์Noth Of Thailand ; Mae Sai

North Thailand

The first true Thai kingdom was located in the north at Sukhothai, hence the region is dotted with great temple ruins. The north is also the home of most Thai hill tribes and contains the infamous Golden Triangle, the region where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet. In recent years the Thai authorities have made strenuous efforts to eradicate the illicit drug trade and have met with considerable success.

Chiang Mai, Thailand second largest city, has over 300 temples and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. This is an excellent base if you intend to explore the north.

Just south of Chiang Mai is Lamphun which has an abundance of atmosphere and history.

Thailand's most north-western province of Mae Hong Son is a mountainous area with thick forests and breath taking scenery.
In the far north is Chiang Rai which is a good place if you want to do a hill-tribe trek. Much further south is the province of Tak where you can visit the ancient kingdom of Sukhothai, or take a trip to Mae Sot on the Burmese border while taking in one of Thailand's National Parks along the way.

Mae Sai

The small town of Mae Sai is at the northern most point of Thailand and is situated on the border with Myanmar (formerly Burma). In the markets there are full of products and produce from across the border and can be an interesting place to spend a few hours.

For the more adventuresome a day trip across the border is possible, with a minimum of formality.

Thai citizens

Thai citizens require a Border pass, which can be purchased from the many photocopy shops in the district. A photocopy of the ID card is stapled to the Border Pass.

Get the border pass stamped on the Thai side of the bridge that forms the border. Pay an entry fee of 10 Bahtto the Burmese officials.

Other Nationalities

Two photocopies of the id pages of a current passport are required.

Go to the Thai Immigration desk and they will stamp both copies of the passport, retaining your passport. They may also ask a fee of 50 Baht.

On the Burmese side of the border give one copy of your passport to the Immigration officer and pay a fee of US$5. It is best to have this money available in US dollar notes, otherwise you have to pay in Baht and the exchange rate is calculated at 50 Baht/$1, total 250 Baht.

On your return the Burmese will stamp you out on the remaining copy of your passport, and you can then use this to retrieve your passport from the Thai Immigration.

Golden Triangle

About 60 kilometres east of Mae Sai, is the famous (or perhaps infamous) Golden Triangle where the countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet at the confluence of the Mekong River and one of its tributaries. The area is best seen from Chieng Saen. The town was fortified back in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and the remnants of the city wall and moat are still visible.

San Khampaeng

Crafts
Following the old road out of Chiang Mai to San Khampaeng leads through the craft area of Chiang Mai where factories co-exist with the shops. This gives visitors the chance to see how the items are made, before making their purchases. Products include teak and bamboo furniture; the distinctive pottery of Thai Celadon, silverware, parasols and hand held fans, to mention a few.

Moon On Caves
About 30 kilometres beyond the village of San Khampaeng, are the San Khampaeng Hot Springs. However just before the springs it is worth taking the turning to the left to visit the Moon On caves. At the foot of the hill is an attractive Chinese Temple. The road then climbs much higher up the hill to the caves.

A visit to the Moon On caves is only for the fit. Firstly there is a long climb up a Naga staircase from the car park, before reaching the entrance to the caves. The caves are well lit and there are young guides available to point out the major sites, which are also Buddhist shrines. However to reach the famous stalagmite it is necessary to climb down a long concrete staircase, which means it is along climb back up to exit the caves.

Hot Springs
Over the last few years the hot springs have been developed and are now surrounded by a very attractive and mature garden. The water comes bubbling out of the ground at a temperature of
89°C. Packs of eggs are on sale in convenient wicker baskets, and there are instructions about how long to leave the eggs in the water to cook them correctly, 11 minutes gives hard-boiled. Hooks are conveniently provided around the water tank to hang the egg baskets.

There are also two geysers spouting a continuous flow of hot water into the air.

Bath houses are available for rent by the hour, for individuals or family groups to enjoy the waters or if you prefer there is also a swimming pool that is fed with the warm water.

Koh Si Chang - SriRacha Chonburi

Koh Si Chang

SriRacha Chonburi

Koh Si Chang, or Sichang Island, has a special place in the history of the Chakri dynasty. Three former kings vacationed there. Its remaining link to royalty can be seen in the names around the island where almost everything is named after members of the royal family, and some high-ranking officers, of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V. Some of the roads, buildings, bridges, parks and temples are named after high-ranking officers who contributed to their construction. Other sites were named after precious stones.

