While being stuck in Thailand during the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, we left Chiang Rai for a scooter trip to the northeastern end of Thailand. Having camped on the top of Phu Chi Fa Mountain for sunrise, and before we drove down to Mekong River, we decided to go for a short hike to Doi Pha Tang.
Doi Pha Tang Mountain is located near the northern end of Phi Pan Nam Range, about 15 km north from Phu Chi Fa, right on the border of Thailand and Laos. It reaches an elevation of about 1,600 meters and from its top one may wonder at some astounding views of both Thailand and Laos.
Doi Pha Tang is accessible from Ban Pha Tang Village, located on road 1093 running along the Lao border. There is a narrow road leaving off the main road at 19.9352, 100.5079, which leads to the mountaintop. On a motorbike, you can drive almost all the way to the top.
There are plenty of great viewpoints along this road, often complemented with little kiosks one can sit and chill in. From there you can get some amazing views of the Thai side but you should leave the bike and take a short hike to the ridge to also view the Lao side.
The highest point of the mountain is located at 19.9334, 100.5173. You can reach it in just a 5-minutes hike from the road. There isn’t anything like a trail but you can easily just walk through the tall grass that occupies the area.
The view is somewhat smoldered during the dry season, due to the numerous fires villagers light all over the place, nevertheless beautiful. To get the best views, you should rather visit in the rain season.
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