Day 9, 17th February - Fang

Backtracking....... There's no sadness as we prepare to leave Patra 1, However, there is some redemption in the fact that I find enough for breakfast provided without having to resort to the rice soup. Today is another day when we just don't know where we'll end up, so I can't book accommodation. I'm hoping that with an earlier start I can build in a cushion to allow us to find more suitable accommodation tonight but now we are in the mountains things are hard to plan for. I just don't know how long it will take even to complete the visits in Fang district alone. We start with a bit of backtracking towards Mae Ai since one attraction there I was unaware of yesterday is just too important to me to ignore. As we reach the district I can add one more temple first.
Wat Phrathat Pu Chae....... Wat Phrathat Pu Chae is yet another temple on the hill, here overlooking Mae Ai. I'm not expecting it to have any history but it involves only a short detour. The temple consists of a Viharn (surmon hall) with a chedi in front. On the roof the shingles look to have some age but the interior has concrete pillars and beams instead of teak wood and the walls are plain whitewash without murals. The front gable is decorated with images in relief but the rear is undecorated and looks unfinished. The style is Lanna with its tiered roof. Now let's see what is important about the main attraction here.
Phrathat Dong Som Suk....... Phrathat Dong Som Suk is located at Wat Som Suk. It was clearly a major religious site in the Lanna Kingdom consisting of a number of buildings including the main chedi, viharn and other structures. It is thought to be some 900 years old. Normally sites like this have been recorded by the Regional Office of the Fine Arts Department but here it looks like the site has recently been recovered from trees and undergrowth that had obscured it. This site is clearly work in progress with many man-hours required to sift through the rubble and carry out an excavation which should reveal a lot more about this ruin that so far has only yielded broken pottery. From here we can break new ground as we return to Fang and head into the mountains.
Fang Hot Spring....... Fang Hot Spring is located in Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park. The hot springs of Fang are the main attraction of this ancient district of Chiang Mai. These hot springs in the park feature 40-88-degree-celsius springs originating from simmering granite. The largest spring jets out hot steam as high as 40-50 metres. Admission: 300 baht for adults. Visitors to the park can of course enjoy the hot spring water and can even boil their eggs here. The park is beautifully laid out for recreation.
Nearby is Huai Mae Chai where there is a footbridge over the Mae Chai Stream. The shallow rapids and pools of the stream are attractive for youngsters who come to play in the water. For us it's a great location to take lunch at the restaurant here.
Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park....... Doi Pha Hom Pok is the second highest mountain in Thailand and gives the park its name. I would dearly love to get closer to this peak but it requires a long detour back through Fang but I make do in the end with some long shots of the mountain. The park itself is rich in natural attractions, such as geysers, geothermal pools, mineral baths, and botanical gardens. It is a conservative site that is almost untouched by foreign visitors. Another attraction in the park is next on the list.
First Royal Factory at Fang Museum....... In the 1960s King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) visited Fang and was concerned about the opium production here and devised a plan to offer alternate employment to the villagers of Mae Ngon. The folk here were settlers from Yunnan in China who migrated in the 1930s due to persecution. The King found them growing peach trees but due to the difficulty in sending their products to market they were getting very low prices. As a result the King commissioned the first Royal Factory to can and preserve peaches and other products.
The beginning of the idea to establish the museum here was the flood and mudslide incident during 6-8th of October 2006 which caused damage to the area of Mae Ngon and Mae Kha Sub-district of Fang District, including the First Royal Factory at Fang which was completely destroyed in the incident having taken the full force of the mudslide. The processing equipment could not be saved. After the disaster, HSH Prince Peesadej Ratchanee visited the victims in the affected areas and ordered officials from the Royal Irrigation Department to find the way to prevent the incident from happening again. He also assigned works to other departments to help solve the problem. In January, 18, 2007, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also visited the area of the First Royal Factory at Fang. After consulting with the Office of The Royal Development Projects Board about the restoration of the factory and nearby community and also the development of Mae Ngon watershed area, the princess assigned the Crown Property Bureau to plan the First Royal Factory at Fang development and restoration project which achieved full production in 2016.
Tourists can visit the First Royal Factory from Tuesday to Saturday (except on holidays and annual holidays on September, 15-30) 8.30 am-4.30 pm. They can purchase locally produced products from the museum shop.
So far Fang district has provided a golden opportunity to be close to nature and there's one attraction in the district that should not be ignored even though it means an hour's drive through the high mountains of Pong Nam Dang National Park.
