Doy Din Dang, or "Red Clay Hill," accurately describes nearby ridges that are covered with red soil. A few years after his apprenticeship with master potter Nakazato Tarouemon in Japan, Somluk Pantiboon returned to his native Chiang Rai in 1991 to set up Doy Din Dang Pottery outside the city. Somluk, now an internationally known ceramic artist, has trained local villagers to become skilful potters. Using natural ingredients, they blend traditional and contemporary Asian styles to produce functional yet decorative stoneware.
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This beautiful royal residence was built in 1990 for Her Royal Highness, the Princess Mother of Thailand, in celebration of her 90th birthday. It is a two-storey building designed in northern Thai and Swiss chalet styles of architecture. Since the Princess Mother passed away, Doi Tung Royal Villa has become a tourist destination. Visitors can admire its beautiful gardens and enjoy clear mountain air.

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Her Royal Highness, the Princess Mother of Thailand, realised that education was critical in the reduction of opium cultivation and illegal drug use. By promoting greater awareness and a better understanding of the effects, dangers and consequences of opium and opiates, she believed that fewer people would be tempted into drug use, and that decreasing demand would gradually reduce supply. She hoped that the effects of this public awareness would extend worldwide. The initiative led to the Hall of Opium and its exhibitions, which utilise "edu-tainment" (education that is entertaining) to raise people's awareness about illegal drugs. Today, the Hall of Opium exhibition and information centre is part of the 40-hectare (100-acre) Golden Triangle Park, 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) north of Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai province, where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos meet at the confluence of the Sop Ruak Tributary and the Mekong River.

The Hall of Opium is one of the world’s foremost research and information centres on opium, opiates and other narcotics. The centre generates materials used for research, education, special school programmes and travelling exhibitions, all intended to help educate the public about narcotics.

A visit to the Hall of Opium takes visitors on a journey into the mysterious world of opium. With the use of state-of-the-art multimedia innovations, each section in the 5,600-square-metre (60,000-square-foot) exhibition sheds light on the more than 5,000 years of use and abuse of opiates. The exhibition depicts the origins of the opium poppy, medical and ritual use of opium in ancient civilisations, its spread throughout the world, continuous medical use and international efforts to control illegal drug abuse. Case studies help visitors to understand the problems of addiction and choices available to fight the temptation of drugs.

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Perched high in the Doi Tung area, Mae Fah Luang Arboretum offers spectacular views of the Nang Non mountain range. A cross-border opium trail once led through the area, which had been stripped bare of its primeval forest cover. Ancient trees in what had been one of the largest opium fields in Thailand were transplanted (root bulbs and all) to the Arboretum, at the intervention of the Princess Mother. Now rehabilitated, the Arboretum is home to a wealth of plant species, including wild orchids and other epiphytic plants, and many native birds and mammals have returned to their former habitats.

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Located next to Doi Tung Royal Villa, at an elevation of 950 metres (3,117 feet), the garden consists of 10 square kilometres (3.8 square miles) of breathtaking parkland. Over 70 species of cool-climate ornamental and flowering plants are planted in the midst of native plants and perennials. The garden blooms year-round, forming a splendid hillside tapestry that changes with the seasons. A bronze statue entitled "Continuity" is the centrepiece of the landscaped gardens. It depicts a group of children supporting each other in a human pyramid formation as one of them climbs toward the sky. The monument pays tribute to the tireless efforts of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Mother of Thailand, to improve the lives of her people. Mae Fah Luang Garden offers guided tours throughout the day.

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Sop Ruak is the world-famous place where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. Visitors can stand at the very point where the Sop Ruak River flows into the Mekong River. It is 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) north of Chiang Saen district.

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Chiang Saen, a small town on the banks of the Mekong River, has an interesting museum and ancient temples. The museum displays antiques from the Lanna and Sukothai periods, as well as hilltribe artefacts. The well-preserved Wat Pa Sak complex dates back to 1295 and houses a large stupa with six smaller shrines and temples. Wat Chedi Luang has a large brick stupa in Chiang Saen style and dates back to the 14th century.

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Mae Sai is a small town at the Thai-Burmese border approximately 60 kilometres (37.3 miles) north of Chiang Rai. Across the border is the Burmese town of Tachilek. Here, visitors will find local gems, jade, textiles, Burmese tapestries, lacquerware, handicrafts and some Chinese products for sale. For a fee, they can also cross the border to Tachilek to catch a glimpse of Burmese life. Admission to Burma is subject to nationality and visa restrictions. Please check with your local Burmese government representative.

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Chiang Saen, one of the most important cities of Lanna Kingdom, is famous for its numerous prehistoric archaeological sites. The Chiang Saen National Museum was founded in 1957 to display art and archaeological objects found at Chiang Saen and its surrounding areas. The collection relates to human settlement, including prehistoric tools and equipment. In the beginning, the museum site was the old sala (open veranda) of Wat Chedi Luang. The present building was erected in Chiang Saen in 1981.

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