Chiang Saen

Chiang Saen town, situated on the banks of the Mekong River about 60 km from Chiang Rai city center, is home to a number of interesting archeological sites and historical attractions.

The small historical town founded in 1328 by the nephew of the illustrious King Mengrai was once a minor northern kingdom in itself - as well as formerly being a principality of the famous Kingdom of Lanna.

Today, the surviving architecture from its celebrated past includes some wats, chedis, Buddha images peculiar to the town and earthen city ramparts. Some of the older monuments still standing are even thought to pre-date the Chiang Saen kingdom by two or possibly three centuries. According to popular legend, the pre-Chiang Saen kingdom was known as Yonok - which over the years was affiliated with other northern Thai kingdoms and Burma.

In fact, the Burmese captured Chiang Saen in the 16th century only to be captured back by Rama I in the early 1800's. The king ordered that the town be completely abandoned and sent the populace to inhabit Chiang Mai - fearing that if they stayed; history might repeat itself with another Burmese attack. The town remained deserted for nearly a century before Chiang Saen finally became a part of Thailand (then Siam) in the late 1880's.

These days Chiang Sean is a sleepy town that has not noticeably changed in spite of the recent commercialization of the Golden Triangle area in nearby Sop Ruak. Chiang Saen appears to just sit silently staring across the mighty Mekong River into the even sleepier and deserted looking Laos.

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