Day 8, 16th February - Chiang Rai

Looking at the Bigger Picture....... With our return to the accommodation late last night there's quite a bit of work outstanding for me to bring my blog up to date this morning. I just have to finish it before we can move on. Thankfully nothing taxing is planned for today even though we will be leaving the province. So far the tactics have been to take the opportunity to see some trains and to attend a football match. From that perspective the tour has been successful so far but I'm now looking at the big picture as to why I've come all this way. There are no provinces in Thailand's north that I haven't been to before but at a district level, there's a lot more ground to cover especially in the north and west. The strategy now is to close some of those gaps and that means traveling back into Chiang Mai Province. Just to reach the province would signal the start of the process and with the provincial border not much more than an hour away I'm not going to break into a sweat today and I can leave it quite late before checking out.
Tidying Up Loose Ends....... As we set off I have an aiming point but I don't want to over commit today and I've again left options open as regards booking accommodation. Another reason is that there is nothing obvious to go for. The destination won't be busy, and we will check around upon arrival. We start the day tidying up a couple of loose ends around the city.
Somdet Ya Park....... The Somdet Ya Park just 10 minutes from Bandu Resort is just one of the parks sponsored by Queen Sirikit, Thailand's Queen Mother. The park lies on the edge of Chiang Rai Rajabhat University on the shore of Nong Bua. The park hasn't been well-developed but serves the purpose for which it was intended; to be a place for relaxation and recreation. Another attraction is not far away.
Pong Phrabat Hot Springs....... Hot springs are not rare in the region and I should add one at least to my visit list. The Pong Phrabat Hot Springs is a small park made up of two concrete bathhouses with private sunken tubs and an outdoor pool.
Ever since I developed acute cellulitis thought to be affected by my use of a hot spring, I dare not partake so my visit here is just to record it. As far as I can tell there is no entry free but it is a weekday.
Time Lost....... Now with more attractions added in Chiang Rai Province it doesn't seem that any further visits here are necessary and when Katoon thinks we've missed an important temple, I need to check that out, so I can confirm that. The problem is that it's all the way to Mae Sai where we were two days ago. However, we don't need to return to Chiang Rai having reached it. The problem is that I cannot find it on the map and nobody in Mae Sai can help. Finally, I realise it's in Chiang Sean not Mae Sai and that one we have visited before. It's lost us more than a half hour but at least we can stop and have lunch.
We now commit to our Chiang Rai exit by taking HWY 1089 heading west towards Tha Ton in Mae Ai District of Chiang Mai Province preparing to take any opportunities to visit attractions on the way. The first one is in Pa Tueng, Mae Chan District.
Saint Stephen's Church....... Saint Stephen's Church is a new church build in a glorious location in the Mae Chan River Basin. We arrive as workers are adding improvements to the grounds. What is nice about this small parish church is the way they take care of abandoned or orphaned children. A few are helping with the work here in return for their care. We move on and find another attraction 10 minutes away.
Pa Tueng Hot Springs....... Pa Tueng Hot Springs is the second such attraction today in a lovely location in the Mae Chan Valley. In the courtyard is a fountain with a height of 10 metres, with a water temperature of between 70-109 degrees Celsius. The area around the hot spring has a pool and a health garden for those who come to relax and have a healthy mineral bath that can treat various skin diseases and pain.
Despite the short distance to travel today, the late start and the need to find accommodation means we can't afford to stop at every attraction we find but soon the Mae Chan Valley closes in, and we head into the mountains again which form the provincial border between Chaing Rai and Chiang Mai provinces. We now enter Mai Ai District for the first time and a whole new list of options appear. However, there is only one we can realistically visit this far into the day.
Wat Tha Ton (Phra Aram Luang)....... I'm attracted to this temple due to the white Buddha image sitting proudly on a hill overlooking the village of Tha Ton but when we reach this temple there's a lot more to it than this single image. It is in fact only one of nine structures that form a chain rising to the top of a higher hill. My partner having been not too impressed by my selection so far is in her element here. It will take some time to explore and could well cancel out any further visits today.
Wat Tha Ton was an abandoned temple with an old pagoda in ruin surrounded by dense forest. Although there is no accurate date for its construction, it was probably built before the city of Chiang Mai was established in the 14th Century. Today the temple has been completely reconstructed on the nine levels. These are:
1st level, Phra That Chom Khiri Sri Ping Kok, Phra Mae Kuan Yin, Chiang Mai Provincial Deputy Primate Office, Sala Sunthon, Phra Pariyat School located around a multi-purpose courtyard and large car park.
2nd level, is where the ubosot is located.
3rd level, Phra Phuttha Nirandornchai (Phra Khao Khao) and Phra Sangkachai.
4th level, Phra Nak Prok.
5th level, n/a.
6th level, Rung Nirand Monk and Phra Pariyat Withan Kosol Auditorium.
7th level Dhamma Panya Bodi Buddha's Ocean Monastery, Hatthananchai Prawitrangkun, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Singapore cubicle (Bangkok Deccon).
8th level, Phra Chedi Kaew, Big Pavilion, Golden Dragon, Silver Dragon, 8 Liam.
9th level, Si Keng Tung, Phra Im Forever, Phra Maha Ratchamang, Ratchasaman Bridge, Golden Sampao.
The total distance covered is 3 kms.
At this point we have to find accommodation in an area not noted for tourism. This is not Pai in Mae Hong Son. The nearest town with accommodation is Fang but on doing some research earlier, I'm not filled with enthusiasm. There are no new builds here.
Patra 1....... The first accommodation I come across is a small apartment with some bungalows added. The rooms are typical for the area from what I can see online. Ordinarily I would not accept it due to the lack of worktop space but my partner usually so fussy in the choice has put us in a position where we're obliged to take it. I'm just going to have to improvise tonight. The room is 590 baht with some sort of breakfast probably rice soup included. Without unpacking we head into the town to look for dinner.
Char Boo Dinner....... My budget today has not been put under strain so far but I still hadn't planed for a full buffet Char Boo (Japanese style hot pot) which turns out to be not much less than the room I just paid for. However, this is a new experience for me.
Wilderness....... Returning to the room it's uncomfortable lying on the bed using my laptop but I've been in worse situations. In addition, the toilet smells. However, should I have needed it there is a 7-Eleven nearby.
Now having reached these more remote borderlands I should be excited to be in such a natural environment but my feelings are tempered by having to adapting to less comfortable facilities. It just confirms why this area has not been visited before.
Next Page.