Colorful Thailand: Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle

As we scooted through the beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Chiang Rai, we saw a region rich in agricultural production. We saw hillsides neatly lined with pineapples and banana trees, expansive rice fields, and tea plantations creeping up the steep slopes. We saw small farming villages nestled into this landscape, their wooden houses on stilts standing as remnants of the traditional style (though all still connected to electricity and reachable via paved roads despite their remote locations, which impressed us). And of course, we saw dense jungle forests and bamboo groves that are emblematic of northern Thailand, offering up a delightful palate of greens and yellows. What we didn’t expect to see out in this rural landscape, however, was modern art.

Our last stop in Thailand (for now) was the northernmost region of the country where it meets up with Laos and Myanmar along the Mekong River. Though very beautiful, the area is not named the “Golden Triangle” because of its beauty, but rather, because it was once the largest opium producing region in the world, and remained as such until the late 1990's, when Afghanistan’s “Golden Crescent” took over the notorious title. The CIA was actually the one who coined the Golden Triangle nickname; not surprisingly, in attempts to curb the spread of Communism from China, the U.S. had backed the resistance in this region, who, in addition to accepting U.S. weapons, funded their war by producing heroin (both of which were knowingly funneled through the same supply lines).

However, the destination that took us through this farming region was not a poppy field (though it would have been interesting to see if they still exist); it was Lam Nan Kok National Park, Thailand’s newest national park. One of the park’s attractions is the Yellowstone-like thermal pools, and they even had an exhibit about Yellowstone’s geysers at this park (which we found funny). Though the pools were too hot to swim in, we were able to take a dip in the crystal clear spring waters of a small waterfall nearby to help wash off the tropical heat. The hike through the jungle was short and sweet, but despite its accessibility, we ended up with the natural pool all to ourselves; in fact, we barely saw anyone else through hours of frolicking and driving through the national park. The quiet solitude of the pastoral farmland and the national park was what we had expected to find in Pai (which we didn’t), not in a much larger city like Chiang Rai, so it was a nice surprise.

As the major hub of the Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai is interesting from an urban planning perspective in that it embodies an urban typology that rarely exists in the U.S.: a large city directly embedded into its farming community. It is basically a big small town, rather than a small city. The city has a fairly small footprint, as the clocktower at the center of town is only a few short kilometers away from the farms. But within that small footprint are 200,000 people, so the city itself is very dense. This makes for a very vibrant and easily walkable city, and, because it is close to its rich agricultural products, much of that vibrancy is centered around good food. Caffeine has replaced heroin as the drug of choice, as there were many cafes brewing coffee from locally grown beans. Restaurants served delicious and cheap Khao Soi and other northern Thai dishes, as well as surprisingly good western food such as hamburgers (which we ate on Thanksgiving, since it was the most American meal we could find). The connection between the compact urban environment and the rural community was most strongly felt at the morning street markets, where food stalls hawked fresh fruit and produce from the nearby farms.

The streets were alive at night, as well, but for other reasons. As we walked around looking for a place to eat, we wondered why the massage parlors had such scantily clad women of all ages sitting out in front of them. When they kept asking Michael but not Karen if he wanted a massage, we quickly realized that we were, in fact, in the Red Light District. As we later read, there is quite an elaborate pricing system and unspoken rules of engagement for paid pleasure throughout Thailand, and Chiang Rai is one of the northern hot spots (there are also wildly detailed websites about this— we won’t link to them here, but you know how to use Google).

Rather than get a “massage” (or a “soapy,” as they call them), we went to the next best place to get some lovin’: the cat café. Now, we’ve been to some cat cafes before, and they are fun, but usually there are only a few cats around and most of them are sleeping, so the cats themselves are more of a novelty while you enjoy a cup of coffee. But the popular Chiang Rai cat café was like a petting zoo, because it literally had at least 25 cats, most of them awake and active. They sold cat food in addition to human food, so the cats would run around asking to be fed, sometimes fighting off their fellow cats to get some nibbles. They didn’t care what type of food it was, as one cat tried to drink Michael’s (delicious) milk shake. One cat even sat on Karen’s lap for a long time on her own, no treats required. (We’re sorry that we cheated on you at the cat café in the Red Light District, Nama!)

