Day 7, 15th February - Chiang Rai

A Bit of Luxury....... Overnight we've enjoyed the bit of luxury for a change and I can't fault the room whatsoever. If I have to find any inconvenience it's the fact that our room is on the second floor and there's no lift but whatever you see around you doesn't matter when your eyes are closed. However, there are no covers on your ears and the pub across the road is doing its very best to keep those senses alive. I wanted an early night after our busy day and there is still a lot of work to do on my blog. I'm fearful of the restless night but thankfully the music dies down after 11.00pm and I get the sleep I really need.
Game On....... Today there is the big game this evening, so I don't want such a long day as yesterday. It's a late departure made later by arranging some laundry. By the time that chore is completed we might as well take an earlier lunch.
Regarding our visits today there's enough to keep us busy until we need to prepare ourselves for the evenings entertainment but don't want to travel too far. We start by visiting a couple of temples missed on previous visits.
Wat Huay Pla Kang: Goddess of Mercy Chiang Rai....... Wat Huay Pla Kang is an epic temple in Chiang Rai. It's famous for its unique blend of Thai and Chinese architecture. Huay Pla Kang temple is also a great spot to watch a sunset. The temple consists of three buildings: A nine stories tall pagoda in hues of gold, green and red, a white prayer hall decorated all in white with similarities to Wat Rong Khun and a large white image of Guan Yin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.
This temple has a large following possibly due to supporting work for the community. For example, it runs its own hospital which is free and organises jobs for the unemployed. In the car park they will wash your car for a donation to the cause.
The second temple is west of the city located on a small hill.
Wat Phrathat Doi Khao Kwai....... According to a local legend, it is said that this temple is 1,000 years old. The ruler of Chiang Rai at that time constructed the phrathat to house the relics of the Buddha which consisted of the left little finger so that monks could spread Buddhism throughout the Lanna Kingdom.
The time is still early and I could call it a day as there are only minor attraction associated with Chiang Rai left.
No Flowers....... We reach the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park (Rai Mae Fah Luang). This is a Bucolic park featuring stunning landscaped gardens, museums & a traditional Lanna pavilion. It is a box to tick but I'm in conservation mode and really don't want to pay the 200 baht to see flowers and culture that is all around us here anyway. The next location is worth a visit on a hot day.
Chiang Rai River Beach....... Also known as Pattaya beach this a nice area to visit in the dry season when the water level in the Ping River is low. Here you can bathe or just laze around at one of the restaurant shelters that are eager to have your custom. It's what I should be doing if I hadn't already eaten.
Natural Attractions....... Trying to balance out the rest of the afternoon I would prefer more natural attractions. There are plenty of options in the mountains to the west but I can't stray to far. I try to locate Huai Kaeo Waterfall but when the road turns into a gavel track, I give up. In any case the waterfall would not be at its best this time of year. This expedition has wasted time and all I have to show for it is one unremarkable temple. I could do a lot better than this if I had time but I need to head back to get some rest before the evening's entertainment. Fortuitously we stumble on another attraction on the way.
Wat Tham Phra (Buddha Cave Temple)....... This temple is on the opposite side of the Ping River to where we were earlier at the River Beach. The large cavern here is attractive with its golden Buddha images. The cave does have some history as it contains the cipher of King Rama VII who visited here.
Leo Chiang Rai Stadium....... We now return to Bandu Resort and I manage to get a hour's sleep. At 5pm we head for Leo Chiang Rai Stadium. This stadium will strike off my list one of the three current remaining TPL stadiums I haven't visited and I record that they've all had different characteristics and policies. At Chiang Rai Stadium things should be easier as I already have tickets we ordered at 7-Eleven. That leaves only car parking and food to figure out. As for the former, as we arrive 40 minutes before kickoff there are no issues at all. The stadium is outside of the city near the airport with a huge parking lot but where are all the food stalls? Everywhere I've been to before has plenty of food stalls set up. What's going on? Well, we're told that food is available in the stadium itself on the 3rd level. How convenient! When we arrive there is just one food and one drinks outlet. How do they cope? I can only image given the shops nearby that people bring their own and there's no queuing for food when we arrive.
Entry to the stand is easy from here and the crowd expected today will be well below the 12,000 all seated capacity. It's simply that spacious that you can easily pop out to get refreshments at any time. We're well settled before kickoff so let's now concentrate on the game itself. At the whistle the crowd looks pretty sparse to me but with late straggles this improves. From the BD1 stand Chiang Rai are kicking from left to right, but we are looking over towards the Trat goal area.
Chiang Rai FC v Trat FC....... On paper this should be an easy win for Chiang Rai with Trat stuggling at the foot of the table. However as the game gets under way it doesn't seem that way. Trat have settled well and look good in possession but in the 13th minute the home team are ahead after their first real attack with a strike by Yong-Hyeon Yu. I found myself distracted, so I didn't see the build up to the goal but the cheers from the crowd says it all. It's now a question of how Trat will react, and they don't disappoint. The wingers always look dangerous and from a cross which bisected the Chiang Rai goalkeeper and his back line the same player who scored the goal earlier found the back of his own net on 20 minutes after an attempted clearance. The game looked like it would be stalemate at half time but into stoppage time a collision in midfield which left two players sprawled on the ground distracted the Trat defence and an excellent pass found Rodriguinho unmarked racing towards goal. He made no mistake slotting the ball past the Trat goalkeeper.
Into the second half and Chiang Rai seemed to be content to sit back and rely on breakaways while Trat continued to look for ways to breakdown the stubborn Chiang Rai defense. The game is sill not won for the home team but on 88 minutes a clumsy challenge in the penalty box results in a penalty to Chiang Rai after a VAR review. The victim Miguel patiently waits for the decision then calmly slots the ball into the net sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. The crowd is delighted and the Brazilian made the most of his effort milking the crowd's reaction. Chiang Rai cement themselves well in the top half of the table while Trat are in serious danger of relegation.
All that remains tonight is to secure some provisions to eat in the room in the morning.
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