Chiang Khong & The Giant Catfish

[DavidFL]

Late 1980s & the "Original" Tammila Guesthouse in the main street.

Pla Buek Resort, late1980s?

once the party resort / spot in town.

Davidfl;291850 wrote: Pla Buek Resort, late1980s?

once the party resort / spot in town.

Finally,, thePla Buek site has been sold & is being turned into a 5-star hotel resort by Fortune Hotel Bangkok.

 

[DavidFL]

Once upon a time, long ago before the Xayaboury dam the catfish were quite plentiful in the Mekong near Chiang Khong.
April was catfish season & there was a constant line of boats with nets out across the Mekong to catch these monsters of the Mekong.

Fisherman camped out beside the Khong; & the boats took it in turns to sail out & drop a net as they went.
They then drifted downstream a little & pulled in the net as they came back closer to shore.
The next boat went out & dropped his net & the next boat again repeated the process, such that there was always a net across the river hoping to catch a big one.

When a fish was caught it was tied up to a bamboo pole in the river.

But since the dam construction started the numbers started to decline & no with the dam, no more giant catfish are caught.

Those golden days for the Mekong fishermen are gone now.

 

[DavidFL]

2004 cutting up a giant catfish at Chiang Khong.

Trip report on GTR here:
Huay Xai Mapping

 

[DavidFL]

March 1999 at the Chiang Khong port

 

[DavidFL]

April 1995 & the start of the catfish season with the annual ceremony & festivities for good luck to catch the giant Mekong catfish.
Looking back now it was a total honor to witness this event, the real deal.

 

[DavidFL]

August 1991 a rooftop view of Tammila? guesthouse & the Mekong in flood.

 

[DavidFL]

Tammila? August 1991

With Bobby Bender on our Mud Run Ride

 

[DavidFL]

Late 80s & a couple of pics from the by the Khong.

Not sure on the exact locations, but

I reckon this was at the Ban Saeo road junction R1290 / R4007.

20°15'38.6"N 100°10'50.0"E · 20.260722, 100.180556

goo.gl

Amazing how low the river was

Wat Haad Bai?

วัà¸à¸«à¸²à¸à¸à¹à¸²à¸¢ - Wat Hat Bai · 97C3+224, Rim Khong, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai 57140, Thailand

âââââ · Buddhist temple

goo.gl

or Wat Muang Kan

Wat Mueang Kan · 9974+W8P, Rim Khong, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai 57140, Thailand

âââââ · Buddhist temple

goo.gl

or Wat Sob Kok

Wat Sob Kok · 65Q2+WW8, Ban Saeo, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai 57150, Thailand

âââââ · Buddhist temple

goo.gl

It will be interesting to get the correct location.
The women's costumes suggest it is not Tai Lue at Haad Bai.

 

[DavidFL]

1988 down by the river. @ Tha Leua Bak or Had Khrai?

 

[DavidFL]

Late 1989. Downstream at the Huai Ian viewpoint, on R1155 19kms downstream.

 

[DavidFL]

1994 and a look across to the river to Houei Xai.

 

[DavidFL]

1994 Tammila Guesthouse.

 

[DavidFL]

1989 Huay Ian viewpoint.