The Golden Triangle

The triangle in the North

“At the junction of Thailand, Burma and Laos we check out the Opium Museum before taking an optional fast-boat ride on the Mekong River. A night is spent in Chiang Rai before heading back to Chiang Mai and boarding an overnight train.” - Intrepid Travel trip description

The Golden Triangle, the meeting point for Thailand, Burma and Laos, was settled by wandering tribes from Southern China. The poppies they brought with them thrived in the high altitudes and poor soil conditions, and opium production ensued. Drug production and border smuggling were prominent at the point where the Ruak and Mekong Rivers merge. The Thai government outlawed opium production in 1959, but enforcement was difficult, so production continued through the mid-1970s at a harrowing rate. Now the green fields are primarily home to coffee, tea and cabbage harvests.