Phu Thok (Chiang Khan)

Phu Thok is the hill a few kilometres outside Chiang Khan where the town goes to watch the sun come up over the Mekong. A telecommunications mast sits on the summit, and the viewpoint looks over the river, the town and the hills on the Laos side.

The Sunrise and the Sea of Mist

Most visitors come at dawn. On cool, still mornings, mist settles in the valley below and the hilltops stand out above it, which is the view that made the hill famous. It is not guaranteed: some mornings are clear, some are cloudy, and the mist depends on the weather overnight. The cool season is the most reliable time to try.

Getting Up the Hill

You cannot drive to the top. Park at the foot of the hill, where local pickup trucks wait from about 05:00 and carry groups of around ten up the last 2 km of steep, narrow road for a small round-trip fare. The ride takes about ten minutes.

From Chiang Khan town it is a short drive or tuk-tuk ride to the car park, so leave around 05:30 if you want to be at the top before sunrise. The dawn alms round on Chai Kong Road, the street that becomes the walking street each evening, happens at the same hour, so pick one per morning; two nights in town lets you do both.

Before You Go

There are no toilets at the summit, and the food stalls and souvenir shops are at the bottom, so buy coffee or breakfast before you go up. Bring a jacket in the cool season: it is colder at the top before sunrise than in town.

Watch out: Not to be confused with Phu Thok in Bueng Kan, a mountain temple with wooden walkways several hours’ drive to the east.