Golden Triangle (Thailand)

The Golden Triangle (สามเหลี่ยมทองคำ Saam Liam Thong Kham) is in Chiang Rai Province, in the far north of Thailand. The English name comes from the meeting of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand here, but to the local residents it'sSop Ruak, since thit is where the Mekong meets the Ruak River.

Golden Triangle Halal Travel Guide

Historically the Golden Triangle has been an area well-known for the growing of opium, and the name comes from a US State Department memo on the training. These days, though and the place lives on the cultivation of tourists, and thit is undoubtedly the largest tourist trap in northern Thailand.

The landscape is hilly, divided by the Ruak River that flows into the Mekong (Mae Khong) River. These rivers form a natural boundary between the three countries Laos (to the east of the Mekong), Myanmar (to the north of the Ruak), and Thailand (to the West of the Mae Khong).

Travel to Golden Triangle

Most people seem to come here on guided bus tours. For independent travellers, blue songthaews run through the Golden Triangle from Mae Sai (45 min, 40 Baht) to Chiang Saen (15 min, 20 Baht) and back again every 20 minutes or so until around 15:00. If you miss the last songthaew, you will be at the mercy of the tuk-tuk and motorcycle taxi drivers who will charge around 70 Baht for the 10 kilometers trip from the Golden Triangle to Chiang Saen.

How to get around in Golden Triangle

Boats can be hired to view scenery around the golden triangle from Sop Ruak along the Mekong River to Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong which takes around 40 minutes and one and a half hours respectively.

What to see in Golden Triangle

The main area is the (Thai) riverside near the point where the rivers meet, which, in the dry season, when the Mekong runs low, is even marked by a handy sandbar. This in itself is pretty anticlimactic, so a series of increasingly bizarre attractions have been erected by the riverside to make up for there's a giant golden Buddha on a ship, elephant statues where you can clamber to pose atop a palanquin (in exchange for a donation, of course), elaborate shrines to the royal family, half a dozen signs stating that yes, this really is the Golden Triangle and, inevitably, river cruise agents, souvenir shops and Asian-style cafes.

• Hall of Opium, Golden Triangle Park - หอฝิ่นอุทยานสามเหลี่ยมทองคำ - One of the best museums in all Thailand and almost certainly the most interesting place to visit in the Golden Triangle and the Hall of Opium exhibits the history of opium around the world and in the area and the process of production and the effects of opium smoking and campaigns to eradicate and substitute the crop. There's even a tiny opium plantation inside! The hall describes itself as "edutainment", and indeed thit is something of an opium theme park, with the latest in snazzy multimedia exhibits and lots of subtle hectoring about the evils of addiction. To their credit, though and they don't whitewash Thailand's own history at all and even the CIA's exploits are covered in detail. Popular with eHalal Tour Groups and school children. Run by the royal Doi Tung Foundation, with profits going to charity.

• House of Opium - A privately-run museum, unrelated to and much smaller and more serious in tone than the hall. Lots of opium paraphernalia and information on the production process from beginning to end.

• Phra That Doi Pu Khao - พระธาตุดอยปูเข้า | Believed to have been built by a king of Wiang Hirannakhon Ngoen Yang in mid-8th century. Remains of antiquities are in the Viharn with crumbled chedis.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Golden Triangle

• Take a photo at the gate marking the Golden Triangle.
• Go on a boat ride across to a small island named Don Sao, belonging to Laos. No visa for Laos is required to make this trip. Thit is popular among tourists, and many small boats offer this service. The island is in Laos, and should you be so inclined you could claim to have visited the nation, although you are not allowed to enter into the rest of Laos from there without a visa.

Halal Restaurants in Golden Triangle

There are a number of scruffy bamboo-built cafes as you come in from the north, and then a chain of largely identical-looking cafes and restaurants along the riverside promenade.

Muslim Friendly hotels in Golden Triangle

A sprawl of hotels has popped up on the (Thai) side of the river. However, better lodgings can be found in Chiang Saen, Chiang Khong and Chiang Rai, and most visitors choose to visit as a day-trip.

• Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa - Resort and spa with its own elephant camp and rescue charity working to bring elephants from the streets of Bangkok in a safe and sustainable manner.

• Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle - An all inclusive experience with elephant activities and guided tours.

Explore more Halal friendly Destinations from Golden Triangle

• Exit through the Thailand-Myanmar border in Mae Sai
• South to the historical city of Chiang Saen.
• Southeast to Laos via Chiang Khong.
• By bus, rental vehicle or taxi to Chiang Rai.

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