Page 51 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND

ing labs and river boat transport. The mu-
seum also brought to life the terrible hu-
man cost of drug addiction. One display
showcased elaborately carved opium
pipes, aptly known as “smoking pistols.”
The museum was crowded, and so was
Golden Triangle Park, just steps away.
Walkways there spanned vistas across the
muddy confluence of the Mekong and Ruak
rivers north to Laos, where the Chinese-
built resort highrises lined the riverside. In
contrast, the view west to Cambodia en-
compassed only sandbars and jungle-
cloaked mountains. We joined other
tourists to pose with the park’s many stat-
ues, including a golden Buddha seated on
a boat and the Hindu elephant-headed de-
ity Ganesha. Before heading back to our
bus, we also shopped the many souvenir
stalls for silks, Buddha statues and colorful
paper Thai umbrellas.

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