Chiang Saen, Thailand Hotels, Vacations, Tourism

Combining tumbledown ruins with sweeping Mekong River scenery, CHIANG SAEN , 60km northeast of Chiang Rai, makes a rustic haven and a good base camp for the border region east of Mae Sai. Coveted for its strategic location, guarding the Mekong, Chiang Saen was passed back and forth between the kings of Burma and Thailand for nearly three hundred years until Rama I razed the place to the ground in 1804. The present town was resettled in 1881. The National Museum (Wed–Sun 8.30am–4.30pm; B30) makes an informative starting point, housing some impressive locally cast Buddha images and architectural … more »