Background
Chiang Saen was probably established during the early years of the last millennium and became the capital of the Chiang Saen Kingdom, founded in 1328 by King Saen Phu, the grandson of King Mengrai. Captured in the 16th century by the Burmese, the town became a Burmese stronghold in their constant wars with the Thais. It was not recaptured until Rama I sent an army here in 1803. Fearing that the Burmese might use the town to mount raids against his kingdom in the future, Rama I ordered it to be destroyed. Chiang Saen remained deserted for nearly 100 years. King Mongkut ordered the town to be repopulated, but it still feels as though it is only part-filled, its inhabitants rattling around in the area’s illustrious history. The ancient city is a gazetted historic monument managed by the Thai Fine Arts Department, and in total there are 75 monasteries and other monuments inside the city walls and another 66 outside.
In September 1992, a 120-tonne ship, with 60 Chinese delegates aboard, made the 385-km trip down the Mekong from Yunnan. Since then, links with China – as well as Laos – have developed apace. Cargo boats unload apples and other produce from China, and the market in Chiang Saen is stocked with low-quality manufactured goods. Anticipating a trade boom, two new piers were built (one of which was promptly washed away) as well as a luxurious business centre south of town – demonstrating how much money there is around as people try to cash in on the ‘Golden Quadrangle’ (Thailand, Burma, Laos and China).
The economic crisis in Thailand changed things. Before mid-1997 Thai tourists were rushing upriver to visit their ethnic brethren in Yunnan. With the crash of the baht in July 1997, the flow reversed; Thais stayed at home, no longer able to travel abroad, while Chinese tourists from Yunnan suddenly found a trip to Thailand within their grasp.
Chiang Saen videos
