Travel Guide and Transport Info for Chiang Saen, Thailand by Hobo Maps -

Travel Chiang Saen
- Located on the Mekong River near the Golden Triangle junction of Thailand, Laos and Burma, Chiang Saen has a long history as a travel and transport link between regional powers and has experienced many ups and downs in status. It's currently struggling to regain lost status after the Mekong River has been cleared of obstructions to river transport for bigger boats northwards. There is hope for Chiang Saen to once again become a major trade and travel post after being rather quiet the last few decades. Fast passenger boats and large cargo boats can now come down from China but the service has recently been interrupted by criminal activity above the Golden Triangle area. Most of the upriver cargo boat traffic consists of larger Chinese boats while most of the local and downriver boat traffic is by Laos registered smaller boats similar to the long and narrow "slow boats" that haul passengers from Huay Xay to Luang Prabang. Nearly all the cargo is still loaded and unloaded by hand at Chiang Saen with groups of men, mostly Burmese, carrying loads up and down the river banks. The port has modern cranes available for this task and for heavy objects but they seem idle most of the time.

River Passenger Transport
- Fast small speedboats can be chartered for trips up to the Golden Triangle north of Chiang Saen to do tours of that area.

- longtail tourist boats also do the Golden Triangle tour route.

- bigger air conditioned passenger boats go to Jinghong China when it is safe to do so and when demand is sufficient. This passenger service was disrupted late in 2011 due to security concerns but has resumed on a trial basis in mid Jan. 2012.

Land Transport
- The main roads into Chiang Saen are nicely paved all-season roads that were being widened and upgraded in Jan. 2012. There is no public bus station building in Chiang Saen as the various buses depart from different street-side locations in the central area. All of the bus departure places described below are shown on THIS MAP. Few of the transport drivers speak English and communication is the main problem with getting around. The nearest airport to Chaing Saen is in Chiang Rai.

- Local transport for visitors is mostly by chartered tuk-tuk and they can be flagged down anywhere but they also have a station base at the junction of Phaholyothin Road/Highway 1016 and Rimkhong Road by the Mekong River. This is where your Thai language skills will come in handy. There are no motorbike taxis in Chiang Saen.

- Big deluxe air conditioned buses to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai depart from the Green Bus office between the fresh market and the junction of Phaholyothin Road/Hwy. 1016 and Rimkhong Road close to the river. They go twice a day at 07:15 and 09:00. 212 baht fare to Chiang Mai for first class seats in Jan. 2012 and the trip takes about 5 hours.

- Big slow non-aircon Green buses depart from the Green Bus office every hour or so to Mae Chan and Chiang Rai and they will drop off or pick up passengers anywhere along the route.

- Minivan buses to Mae Chan and Chiang Rai depart from the Green Bus office every hour 06:30 to 17:30.

- Dark green colored songtaew buses to Chiang Khong and places south along Hwy. 1129 depart from the junction of Soi 7 and Rimkhong Road. Not sure of the schedule but imagine they go more than once in the morning but stop going in the afternoon. They may only depart when enough passengers arrive.

- Blue songtaew buses go north to Sop Ruak, the Golden Triangle area and on to Mae Sai during the early and mid parts of the day and depart from their station across the street from the fresh market on Phaholyothin. Tourists can use these for day trips up to the Golden Triangle and Sop Ruak.

Cycling Around Chiang Saen

- There don't seem to be any bicycle or motorbike rental places in Chiang Saen which is too bad because the town is spread out and a bit far for easy walking to every place. Some of the smaller roads around the old city walls are great for cycling - nice quiet shady lanes and many historic sites to stop and visit. Consider bringing your own bike or coming up from Chiang Rai with a rental bike. It only takes about 4 hours or less to peddle a bike to Chiang Saen from Mae Sai or Chiang Rai and nearly all of the roads are very flat. You can peddle up to Sop Ruak and the Golden Triangle in an hour or less and have a bike up there to cruise around. A single gear low-tech city bike works fine for long distance cycling in the Golden North of Thailand. The big deluxe air conditioned Green Buses that run to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai will haul bikes for passengers and some of the songtaew buses may do the same but each driver has his own way with this. Most of the big non-aircon Green buses that slowly crawl to Chiang Rai don't have an inside place to carry bicycles but they may put them on top, especially if you ask them before the trip starts and have tie-down cords for them to use. They may be reluctant to load them on top along the route. We also haven't been able to find bike rental places in Mae Sai and sometimes not in Chiang Khong so you could bring your own bike up for a big looping trip - Chiang Rai to Mae Sai to Sop Ruak/Golden Triangle to Chiang Saen to Chiang Khong and back to Chiang Rai. Mostly flat roads the whole way with songtaew buses cruising the same roads to bail you out if you have bike trouble or bad weather. The maximum daily cycling distance between towns on this loop would be 65 km. except for Chiang Khong to Chiang Rai which is 110 km via the long route and less by the short route.