Chiang Rai is located 785 kilometres from Bangkok and borders Myanmar in the north and Laos in the east. Built by King Mengrai in 1262 this Thailand’s most northerly province has a mainly mountainous terrain and helps form the ‘Golden Triangle’ around the Mekong River which has long been associated with colourful cultures and an illicit opium trade. The opium may have gone but the colour hasn't and the markets offer all sorts of amazing local handicrafts. Chiang Rai is a major draw for tourists keen to experience the region’s natural attractions and learn about its place in Thailand’s past as well as the culture of the local hill tribes with colorful ethnic minorities, who have migrated into the region during the past 100 years from the Asian interior and have largely preserved their traditional ways.