Asia – Pamela's visit to the "golden triangle", the natural border between Thailand, Myanmar and Laos

The golden triangle

I arrived in Chiang Rai , a town that grew up on the south bank of the Kok River. Although for some years it has been relaunching itself as a tourist center, it continues to live in the shadow of Chiang Mai. During the day the city is quiet, but in the evening, when tourists return from their excursions, the neon lights come on and the shops and restaurants crowd. I move north of Chiang Rai until I reach the village of Mae Sai , on the Burmese border. Tourists usually come here for shopping, for the miles of tacky souvenir stalls. The northernmost inhabited center of Thailand offers nothing else, however it exerts a remarkable charm due to its position on the border with Myanmar. But today is the day of the golden triangle , a place that has become mythical! Click here now to discover our accessible trip to the Golden Triangle in Thailand! Here the Mekong River and the town of Sop Ruak meet creating a natural border between three countries : Thailand, Myanmar and Laos . It is a panoramic point from where you can see the Mekong, the long and important river in all of Southeast Asia. The Golden Triangle not only represents a border, a river and three nations, but takes its name from the world's opium production of the latter which formed a strategic location for trade between smugglers. Therefore, a visit to the "opium museum" is a must to learn how famous this area became for the cultivation and marketing of this drug, in the sixties and seventies, which appeared to be illegal in Thailand. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY : ramps for the panorama of the golden triangle and for the opium museum. Now I have to escape, a flight awaits me …