Deep in northern Thailand and just south of the Golden Triangle, Chiang Saen is a former ghost town crawling back to life. Once one of the most important cities of Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Saen has been sacked and conquered many times throughout history. In 1900, the repopulation began but you can still see the crumbling fortified walls of a violent past. You can see massive barges carrying fruit, car parts and other goods from China out to sea on the Mekong river. And Laos lies just across the Mekong from this sleepy river town.