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| Mountain view over the Burmese border |
Doi Tung is a 1,389 m high mountain standing in the Golden Triangle at the Thai-Burmese border in northern Thailand.
In this area, there are many hill tribes originally coming from the Yunnan province of China. Most of
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| Doi Tung Royal Villa |
them still speak their native dialect. They once made a living by growing poppies to cater for the opium trade. The former Thai sovereign HM Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927-2016), King Rama IX, tried to eradicate the problem by initiating royal agricultural projects meant to replace the opium trade in the long run. The royal family has been very successful in this attempt and today many fruitful agricultural projects have replaced the cultivation of the poppies.
The DoiTung Development Project.
King Bhumibol's Princess Mother, the late HRH Princess Srinagarindra (1900-1995), took on her son's inspiration and started her own project in 1968.
Most of the ethnic hill tribe communities here are either Akha or Lahu. The Princess Mother decided to live there and to dedicate the rest of her life to improve the minorities' way of living.
The DoiTung Royal Villa.
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| Royal Villa balcony |
The Princess Mother had a house built in a combination of Swiss and Lanna style. It soon became her official residence by 1988.
Today, the house is open to the public for visit. The tour is provided with a multilingual appliance, which is provided free of charge at the entrance.
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| Front garden of the Royal Villa |
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| Some of the Villa garden flowers |
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| Orchids |
The DoiTung Garden (Mae Fa Luang Garden).
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| A view of the DoiTung Garden |
The Princess Mother was a keen lover of flowers. She had noticed that the mild climate of Doi Tung height was fit to grow floral species usually found in more temperate latitudes such as dahlia, petunia, azalea, magnolia, rhododendron, geranium, etc... It is a huge estate with lawns, trees, ponds, fountains. There is also a beautiful greenhouse filled with rare orchid species and a delightful café to relax and enjoy the view and the mild temperature.
For once, the entrance tickets fit equally all visitors. There is not a special 'farang fare' (foreigner price). You can choose what to visit. They also provide children, a student, and a senior price. Quite a model for a country that commonly segregates Thais and 'farangs'.
The villa and the garden are about one hour's drive away to the north of Chiang Rai. So this is an easy day excursion in a superb environment.
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| Garden pond |
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| Orchid |
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| Rare orchid |
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| Flower arrangement |
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| Rock garden |
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| Another view of the Royal Garden |
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