Chiang Saen Lake ( th, ทะเลสาบเชียงแสน) is a natural freshwater lake in Thailand, it is located in Yonok Subdistrict, Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province, northernmost Thailand. According to the

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, the legend of

Singhanavati The Singhanavati (; ) Kingdom was based along the Kok River, in the Chiang Rai Basin in northern Thailand. The ancient Lanna society of northern Thailand was considered more progressive than many other contemporary societies in other regions bec ...

(ตำนานสิงหนวัติ), it used to be an ancient kingdom known as Singhanavati or Yonok. The kingdom was destroyed by a sudden flood from earthquake in one night. Submerged the entire town in a what is known today as "Wiang Nong Lom" (เวียงหนองหล่ม, "drowned town") an archaeological swamp south of the lake. This lake has a total area of 2,711 rais (1,071 acres). It was originally just a small swamp, until a dam was built to block the waterway overflow until a large lake was formed known as Nong Bong Kai (หนองบงคาย). On April 4, 1985, it was declared as Nong Bong Kai Non-hunting Area. The lake is home to large flocks of migratory waterfowls which are most plentiful and can be seen at their best from November through February. Bird species found here are lesser whistling duck,

grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes . Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Some flightless species exist as well, most notably ...

, common pochard,

watercock The watercock (''Gallicrex cinerea'') is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae that is widely distributed across Southeast Asia. It is the only member of the genus ''Gallicrex''. Taxonomy The watercock was formally described in 17 ...

etc. There is a

campsite A campsite, also known as a campground or camping pitch, is a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using te ...

for visitors. Chiang Saen Lake is regarded as the northernmost lake in Thailand.

References

{{reflist category:Lakes of Thailand category:Ramsar sites in Thailand Geography of Chiang Rai province Tourist attractions in Chiang Rai province category: Non-hunting areas of Thailand

See also

References