King Mongkut, or Rama IV, admired the island for its fresh and clean air, which he believed contributed to the long lives of the people who lived there. But even though the King made periodic trips to the island in the mid-19th century, he slept on his ship and didn't build a permanent residence there.

The face of Sichang Island changed considerably during the reign of King Rama V as it became a busy port and one of the gateways to Siam. After Prince Vajiravudh (who would later take the throne as King Rama VI) stayed on the island for over eight months to recover from an illness, Sichang became the most popular place for convalescence for members of the royal family.
Chudadhuj Palace

Still, it was not until 1892 that the royal summer residences took on the formal status of a palace. When Prince Chudadhuj Daradilok was born to Queen Sri Bajarindra on July 5, 1892, at Chudadhuj Throne Hall on the island, and a traditional ceremony was held a month later to bless the new-born prince, and the Sichang summer palace was bestowed with the name Chudadhuj Palace.

The summer palace compound boasted four mansions, 14 halls and a pavilion surrounded by many ponds, brooks, cliffs and caves. The palace's architecture reflected the social and political climate of the time it was built. The Western influence is evident.

The pagoda-church of Assadang Nimit Temple for example. It's a true East-meets-West building with a traditional Thai pagoda built on top of the Western domed church. The floor was made of marble and the windows were decorated with stained glass, he added.

Regrettably, it was the rise of Western colonialism that forced the royal family to leave the island. The Franco-Siamese conflict regarding sovereignty over neighbouring Laos led to aggression by French gunships which blockaded the Chao Phraya River. The French also stationed their troops along the eastern coast of Siam, and Sichang Island was no longer considered safe for royal sojourns.

Though the Franco-Siamese treaty relinquishing land on the left bank of the Mekong River to the French was signed in 1893, the French did not pull out their troops until a decade later. The palace was left vacant and some mansions under construction in the compound were left unfinished.

In 1901, however, King Chulalongkorn realised that Munthat Rattanarot Mansion was still not finished, and he ordered the golden teakwood building to be dismantled and brought to Bangkok. By royal decree, the mansion was brought to Dusit Palace and rebuilt as the renowned Vimanmek Mansion.

The octagon stone base where the original mansion once stood can still be seen at the compound of the Chudhadhuj Palace on Sichang Island.
Wat Thamyaiprig

Wat Thamyaiprig started in 1970 a spartan, solitary abode at a limestone cave up the mountain on Si Chang Island. The temple grew as the abbot's fame as a meditation teacher attracted the religious-minded to enter a monastic life and learn meditation under his guidance. The temple now accommodates 23 monks and 22 nuns from various professional backgrounds.

"Some are experienced electricians, others are builders and carpenters," said Mae Chee Srisuda, who herself is a former teacher. "Our diverse skills have made it possible for our temple to be relatively self-sufficient."

Apart from a praying hall, meditation pavilions, and monks' living quarters, Wat Thamyaiprig also has large fruit and vegetable gardens to support its monks and nuns. It also boasts as many as 37 huge underground water tanks.

Si Chang is a rock island with no natural source of spring water. Therefore, they need huge water tanks to store the rain water for use all year round. Water tanks, for example, are built under every building in the temple. When it rains, the water will flow from the roof down the rain pipes to the tube which flows directly to the water tank underneath. When the top water tank is full, the water will flow over to a pipe which goes to the one below, until all water tanks are full. Then the excess water will be released to the sea.

The stored rain water is used for all water needs, from drinking to watering the vegetable gardens. But thanks to the temple's frugality, the temple is able to distribute excess water to villagers nearby.

The villagers need to pay about 90 to 100 Bahtfor one cubic metre of water in village stores, which is very expensive. However on water distribution days, the villagers bring their own containers to take the water from the temple for free, she said.

Water is not the only thing Wat Thamyaiprig offers the Si Chang inhabitants. The abundant vegetable gardens on the 19-rai temple generously yield all sorts of vegetables such as tomatoes, aubergines, lettuce, water mimosa, cow peas and pumpkins, among many things. The yield is more than the monks and nuns need, for they only have one meal a day. The surplus is given for free to the villagers.

Although monks and nuns at Wat Thamyaiprig must chip in their labour at the temple, the nun said they never consider it a life of hardship.

Getting There

Located off the coast of the fishing town of Sri Racha, Chonburi province, this island has many sites of historical value. Boats leave from the pier near Koh Loy, Sri Racha and take 45 minutes to reach the island.

Where to Stay

Accommodation on the island is limited, as is the water supply. There is no natural source of water on the island, so the inhabitants reply on rain water stored in large cisterns that were built when the island was developed about a century ago.