Chiang Rai Day Trip From Chiang Mai: The Golden Triangle
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Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet at the convergence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers.
Visiting Thailand’s Golden Triangle: (Jump To)
The Golden Triangle History
The Golden Triangle is where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet—and where the opium trade once made this one of the most infamous border zones in the world. Today it’s a safer, sanitized stop on any Chiang Rai Golden Triangle tour, but the history still lingers.
The Ruak and Mekong rivers converge in a valley at the border of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. The area was dubbed the Golden Triangle by the CIA because, at the time, it was the world’s top producer and distribution source for the opium trade. I did not know this at the time, thinking golden was a way to describe a beautiful river valley. It was a mistake caused by a lack of pre-trip research.
Thailand Golden Triangle Tour
A Chiang Rai tours Golden Triangle option usually includes border stops, temples, and a river ride—most of it doable as a long day trip from Chiang Mai. It’s one of the more interesting Chiang Mai tour Golden Triangle routes, especially if you’re tired of markets and motorbikes.
I often use Viator to book day excursions when we travel. They seem to have the best selection at the lowest prices. I opted to book in advance because we were traveling over the December holidays.
(Since taking this excursion Viator has become a partner of Now Go See It).
Our full-day tour departed from Chiang Mai and took us to numerous destinations in Northern Thailand over the course of the day. In addition to the Golden Triangle, we stopped at the White Temple, a Long Neck Karen village, a hot springs, and the border at the most northern point in Thailand. It was a lot to pack into a day, but that’s usually the way we like it.
The Golden Triangle was the last stop of the day. It was advertised that we would land at the Golden Triangle, take a boat ride on the Mekong River, get off the boat to shop at a floating market in Laos, and then return to Thailand.
Mekong River Boat Ride
Most Golden Triangle from Chiang Mai tours include a short boat ride on the Mekong that gets you close to the Laos and Myanmar borders. It’s not a thrill ride, but it adds something different to your Chiang Mai road trip besides temples and roadside stops.
After our tour guide collected all of our passports to make sure we would come back to Thailand (which, made me very nervous) we boarded the long wooden boat with open sides and bench seats. It was exactly the Thailand boat experience I had hoped for.
We motored our way up the river entering Myanmar. I loved being in the low wooden boat, feeling the splash on our faces, but the view from the boat was pretty lame. I was expecting some sort of golden paradise with rolling hills and mountain valley views. It was more like a dirty river with grass on both sides. After about 10 minutes the boat motor slowed and the tour guide pointed to a muddy island about three meters long and a meter wide and said “That island is part of Myanmar,” then the boat turned around. That was our visit to Myanmar.
Laos Floating Market
The Laos stop is a mini floating market mostly built for tourists—souvenirs, snacks, and cheap alcohol labeled as “whiskey.” It’s a weird footnote to any Chiang Rai tours from Chiang Mai, but still fun if you know what you're walking into.
Downriver, we docked at the pier and hopped ashore to the floating market. This too was a disappointment. The phrase “Floating Market” conjures images of boats filled with local crafts and beautiful things in a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. In reality, we were docked at an island where a row of picnic shelters were filled with folding tables where locals loudly and aggressively tried to sell you counterfeit designer clothing and perfume while trying to let you know under their breath that they can sell you anything you want. There was also an abandoned Kentucky Fried Chicken.
After a quick walk through the market we decided that the place was not for us, so we sat dockside and watched the heavy boat traffic on the Mekong River pass by as the sun set in the background. This was a much better way to enjoy a few fleeting moments in Laos.
We boarded the boat back across the river to Thailand. A beautiful giant golden Buddha sits on the shore near the return dock. It was a great sight over the river as we made our return. I would have loved to take a quick stop at the Buddha, but alas, that was not part of our itinerary.
We docked back in Thailand and our nice tour guide handed back all of our passports to noticeable relief amongst our fellow travelers. We boarded the van and started on the 4+ hour drive back to our home base in Chiang Mai.
Golden Triangle Tour Review
If you're weighing Chiang Rai vs Chiang Mai, this tour highlights the borderland vibe that Chiang Rai leans into. The full-day route is long, but for anyone planning an itinerary Chiang Mai Chiang Rai or just doing 1 day in Chiang Mai, it’s a solid change of pace.
I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why the Golden Triangle is listed as a top destination in Thailand. I can almost always find the joy and beauty in an activity, but this was pretty awful. Clever naming made me think that this would be a magical golden place with floating markets where three countries come together on a beautiful river. It was not even close. Given the distance from Chiang Mai, I would emphatically advise you to skip this area while in Thailand.
Later in the trip, we took a self-guided road trip around Phuket.
