The Golden Triangle is the fabled point where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar converge at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers, around sixty kilometres north of Chiang Rai near the old town of Chiang Saen. The name once referred to the wider region's notorious history as a centre of the opium trade, and that story is told thoughtfully at the excellent Hall of Opium museum nearby, which traces the drug's history and its human cost. Today the meeting point itself is a scenic and peaceful spot, marked by riverside viewpoints, a large golden Buddha and ornamental gateways, from where you can gaze across the wide Mekong into two neighbouring countries at once. Short longtail-boat trips run out onto the river, sometimes pausing at a Laotian island market. It makes a rewarding day trip from the city, often combined with the riverside ruins and temples of historic Chiang Saen. The setting is especially atmospheric in the clear light of morning.
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