But what makes Chiang Rai a really unique city to visit is not its Red Light District (unless you are an old British or Australian man, of which we saw many roaming the streets); it’s the fact that it has a rich modern arts scene rooted in three relatively new sites that form today’s more laudable Golden Triangle: the White Temple, the Blue Temple, and the Black House.

Wat Rong Khun, known as the White Temple, is interesting in that it explores modern art within a religious context (or religious art within a modern context). The temple juxtaposes the traditional principles of Buddhism with the “beliefs” of our modern society, showing how the old religious tenets seem lost in today’s worship of pop culture and machines, while also managing to communicate how religion is still relevant.

Regardless of its intended meaning, the temple is truly a work of art on an aesthetic level. Opened in 1997 by a Thai painter, the wat is a working temple through an artist’s eye. The sprawling temple complex is, as the name suggests, completely white. It looks like a Disney set for the live action version of Frozen. As you cross the bridge to enter the temple complex, sculptures of gnarled hands, presumably from the underworld, reach out, begging for help. Once inside, yet-to-be-completed murals, drawn like a Stan Lee comic series, spread across the back wall like Spiderman’s web. It depicts the vices of modern society: power, war, greed, and material desires. War and conflict are shown using real life representations, such as a plane flying into New York’s Twin Towers, or hundreds of bombs raining down from the top of the mural, etched with the American flag. This likely illustrates American’s past involvement in Southeast Asia, but possibly the CIA’s influence in the Golden Triangle, as well. Hollywood characters and other famous icons are also found throughout the mural, such as a life-like Michael Jackson moonwalking across the wall (unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the temple, so we don’t have any photos of these).

On the opposite wall, is Buddha. There are no Marvel characters on this side—just a massive white Buddha statue. Since the artwork is evolving, it is possible that the murals will eventually spread to this side, but for now, the simple contrast of Buddha staring down the modern vices across the hall was a powerful display. Since it is an active temple, it was interesting to observe Thai Buddhists bow down to Buddha while Keanu Reeves’ Neo from The Matrix look down on them from across the hall.

Playing sidekick to the White Temple is Wat Rong Suea Ten, better known as the Blue Temple. The Blue Temple is more straightforward, but no less spectacular. Completed only in 2016, the temple is a new look at a traditional Buddhist temple. The entrance is flanked by two large, intricately detailed blue statues, leading to a blue and gold temple with impressive naga leading up the stairs. Inside, a brilliant white Buddha statue stands out in front of the blue interior. Modern interpretations of traditional Buddhist paintings don the walls, and elaborate sculptures are fastened to the rafters and eaves of the roof. This was, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful temples we have ever seen.

Finally, the Black House, or Baan Dam, was the most provocative of the three. Built by controversial Chiang Rai artist Thawan Duchanee, the museum or gallery complex consists of 40 traditionally designed Thai houses and buildings that would have been found in a conventional northern Thai village, such as a temple and stupa, a boat house, and, of course, bathrooms. The buildings themselves are well-crafted, but it is the tribal art pieces inside that stir the mind. Most of these art pieces are signs of death—at least from our interpretation. Real crocodile and anaconda skins cover the dining room table in one room, while wolf and bear pelts interrupt a meal in another. Water buffalo skulls (as well as tens of wooden penises) fill the outhouse walls. Under a stilted house lies the skeleton of a large elephant. Buddhas and native symbols are found among the demise of these animals. The signs of death, or of Heaven and Hell, throughout each room of the house and village seem to symbolize the end of the traditional Thai way of life, or Buddhism, or both.

Perhaps the traditional way of life is dead, but our time in Chiang Rai showed us that the connection to land and religion are still very much alive. New cash crops such as coffee are being safely cultivated in a culture that continues to value fresh food and produce, and while these new temples and art pieces are confrontational, they at least explore the place that religion has in the modern world, rather than shunning it altogether. To find both a rich arts scene and a rich farming community in one location makes Chiang Rai a truly golden visit.

Karen & Michael

Chiang Rai Province, November 27-29, 2019