Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [271]
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Getting There & Away
Doi Ang Khang is about 20km before Fang on the turn-off for Rte 1249. The summit is about 25km from the highway. It is possible to get to Doi Ang Khang via public transport, but travelling to points along the mountain will be difficult. You can catch a bus heading to Fang (105B, three hours, every 30 minutes) from Chiang Mai’s Chang Pheuak terminal. Tell the driver that you want to get off at the Rte 1249 turn-off, about 20km south of Fang. From there you can take a srng·ta·ou to Ban Khum (1500B chartered), which is near the summit and has accommodation options.
FANG & THA TON
For most people Fang is just a road marker on the way to Tha Ton, the launching point for river trips to Chiang Rai. If you do hang around town, there are some quiet backstreets lined with little shops in wooden buildings and the Shan/Burmese-style Wat Jong Paen (near the New Wiang Kaew Hotel), which has an impressive stacked-roof wí·hhn. The city of Fang was originally founded by Phaya Mengrai in the 13th century, although the locale dates back at least 1000 years as a stop for jeen hor caravans. Being so close to Myanmar, the surrounding district is an ‘underground’ conduit for yah bâh (methamphetamine).
Along the main street in Fang there are banks offering currency exchange and ATMs.
Tha Ton sits along a pretty bend of the Mae Nam Kok, which is lined by a few riverside restaurants and the boat launch for river trips to Chiang Rai.
In Tha Ton, there is a tourist police office (1155; 8.30am-4.30pm) near the bridge on the boat-dock side.
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Sights & Activities
Doi Pha Hompok National Park (08 6430 9748; admission adult/child 200/100B) has a hot springs complex bòr nám rórn (bor náam hórn in northern Thai) that lies about 10km west of Fang at Ban Meuang Chom, near the agricultural station, off Rte 107 at the end of Rte 5054 (the park is sometimes referred to as Doi Fang or Mae Fang National Park). On weekends there are frequent srng·ta·ou carrying Thai picnickers from Fang to the hot springs. Also around midday, tour groups from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai crowd the pools.
Within 20km of Fang and Tha Ton you can visit local villages, inhabited by Palaung (a Karennic tribe that arrived from Myanmar around 16 years ago), Black Lahu, Akha and Yunnanese, on foot, mountain bike or motorcycle. Treks and rafting trips can be arranged through any of Tha Ton’s guesthouses or hotels.
In Tha Ton, Wat Tha Ton (0 5345 9309; www.wat-thaton.org) climbs up the side of a wooded hill. There are nine different levels punctuated by shrines, Buddha statues and a chedi. Each level affords stunning views of the mountainous valley towards Myanmar and the plains of Tha Ton. From the base to the ninth level, it is about 3km or a 30-minute walk. The short walk to the first level has a statue of Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion; the international liaison monk has his office here too. The temple also offers seven-day, silent vipassana meditation retreats. Visit the website to check dates and to book. There’s also a herbal medical centre with traditional massage, acupuncture and public saunas.
From Tha Ton you can make a half-day long-tail boat trip (0 5345 9427; 350B; departs 12.30pm) to Chiang Rai. The regular passenger boat takes up to 12 travellers. The trip is a bit of a tourist trap these days as the passengers are all tourists, and the villages along the way sell cola and souvenirs. The best time to go is at the end of the rainy season in November when the river level is high. The travel time down river depends on river conditions and the skill of the pilot, taking anywhere from three to five hours. You could actually make the boat trip in a day from Chiang Mai, catching a bus back from Chiang Rai as soon as you arrive, but it’s better to stay overnight in Tha Ton so that you aren’t rushed.
Some travellers take the boat to Chiang Rai in two or three stages, stopping first in Mae Salak (90B), a large Lahu village, or