Chiang Saen old city

About this place

A quiet old town on the Mekong facing Laos, founded by King Saen Phu in the fourteenth century and one of the most important cities of the Lanna kingdom before war destroyed it and its people left in the nineteenth century. Its earthen walls and moat still ring the present town, and dozens of old temple ruins lie among the houses and fields. Its finest sight is Wat Pa Sak outside the western wall, with a brick stupa decorated in delicate stucco of mythical creatures and Buddhas among big teak trees, and Wat Chedi Luang inside the town with its tall brick stupa. The small national museum holds bronze Buddhas in the famous Chiang Saen style, round-faced and full-bodied. On the riverbank, cafés and restaurants look across to Laos. A small fee of about fifty baht is charged for the Wat Pa Sak historical park; the other ruins are open. The town is ten kilometres from the Golden Triangle, so combine them in one day. The finest months are November to February, with cool clear mornings; March and April bring smoke from hill burning. Rent a bicycle to wander among the ruins: distances are short and the roads quiet.