Images © Tourism Authority of Thailand

THE MOODS OF THE MEKONG
Chiang Saen. Chiang Khong. Chiang Khan.
Nong Khai. Nakhon Phanom. Mukdahan.
By Steve Van Beek

Stand on the banks of the Mekong at Chiang Saen at the northern edge of Thailand. Compare this with the Mekong 1,300 kilometres downstream at Ubon Ratchathani. Same river, two different personalities, two different cultures, enough so as to be two different rivers entirely. It has been instrumental in shaping the lives of the people of both regions—North and Northeast—who hug its banks, fish its waters, and regard it as their lifeline and lifeblood.

The Mekong rises 1,800 kilometres upstream of Thailand in China’s Qinghai province. Its ferocity as it spills off the Tibetan Plateau is legendary; only a few stalwarts have ventured to run it. By the time it passes Myanmar (Burma) to become the border dividing Thailand and Laos, it has been robbed of much of its feistiness by a quieter gradient. Yet its roiling waters, especially during the rainy season, betray the turbulence that brought it to this point.

It enters Thailand at the Golden Triangle which, simply by being the juncture of three borders, has earned the area a certain notoriety. Gazing down upon its placid waters and to the vivid green fields beyond, the tales of its wild past—opium, guns, warlords—seem hard to imagine. Men quietly pull fish-laden nets from it, or till the paddies on either side. It is the very picture of peace.

The Mekong River from Chiang Saen to Chiang Khong in Northern Thailand

Images © BkkContent.com

	Farther downstream, one gains a stronger sense of the river’s past and the wars that assailed it. Chiang Saen was built in the 11th century as the first city of the Thai kingdom. Its enemies must have been as ferocious as the upstream river because one still stumbles across its stern ramparts on treks to ruined rainforest temples. Chiang Saen defenders spent considerable effort digging a deep moat around their city that was filled by the Mekong, itself forming formed the fourth side of a square. That it succeeded in barring enemies is evidenced by the many stout chedi within the city walls attesting to great wealth.
Images © BkkContent.com	From its riverbanks, long-tail boats carry villagers and visitors up and downriver through stunning scenery. The downriver port of call is Chiang Khong, the last major town before the Mekong enters Laos. Its principal denizen is the plaa beuk, or Mekong catfish, the world’s largest freshwater fish. In 2005, fishermen landed a 2.7-metre-long, 293 kg. specimen. Today, recognizing its rarity and uniqueness, the same fishermen are fighting to preserve it.

This portion of the Mekong is distinguished by its Lanna, or northern Thailand, culture, architecture, art, language, and food, at once approachable and classic, the defining quality of its people. Then, the river disappears into Laos. When it emerges 600 km. later, it is a different river altogether. The lands and people it waters are a stark contrast to those of its upriver portion.

Standing at Chiang Khan where it enters Thailand again, one is aware that the river has matured on its journey. Gone is the intimacy of the upper river; it has been replaced by a flatter, fatter, broad, brown band that evokes Tom Sawyer and the Mississippi. Here, the Mekong feels like the world’s 11th longest river. And here begins its differentiation into the vibrant culture of Isan.

The Mekong River in Chiang Khan in Loei province (Kaeng Kutku rapids)

Images © TAT

Whereas the northern Mekong is Lanna, a blend of Burmese, Thai, and Lao influences with a smattering of tribal cultures, the river flowing through Isan (Thailand’s northeast) is enriched by full-blown Lao antecedents, sprinkled with Vietnamese and Khmer strains, a potpourri of cultures unique in Thailand.

The first major town it meets is Nong Khai, the gateway to Laos. A trading town, it is a conduit for fine silver ornaments and textiles flowing into Thailand from the Lao interior. Travellers cross its Friendship Bridge to Vientiane, Laos’ capital.

The Mekong River in Nong Khai province

Images © TAT

The farther east it flows, the more it broadens. Boats are fewer than upriver, lost on the sea-like expanse of the river itself. Aside from the ferries that cross it, the river holds no large boats. The Mekong never developed as a transportation route because the Khone Falls in southern Laos blocked all river travel. Instead, the river nourishes the many riverbank gardens that are inundated annually with floods that can raise the water level an impressive 10-15 metres.

Photos courtesy of Teera Mongkolkachit - GMM Pictures and special thanks to "Traveller's Companion" magazine	Downriver from Nong Khai are the famed naga fireballs, eerie greenish and reddish orbs that rise from the river each year, drawing more than 100,000 visitors for their one-night appearance.
Image © Don Ross	The Mekong begins to arc to the southeast and then to the south as it wends towards the distant South China Sea. It flows near Ban Chiang, once thought to be the earliest civilization in Southeast Asia, and arrives at Nakhon Phanom whose hints of its Vietnamese past are evident in its temples, a clock-tower, and the many signs in Vietnamese that dot the waterfront.
Image © TAT	Farther downstream at Mukdahan is the latest bridge, the third, to be built between Thailand and Laos. The span is turning a sleepy Isan town into a commercial centre on the route between Bangkok and the Vietnamese coast.
Sedimentary rocks eroded by the Mun River. Potholes are a natural occurrence. Image © TAT	At the confluence of the Mekong and Mun rivers—and at the site of the third bridge—the river moves away from Thailand, no longer the common border. Follow the Mun upriver for several kilometres past the beautiful Kaeng Tana falls to reach Ubon Ratchathani. This thriving city is the starting point for an exploration of beautiful Khmer temples built by the kings of Angkor a millennium ago. The crown jewel is Khao Phra Viharn, 154 km. south of Ubon. Climb to its summit and gaze down 600 meters into Cambodia itself. Explore this vast region by car along Highway 212 that rims the Mekong, offering mesmerizing views. Cruise boats also ply various stretches of the river, immersing one in a first-hand experience of its rhythms and life.