The Kok River ( th, น้ำแม่กก, , ) is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
river of the
Mekong
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annual ...
that flows in
Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai ( th, เชียงราย, ; nod, , เจียงฮาย, ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai ...
and
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
provinces in
northern Thailand
Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is geographically characterised by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys which cut through them. Though like most of Thail ...
.
Source
The river originates in the
Daen Lao Range
The Daen Lao Range ( th, ทิวเขาแดนลาว,
,
Shan State
Shan State ( my, ရှမ်းပြည်နယ်, ; shn, မိူင်းတႆး, italics=no) also known by the endonyms Shanland, Muang Tai, and Tailong, is a state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos ...
,
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
. It flows eastwards across the
Myanmar–Thailand border, crossing at the Thai border town of
Tha Ton ( th, ท่าตอน, also spelled "Thaton" ). It flows to
Mae Ai District,
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai ( th, เชียงใหม่, ; nod, , ) is the largest Province ('' changwat'') of Thailand. It lies in upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It is bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, ...
. Most of its length in Thailand is in
Chiang Rai Province where it passes
Mueang Chiang Rai District after which it bends northeastwards and flows through
Mae Chan,
Wiang Chai and
Chiang Saen districts.
It is a wide, shallow, and slow-moving river. There is about of small-scale
whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
halfway between the towns of Tha Ton and Chiang Rai.
For several kilometres downriver from Chiang Rai, the river becomes a lake, until it reaches the irrigation dam near Wiang Chai.
The Kok River is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the
Mekong
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annual ...
River, with its mouth at Sop Kok in Chiang Saen District, opposite the
Lao border.
Phahonyothin Road
Phahonyothin Road ( th, ถนนพหลโยธิน, , ) or Highway 1 is a main road in Bangkok and one of the four primary highways in Thailand, which include Mittraphap Road (Highway 2), Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3), and Phet Kasem Road (H ...
crosses this river near Chiang Rai City. Altogether, there are five bridges crossing the Kok River near Chiang Rai city.
Tributaries
The main tributaries of the Kok River are the
Fang
A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fa ...
and the
Lao River, the latter having its source in the
Phi Pan Nam Range.
Dams
There is a small dam with 11 gates which provides irrigation for rice fields east of Chiang Rai. The dam is east of the Hwy 1 bridge. It turns the river into a lake, several miles long, for eight months of the year. Additionally, there is a dam planned on the Burmese side of where the river flows into Thailand, about upstream from the border.
''Top Gear''
In October 2013 the cast and crew of the British television show
''Top Gear'' constructed a bridge over the Kok as part of their Burma Special.
The bridge was originally planned to be built over the
River Kwai, but the River Fang which flows into the Kok was chosen "accidentally". The show aired in two parts on 9 March 2014 and 16 March 2014.
Following production of the episode, the bridge was taken down, despite the producers and crew wanting it to stay in use for the locals.
References
External links
Kok and Northern Mekong RBCThailand: flooding hit several northern and northeastern provincesSome Selected Wetlands in the Mekong River Basin of ThailandKok River Basin in Thailand
{{Clear
Kok
Rivers of Myanmar
International rivers of Asia
Tributaries of the Mekong River
Geography of Chiang Rai province