The Golden Triangle is in Chiang Rai Province, in the far north of Thailand. The English name comes from the meeting of three countries namely, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, but to the locals it’s Sop Ruak, since this is where the Mekong River meets the Ruak River. Mekong River is the world’s twelfth longest river and the sixth longest in Asia. The Ruak River rises in the Daen Lao Range in Shan State (Burma) and meets the Mae Sai River near Thailand’s northernmost tip, where it becomes the border river between Thailand and Burma. It then flows eastward till it reaches Ban Sop Ruak, Tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province, where it drains into the Mekong River.
The Golden Triangle is unique in that it allows visitors to tour three countries in one trip: namely, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Along the Mekong riverbank route, about 9 km north of Chiang Saen. The Mekong River, which separates Thailand and Laos, joins the Ruak River, which separates Thailand and Myanmar, at Sop Ruak. Due to its favorable location connected to several countries, the Golden Triangle was formerly the world’s largest source of drug trafficking. However, it is now well-maintained and has become a major tourist attraction. Tourists will see the terrain that unites the three countries from this vantage point, which is encircled by a long and tranquil waterway.
The Golden Triangle Park also houses the Hall of Opium. It is home to a permanent exhibition on the history of opium and other narcotic drugs that spans 5,600 square meters. It was intended to assist lower drug demand through education, which was designed to be both entertaining and instructive, or edutainment.
The main intention is to educate people about the history of opium. Poppy farms, drug smugglers, and opium warlords are all well-known in this region, which includes sections of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. The Golden Triangle supplied the majority of the world’s heroin from the 1960s through the early 1990s.
Jailani Mahmood
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