The land where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet is home to one of the unique places in Southeast Asia: Golden Triangle Economic Zone. It is located directly across the Mekong River from Thailand’s Northern region and has earned a reputation as a site of Chinese investments, casino gambling, luxury hotels, and controversies.
The zone is leased to the King’s Romans Group, a Chinese company, for a period of 99 years and has been implicated in stories that speak of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering. These accounts have only helped create a sense of mystery and danger about the place.
Getting Here From Thailand to Laos
Getting to the zone is not easy as it may seem. It starts with crossing the border between Thailand and Laos. At the border, travelers had to leave Thailand in order to get to the place.
At the immigration office, it was suggested that returning to Thailand might have certain requirements that must be met, such as the amounts of cash, hotel address, and onward flight tickets.
The boat trip made it possible to see the border from rather an unusual angle. On the opposite side of the river, tall buildings, casinos, construction sites, and other large objects could be seen. The presence of Chinese characters in the border facilities indicated the close relationship between the area and visitors from China.
Upon crossing the river, the tourist entered Laos and completed his immigration checks. The region appeared to be more different from the regular parts of Laos. The Chinese language was seen together with Lao and English.
A City That Is More Like China
Once inside the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, one couldn’t help noticing the pronounced impact of Chinese culture on the place. Most of the buildings were new and looked pretty modern, while many businesses were aimed predominantly at customers from China.
Here, Chinese currency was widely accepted, while some ATMs even dispensed foreign money: yuan and baht instead of the local kip. One could see many restaurants, supermarkets, road signs and other things reflecting the Chinese influence.
Amongst the various attractions in the region, King’s Romal Hotel was the most appealing to the tourists with its huge gaming center, hotels, and shopping malls all around. At the same time, it has also reminded tourists of the famous city of Macau, thanks to its grand buildings and resorts.
Tourism, Construction, and Corruption
Although there have been some negative reports regarding this zone, the actual experience was much more positive. The area was found to be clean and modern.
Nevertheless, the traveler was quick to point out that a brief visit cannot reveal everything behind closed doors. There are still reports of unlawful practices in the area, even if tourists have the opposite impression.
This situation has shown that Laos has a very close relationship with China. Investment from China was very useful for the construction of the buildings in the area.
What is the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone Like?
It is hard to simplify the description of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. Visitors may find it surprisingly modern, meticulous, and dominated by China. However, its notorious reputation makes visitors think twice about travelling to this destination.
The visit was a short look into the complex milieu of the area. The presence of game center, hotels, construction sites, Chinese businesses, and tourists does not provide a full picture of what the zone is about.
It is, however, an attractive destination for those who are fascinated by the peculiarities of border crossings, Chinese investments abroad, and the transformations taking place in South-East Asia.