Ang Khang Royal Agricultural Station....... Doi Angkhang is a pleasant valley located in Fang District, approximately 1,400 meters above sea level. It is a place that reflects a painting-like scene of blooming winter flora including Siam Sakura and also a variety of winter fruits and vegetables that lures many people to come to visit this place year after year during winter. The breath-taking view of the landscape illuminates its background which was one of the biggest opium plantations in Thailand for a long time.
The Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang is a project from the idea of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej in order to support agriculture instead of opium planting. The project began when His Majesty the King traveled by helicopter and passed this mountain peak. He saw a village and then made a visit subsequently establishing the Ang Khang Development Project.
The agricultural station is divided into sections: Suan Somdej or Royal Garden, Suan 80 or Garden 80, Suan Buay or Plum Garden, Rose Greenhouse, Temperate Flower Garden, English Rose Garden, Vegetables Greenhouse, Temperate Fruit Garden, Suan Khan Doi or Rhododendron and Azalea garden and Genuine Japanese Sakura Tree. Each of these gardens is amazing in itself and it's such an experience to wander around with such colour and brightness all around. Under the king's patronage they've done an amazing job here to create not just a spectacular location for tourists but also to support the local economy which is flourishing compared to the the poverty created through opium production. Before we return to civilisation there is one more attraction we really must see.
Ban Nor-Lae Border....... Ban Nor-Lae Border as the name suggests lies on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. The attraction here is the viewpoint with its panoramic views over the surrounding mountains. This remote hilltop supports the Pang Thong Operation Base, an army observation post with its helicopter landing pad. The viewpoint creates a magnificent photo opportunity. Now we must find our way back down the mountain while taking the opportunity to witness more amazing scenery from viewpoints on the way.
Mon Sone Viewpoint....... The Mon Sone Viewpoint lies on Road 1249. This location has a campsite as well as the providing glorious views. We now enter a new district.
Sui Thang Viewpoint....... This viewpoint is 1,412 metres above sea level on Road 1178. This road heads south as opposed to the 1249 we used to get here and is located at Nong Bua, Chai Prakan District. The viewpoint also has remarkable views and supports a campsite in season. We now leave the park area but that's not the end of the views.
Pha Dang @ Nong Bua....... Pha Dang @ Nong Bua is another viewpoint but this time without the facilities the parks usually offer, e.g. camping and toilets. Pha Dang refers to the adjacent cliff face which has a reddish hue.
Chiang Dao....... Finally, we reach the valley floor and the district town of Chai Prakan. This is a small town and it's unlikely to have accommodation to meet our needs. We resist taking a break here and turn onto Road 1340 then 1178 heading south to find ourselves in yet another district, Chiang Dao. It's after 6:00 pm and dusk is arriving, so we begin an urgent search for accommodation. Although a more popular tourist destination, Chiang Dao still doesn't have anything in the way of modern apartment buildings. We will have to rely on resort style accommodation which is not the most desirable for us.
Rimdoi Resort....... With seemingly little choice regarding the style of accommodation here, we inquire at Rimdoi Resort. This resort is located in an area of ponds, trees and shrubs giving the impression of living in the forest. The accommodation, either individually or in blocks is reached via interconnected pathways which can make you feel disorientated finding the way through the maze.
We check in at reception. The rate is reasonable and includes a buffet breakfast. The obvious drawback with this type of accommodation is not being able to park near the accommodation units. Everything has to be carried through the passageways. We're directed to our particular room and the first impression is that this is nothing like what we are used to. The rustic appeal is clearly characteristic of this area that takes advantage of materials that are found locally rather than having to transport modern building materials over long distances. The ranch type accommodation is appealing although I know from experience it's not the type of accommodation my partner would prefer. But it is as it is and as things stand I can find no fault with the accommodation itself. However, one thing is likely to throw a spanner in the works tonight. It's a Saturday night and in Thailand that means music, lots of loud music. It's too late to change the plan, so I'm just gonna have to put up with it. From what I can see there is nothing locally in the way of restaurants but of course Rimdoi has everything you need including room service. Katoon heads off to fetch more bags and calls in at the restaurant at the same time. Not long after, Thai food arrives which is both appetizing and surprisingly cheap. Now that's what I wasn't expecting. It's now a question of surviving till the music dies down. However, feeling pretty tired after a long day I manage to fall asleep with no idea when the music finished.
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