Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [433]
Buses to Bangkok (2nd class/32-seat VIP 321/481B, 11 hours) leave frequently in the early evening, and less so in the early morning; there are 24-seat VIP buses (640B) with Air Muang Loei (0 4283 2042; 8.30pm) and 999 VIP (0 4281 1706; 8.40pm).
LAOS
Foreigners can now arrange all immigration formalities at the seldom-used Thai-Lao Nam Heuang Friendship Bridge in Amphoe Tha Li, but there’s no public transport and the road running north through Laos to Luang Prabang is not very good. The border is open 8am to 6pm daily.
Getting Around
Srng·ta·ou (10B) run from the bus station into town every five minutes, or you can take a túk-túk for about 30B.
CHIANG KHAN
Traditional timber houses line the streets, with old ladies sitting nattering in their shadows, and the Mekong drifts slowly by. If you have an image of a quiet riverside town where nothing much happens and no one seems to care, Chiang Khan may just be it; 7-Eleven hasn’t even made it here yet, and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t very happy about that.
Pretty and peaceful, with photogenic views of the river and the Laos mountains beyond, this little town has a good spread of cheap accommodation and makes a restful stopover if you fancy a couple of days of doing…well…nothing.
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Information
BAAC (Rte 201; 8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) Has an ATM and is an agent for Western Union, but there are no foreign-exchange facilities in town.
Baan Dok Faii Guesthouse (333/11 Soi 11; internet per hr 15B; 9.30am-9.30pm) The first choice of most travellers for checking email.
Immigration Office (0 4282 1911; Soi 26 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Foreigners can’t cross to Laos at Chiang Khan, but you can get a visa extension.
Tourist Information Center (Kaeng Khut Khu; 8am-4.30pm) Your guesthouse will be a better source of information.
Sights & Activities
TEMPLES
Chiang Khan’s wáts are modest, but have a particularly idiosyncratic style of architecture featuring colonnaded fronts. Many have sweeping Lao-style roofs and there’s often a touch of French influence. A good example is Wat Si Khun Meuang (Th Chai Khong; daylight hr), which contains a Lao-style chedi and bòht, fronted by interesting murals, plus plenty of topiary. Similar structures, minus the bush art, are found at Wat Thakhok (Th Chai Khong; daylight hr) and Wat Pa Klang (Th Chiang Khan; daylight hr).
Wat Mahathat (Th Chiang Khan; daylight hr), in the centre of town, is Chiang Khan’s oldest temple. The bòht, constructed in 1654, has a new roof over old walls with faded original murals on the front.
Wat Tha Khaek (daylight hr) is a ramshackle, 700-year-old forest temple housing three 300-year-old stone Buddha images. They sit on a ledge over a larger, modern Buddha in the wát’s still unfinished bòht. The temple is 2km before Kaeng Khut Khu.
KAENG KHUT KHU
Next to nobody in Bangkok has ever heard of Chiang Khan, but most know the gorgeous rapids at Kaeng Khut Khu (admission free; 24hr), about 5km downstream. It’s most beautiful in the dry, hot season, but worth the trip anytime. The surrounding park has a bevy of vendors selling Isan food into the early evening. The local speciality is coconut candy (má·prów gàaw), and you will also find gûng ên (dancing shrimp), little bowls of live shrimp meant for slurping down just as they come, on the menu. Srng·ta·ou rarely come out here, so take a túk-túk (50B), or better yet, hire a bike.
BOAT TRIPS & TOURS
Most guesthouses arrange boat trips to Kaeng Khut Khu or further afield, and the mountain scenery makes these highly recommended. The rapids can be reached on a one-hour trip, but since you’ll have to turn back immediately after arriving, two-hour trips are a wiser choice. Prices swing with petrol prices, but expect a two-hour trip in a boat that can hold three or four people