This border settlement, on the south bank of the Mekong, is really more a collection of villages than a town: Ban Haad Khrai, Ban Sobsom and Ban Hua Wiang were all originally individual communities – and still retain their village monasteries. For such a small town, it has had a relatively high profile in Thai history. In the 1260s, King Mengrai extended control over the area and Chiang Khong became one of the Lanna Thai Kingdom’s major principalities. Later, the town was captured by the Burmese.
The area is growing in popularity and becoming increasingly more tourism- orientated, due mainly to the opening of a border crossing into Laos – just the other side of the river. Boats from the Laos town of Huay Xai, the Laos settlement on the opposite side, travel downriver to the ancient Laos city of Luang Prabang. Aside from that, Chiang Khong has a relaxed atmosphere making it an attractive spot to unwind.
Chiang Khong is small enough to explore on foot, but the town does have a rather quaint line in underpowered motorized rickshaws, which struggle gamely up anything which is not billiard-table flat. Tour companies provide cars with drivers for around ฿1200 per day. Bicycles and motorbikes are available for hire from guesthouses.
These can be chartered to make the journey to Chiang Saen (about ฿150 per head or ฿1200-1500 to charter an entire boat).
Bus
There are hourly connections with Chiang Rai (3 hrs). A/c and non-a/c connections with Bangkok and Chiang Mai (6½ hrs), as well as Lampang and Phayao. A/c buses leave from the office on the main road near Wat Phra Kaew. Non-a/c buses depart from the bus station, just over the Huai Sob Som on the south edge of town. Non-a/c buses for Chiang Saen leave from 0600, and take the attractive river road following the Mekong and the Thai-Lao border (2 hrs).
Songthaew
Regular connections with Chiang Saen and from there on to Sop Ruak, Mae Sai and Chiang Rai. Songthaews leave from opposite the army post next to the post office, but can be flagged down as they make their way north through Chiang Khong.
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