2014 4-Nation Ride: 04 Chiangmai - Mae Sai

"Don't fear change. You may lose something good, but you may also gain something great..."

(Diamond Riverside Hotel Chiangmai)

Date: 14 December 2014 (Sunday)
Route: Chiangmai - Mae Sai
Distance: 260 km
Hotel: Mae Sai Complex Hotel

We had breakfast in the hotel cafe.

After refuelling, we rode towards Chiang Rai via the mountainous winding road passing through the many waterfalls and hot springs along the route and decided to have a pit stop at the Sam Kamphaeng Hot Springs for coffee and toilet breaks. This place is purely for a stopover for tourists heading to Chiang Rai. Other than arrays of souvenirs to choose from, you can also buy eggs to cook in the hot boiling water. 

(Revising the next routing)

(Photo of the girls against the great old wall)

(As usual, a group photo before the ride)

(Posing in front of the Heritage Teak House)

(Riding out of the city)

(A long and winding road)

(Entering the province of Chiang Rai)

(A shooting hot boiling fountain)

(A row of souvenir shops around the fountain)

(A statue by the hot spring)

(Having a cup of hot blended coffee)

(A secluded place, a smokers' corner)

We continued riding on Highway 1 and detoured to The Golden Triangle, the intersection of three countries for a brief photo session and bought a few souvenir t-shirts. It is the confluence of The Mekong and the Ruak rivers also known as Sop Suak to the locals, dividing Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

(Passing a few Police road blocks on the way)

(Taking the right route to detour)

(A cool shaded road by-passing the town)

(Crossing bridges and rivers)

(Familiar routing as Kembara Q2)

(Cool windy day for riding)

(Entering the Golden Trangle)

(An imposing golden statue of Buddha)

(The confluence of two rivers)

(Sign posts to all the attractions)

(The map of the Golden Triangle)

(Riders taking a short rest)

(Intricate carvings, rituals and prayer place)

(The entrance to the jetty for boat ride to Laos and Myanmar)

We arrived in Mae Sai early and had a late lunch of Nasi Ayam at a Muslim Restaurant before we checked in Mae Sai Complex Hotel, situated underneath the Immigration Complex by the Mae Sai River. Mae Sai is the northernmost district of Chiang Rai Province in Thailand. Mae Sai is a border town between Thailand and Myanmar. The Highway AH2 crosses the Mae Sai River to the border town of Tachileik in Myanmar.

(The highway to Mae Sai, the border town)

(Roman statues on the wall)

(Approaching Thailand/Myanmar border)

(The Immigration Complex in the foreground)

(Arriving safely at our budget hotel)

After showers and prayers we took a much needed nap till Maghrib. Before, we sent a basket full of dirty clothes for laundry which cost us B180. Dinner was a steaming hot mihun soup and roti pisang at a Muslim stall at the night market, a short walking distance away from our hotel.

(A stroll in the night market)

(The northern  most part of Thailand)

It was cool and windy for a night stroll. The gang had some photo shots at the Immigration complex and at the arch indicating the Northern most part of Thailand.

     2014 Q3 4NR: 05 Mae Sai - Phu Chi Fa, Thailand👉

👈2014 Q3 4NR: 03 Kanchaburi – Chiangmai, Thailand