Welcome to Chiang Rai
One of Thailand’s last strongholds of Tai culture, the mountainous region of Chiang Rai—situated just north of the busier, more developed Chiang Mai—provides a cultural escape from the tourist-heavy islands and cities of the south. More than 50 wats (temples) dot the province’s hills, including Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), known for its snowflake-like spires. Take a guided tour of the Chiang Rai Temple Trail to see the most impressive of the bunch, from wooden Wat Phra Singh to Wat Phra Keow and its jade Buddha; visit a hill tribe village; or traverse the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos on a bike or trekking tour of the Golden Triangle.