isn’t a night market filled with cheap knock offs and Chang tank tops. The market is a weekend pastime enjoyed by the Thai community and visitors alike. City center streets are blocked off every Saturday evening and it seems like everyone in Chiang Rai is there. A Thai band plays traditional music (not 90s English covers) while Thais old and young enjoy dancing around the stage.

You’ll find one-of-a-kind arts and crafts for sale that you won’t see in other markets, and Chiang Rai is a thrifters paradise for trendy second hand clothing at cheap prices. I bought a dope pair of overalls for only 100 baht ($3)! The food vendors are plentiful, offering every Thai delicacy imaginable. Try the spicy som tum (papaya salad), North Thailand sausage and the small pancakes stuffed with tasty fillings such as Thai custard and fruit.

Courtney Lambert Travel writer and adventurer with the Huffington Post

Want to learn more about my travels through Southeast Asia? Visit her travel blog: A Great Perhaps

CHIANG RAI – It is the middle of winter in the Mekong region; however throughout December, floods have brought havoc to communities along the Mekong River. From the Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai province in Northern Thailand downward, the water level in the Mekong has risen rapidly. The flooding was most intense along the Thailand-Lao border from the Golden Triangle toward Khong Chiam, Ubonratchathani. It is unprecedented to experience such flooding in the Mekong during wintertime.

Flooding was particularly bad in Chiang Saen District, around “Sob Kok”, the delta plain in the Kok River where it meets the Mekong. In just one morning, the flooding damaged a large plantation owned by local villagers. Water from the Mekong River suddenly spilled over the banks causing levels of water tens of centimeters high to flood the area; corn, tobacco, bean and other vegetables vanished in the blink of an eye.

On December 19, The Vientiane Times reported that construction on the Xayaburi Dam was halted as The Mekong River rose, flooding the site. The Xayaburi Power Company – owner of the US$3.5 billion hydropower project – announced that “work on the dam’s spillway had to stop when water flowed over the temporary barriers and lower parts of the area were submerged.”

It was later reported that by the morning of December 20, the flooding had reached the Chiang Khan District, Loei. In the midst of the chilled winter morning, a grandmother, her nieces and nephews and local villagers in Ban Pha Baen were all stunned to see their plantations of green onion swept away, and they could do nothing to stop it.

Villagers in Tambon Hor Kham, Bueng Kan Province, also found that the Mekong’s water level rose greatly. They were dismayed to see their vegetable plantations vanish right before their eyes including, lettuce, morning glory, green onion, tomato, etc. Some villagers made an attempt to harvest the remaining produce; uprooting tomato shoots from one place to another as vegetables were swept away by the current.

According to Jintana Kesornsombat, a villager from Tambon Hor Kham, Bueng Kan, apart from the produce that was washed away, their fishing gear and boats which were tied up on the river banks were also damaged, as no one had expected such a flood to happen. “The floating water pumps belonging to villages and Tambon Administration Organizations were swept away in the Mekong as a result of the sudden high tide. The fishing boats suffered the same fate. The owners had to go out and look for their boats; otherwise they have to spend money to build new ones.”

Jintana also said that during the couple of days of high tide, the villagers were unable to go out to catch fish and so had lost their source of income. “Villagers of most of the villages along the Mekong could not go out to fish. But since it has happened, we do not know who to complain to.”

The unprecedented flooding has left many wondering if the rising water levels are a result of heavy rainfall released by the dams upstream in China?

During the winter, the water normally gets lower and becomes quite clear and clean. For hundreds of years, during this time of year, local villagers would grow vegetables on the banks of the Mekong River that are then teeming with rich sediments. Therefore it took them by surprise that such destructive floods would happen during this time of year.

Nevertheless, this is not the first time that floods have left a path of destruction in the Mekong. In August 2008, massive floods caused the inundation of houses along the river in Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai, even though there was no downpour in the local area. Many were convinced that as a result of heavy rains in the North and in China, the dams upstream reached their full capacity and had to discharge water. Still, no warnings had been made to notify the villagers downstream.

After the flooding in 2008, the Chiang Khong Conservation Group followed up with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) who replied that “a warning was already posted” on their website. This time, according to the MRC website, the water level in Chiang Saen increased by seven meters on 17 December. Two days later, the water level had risen by another two meters.

According to the Mekong River Commission’s preliminary analysis, the severe flooding which hit the Mekong River in December was due to unusually high rainfall in northern Lao PDR, northeastern Myanmar and southern Yunnan province in China. A statement on the MRC website, says that “there is no evidence at this time to suggest that the sudden peak was caused by release from dams in China.”

However such unprecedented flooding has lead to many questions about the management of dams along the Mekong, as well as the need for better warning systems in place for communities downstream. A pertinent question is how can communication among the six countries that share the Mekong River, regarding the management of the dams, be improved? When will this much-needed communication system be set up?

Five out of a series of eight dams have already been completed in the upper reach of the Mekong River in Yunnan, China. In addition, there are eleven more dams being planned in the lower reach of the river, the first of which will be the Xayaburi Dam in, Lao PDR. Currently under construction, 95% of power generated by the Xayaburi Dam will be sold to Thailand. The second dam project “Don Sahong” in Siphandone, Southern Lao, has been announced and preparations are being made prior to the start of the construction.

The flooding water has made the small, marginalized people tearful, including those growing vegetable, cotton, the fishers and those growing rice along the Mekong. But who shall be held accountable for their agonies?

It is about time that a mechanism is developed to harness collaboration of people in the Mekong Basin based on the interest of local people.

The Precautionary Principle must be observed by the four member countries of MRC – Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and VietNam – and an earnest effort must be made to demand responsibility from the watershed country, namely, China.

Data concerning the water level in the Mekong, precipitation and the amount of water stored in the five dams in China should be publicized along with other related metrological data, which may affect the downstream area. It is time that this information is made transparent and accessible to the public, in order to provide checks and balances and accountability to ensure that warnings be made prior to such disasters taking place.

The Mekong flood has come and gone but how will the damages be remedied? Precautionary measures have since been taken. But the Mekong flood has come time and again causing massive damage and still no permanent warning system does not exist, nor have the damages been adequately addressed.