The Golden Triangle Activity Area is a public space managed by the Wiang Chiang Saen Municipality. It serves as a tourist hub for the Golden Triangle, a major economic zone and the confluence of three countries: Thailand (Chiang Rai), Laos (Bokeo Province), and Myanmar (Tachileik, Shan State). The area is located at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak Rivers, also known as Sop Ruak, in Wiang Subdistrict, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai. From the Thai side, visitors can see Kings Romans Casino and a village in Laos to the northeast, and Myanmar to the west. The Buddha Nawa Lan Tue, a large bronze Buddha statue seated on a glass boat in the meditation pose, is enshrined in the open air as a highlight of the Golden Triangle Activity Area.
____
The Golden Triangle’s name is derived after its former role as a major opium growing and trading region. Gold was used as a medium of exchange, which gave the Golden Triangle a worldwide reputation as a drug trafficking area. Later, the Doi Tung Development Project (the royal initiative project) was launched. The project improved the living standards of hill tribes, leading to the eventual end of opium plantation.
____
Today, the Golden Triangle Activity Area hosts a variety of events, such as Loi Krathong Festival, Songkran Festival, and a market for selling OTOP products, which has jointly been organized with the Wiang Community Digital Center located in the same area.
____
Artist: Navin Rawanchaikul
____
Photo credit: Chanin Phasuriwong