Golden Triangle Park Hall of Opium — Attraction in Chiang Saen district

This is a very interesting museum and you can learn a lot about the opium trade of the past centuries and how it has influenced the area and transformed it. I spent there almost 3 hours, but it was worth it. The presentation of the information is very good and at times I became very thoughtful. I still think the presentation was balanced with being interesting and entertaining and giving a lot of information. At times I felt there was too much information about how to prepare and consume opium, but on the other hand it kept me thinking and I was able to dive deeper into the experience. There are several parts of the museum dedicated to different times in history. At the end there is a space for reflection, but to be honest I already did reflect while walking through a lot and at times it's quite sad. Finish the museum with some sweet or ice cream and find some local hand crafted items. They are pricy, but there are some unique scarfs or pillows and such and it supports the villagers that previously grew opium and now use their skills for planting coffee and for...

We stayed at the Anantara across the road, so we had to visit this place.

I didn't post any pictures as no photo taking was allowed, although I'm sure you could sneak some inside as it's not really monitored.

For such a quiet area of Thailand, this was quite an elaborate and interactive museum. It provided a vast amount of information on the history of opium around the world, and especially in the Golden Triangle. There were many types of artifacts to see as well that were beautifully crafted.

It took about 2 hours to have a decent look at most of the exhibits. I think it was layed out just right before you began to had enough history for one day. It's not a busy museum, but it's kept relatively well and definitely worth a visit if you are around the area. There is souvenir shop as well, but I wouldn't say it sold much interesting things. However much of the proceeds go to a foundation set up by the late King's mother.

Entry is 200 Baht per foreigner, and 150...

Foreigners save 50 baht on the entrance fee if residing at the Greater Mekong Lodge next door. Once you buy your ticket - you enter a long dark tunnel, amid eerie music. This section seems to depict opium addiction - and the suffering one might endure. Once out of the tunnel - you can see a mini albeit plastic field of opium flowers. You are then directed to watch an educational video on the history of opium and the efforts of the Thai Royal family to support alternate crops for the hill tribe people. The next stage shows how influential colonialists were in advancing the drug trade. The British empire under Queen Victoria promoted the sale of opium to fix a trade imbalance - especially so with China where millions were subsequently addicted. The opium wars followed - with China trying its best against a then miltarily superior England. One should allow about four hours to see the multiple educational exhibits that are indeed a brilliant showcase of...