Golden Triangle

The infamous area generally described as the Golden Triangle has no definite borders - as different information sources have differing views and opinions on where these actually are. Nevertheless, what is abundantly clear and nowadays commonly accepted is where the 'center' of this once notorious and undoubtedly much hyped area actually is; Sop Ruak, about 9 km north of the small historical town of Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai province.

Sop Ruak covers just a few hectares and is actually the name of the small river that merges into the mighty Mekong River, at the point where the three neighbouring countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos all converge. The 'real' Golden Triangle is believed to cover a much larger and wider area, probably tens of thousands of square kilometers, reaching far into Myanmar and Laos.

Whatever the true area size, the Golden Triangle encompasses the whole region traditionally producing opium as its main cash crop - and obviously, opium is not just grown within a few hectares of the meeting point of the three countries' natural borders. It is just too prominent, visited by too many tourists for any opium poppies to be found there these days, leastways not in any viable quantities. Even so, travel agents, hoteliers, tour operators and the like, have done much to cash-in on the familiar Golden Triangle name. In fact, this much-frequented official center has over recent years become the most well known of all attractions in Chiang Rai province - in spite of the fact that there really is very little to actually see here. A possible exception being the fine, near panoramic, views that can be seen from the hilltop where Wat Phra That Phukhao stands and peers across the Mekong looking into Laos and Myanmar.

To many travelers just the name 'Golden Triangle' conjures up images of excitement, illicit adventure and romantic danger all thrown into one. The reality is that Sop Ruak offers very little, if any, of the above. Rather than endless fields of poppies, what thrill seeking adventurers will find has fast become yet another tourist trap - full of souvenir stalls, mediocre restaurants and bus loads of package-tourists.

Obviously the Golden Triangle has been cleverly marketed as a tourist destination during the last few years, but with utter disregard for any ambiguities. On the one hand, the Thai government regards drugs and anything, or anyone, associated with them as illegal and immoral and regularly conducts poppy eradication campaigns. On the other hand, the promotion of the Golden Triangle as a tourist destination relies heavily on the reputation of the Golden Triangle as an opium-growing region. While Thai law enforcement agencies claim the opium problem has basically been eradicated on Thai territory, tourism promoters still subtly suggest that indeed, the 'Thai' Golden Triangle is the world's main source of opium.

Without the allure of the opium poppies there would be no tourists!

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