Thaton (Thailand)

Thaton (ท่าตอน, also spelled Tha Ton) is a small village in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. It is 46 km northeast of Fang.

Understand
Thaton is between Mae Ai and Mae Chan in northern Chiang Mai Province. It is a town on the banks of the Kok River. It has a relaxed atmosphere, and some people hang out for a few days or weeks. There are a small number expats as permanent residents. There are a number of guesthouses along the banks of the river and more in the town. The picturesque views from Thaton hill and the banks of the river, and a small town feel combine to make this a nice place to hang out.



Get in
Thaton is on Rte 1089 between Fang and Mae Chan. The distance to Chiang Mai is about 214 km by road and takes about 4 hours, but with some excellent scenery along the way. Chiang Rai is 108 km away, Fang 25 km, and Mae Ai, 10 km. Thaton is so small it does not appear on many road maps.

You can take the boat from Thaton via Ban Ruam Mit (elephant riding) to Chiang Rai. The very scenic trip on the Kok River takes about 3 hours downstream (from Thaton) or about 4 hours upstream. There is a government boat from Thaton at 12:30 that costs 400 baht each for a minimum of 4 people. In the upriver direction it runs from Chiang Rai's CR pier at 10:30. If the times are inconvenient, you can charter a private boat. The initial asking price is 2500-1700 Baht, but that could probably be bargained lower. To arrange things contact the CR pier boat office (7:00-16:00) in-person or by phone 053 750009.

The bus station is near the bridge. Buses depart from/to Chang Phuak Bus Station in Chiang Mai several times a day with the journey taking 3-4 hours (prices are around 90 baht). The buses are usually easily identifiable with English information on them. Buses to Chiang Rai and Bangkok also run, albeit less frequently, a journey to Chiang Rai takes a couple of hours and to Bangkok about 12 hours (890 km). In May 2012 there was only one bus to Chang Rai that left at 15:00 and you had to change in Mae Chan.

From Thaton you can also go to Mae Salong, and on to the Myanmar border at Mae Sai where you can extend your visa.

Get around
Thaton can easily be explored on foot and bicycle. A songthaew can easily be hired if you need to travel out of the village.

See




Do
Thaton is the launching point for river trips to Chiang Rai, and for hill tribe villages in the surrounding hills. You can make a half-day longtail boat trip to Chiang Rai from here. Within 20 km of Thaton you can visit local villages, inhabited by Pauang, Black Lahu, Akha, and Yunnanes. Treks and raft trips can be arranged through guesthouses and hotels in town.

Buy
On the grounds of Wat Thaton (level 2) there is the occasional open-air market where the hill tribes hawk trinkets and snacks.

Eat
There are many small restaurants serving Thai and some Western food. Also a couple of (Nationalist) Chinese-owned restaurants. A few restaurants along the river serve locally caught fish, both from the river and from local fish farms. Also several street vendors in the late afternoon and early evening hours sell food items often not found in restaurants, such as Rotis and "Thousand year old" eggs.

For packaged foods, there is a 7-11 one block south of the bridge. The local morning market is a prime spot for fresh produce. There is a nice fruit stand located near Sunshine Cafe that sells chilled coconut juice, straight from the coconut.

Drink
There are no bars in Thaton, although most restaurants serve alcohol.

Stay safe
There is a tourist police station near the bridge, although there is no major crime in Thaton.

Be aware of stray dogs, especially if riding a bicycle. If they show aggressive behavior (especially in group) avoid eye contact and move away slowly. In the unlikely event of a bite, get a rabies vaccination as soon as possible at Mae Ai Hospital, which is 9 km south of Thaton in the town of Mae Ai.

Go next

 * Doi Ang Khang - mountain resort
 * Doi Mae Salong - village known for former Kuomintang soldiers and tea cultivation