Greater Mekong Lodge (Chiang Saen)

In Chiang Saen district, Chiang Rai province

The Golden Triangle evokes images of mist-shrouded mountains overlooking the mighty Mekong River; hill-tribe villages set on the forested slopes.

The term, “Golden Triangle” refers to a largely inaccessible and undiscovered region that spans the three countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, one of Asia’s last wild frontiers.

The Mekong River, the longest river in Southeast Asia and the twelfth longest river in the world, is aptly called the ‘River of Life’. Known as the Mae Khong in Thai, the river flows into the Kingdom of Thailand at the sleepy town of Sop Ruak, right on the doorstep of the Greater Mekong Lodge and Golden Triangle Park. Here, the Ruak River bordering Thailand and Myanmar converges with the Mekong River as it flows in from Laos.

The Greater Mekong Lodge provides on site accommodation situated on the same premises as the Hall of Opium at the Golden Triangle.

Greater Mekong Lodge offers 26 air-conditioned twin rooms and 14 two-bedroom bungalows, each with private shower and balcony offering a panoramic view overlooking the Mekong River.

Rooms

Single
Twin

Food and beverage services at the Greater Mekong Lodge include an American Breakfast menu, an international a la carte menu featuring popular Thai and Western cuisine and one-stop catering services for meetings, conferences, functions and special events.

For banquets and special events, a traditional Lanna folk music ensemble is included in the package. Full details are available upon request.

Meetings & Seminars

The conference room at Greater Mekong Lodge comfortably accommodates up to 250 persons. There is also a smaller meeting or break-out room for 20 persons. Standard audio-visual equipment are included in the Greater Mekong Lodge meeting package.

We also provide one-stop catering services for meetings, conferences, functions and special events. For banquets and special events, a traditional Lanna folk music ensemble is included in the Greater Mekong Lodge meeting package. Full details are available upon request.

THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

The ‘Golden Triangle’ evokes images of mist-shrouded mountains overlooking the mighty Mekong River; hill-tribe villages set on the forested slopes.

The term, “Golden Triangle” refers to a largely inaccessible and undiscovered region that spans the three countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, one of Asia’s last wild frontiers, where opium was once grown, processed into heroine, and smuggled out. It was the source of half the world's illegal heroin, the root of crime and corruption that transcend porous borders and span continents from Asia to Africa to Europe and America.

HRH The Princess Mother recognised that while the lives and cultures of the hill tribes of the Golden Triangle, opium production and trade are inter-related, opium was essentially an economic crop - not an intrinsic element of the indigenous culture. By helping villagers to become self-support sufficient through crop substitution programs and the creation of alternative employment under the The Doi Tung Development Project, hill-tribe villagers in Northern Thailand now generate sufficient income and are no longer dependent on opium cultivation for their livelihood.

HRH The Princess Mother also realised that education was a critical component in the eradication of opium cultivation and abuse. By promoting greater awareness, a better understanding of the effects, the dangers and consequences of opium and opiates, fewer people would be tempted into drug use. Decreasing demand would gradually reduce supply. Public awareness would help strengthen the commitment of societies worldwide in the fight against narcotics and illegal drugs. The initiative led to the construction of the “Hall of Opium”.