Six years ago this summer I made my first “real” international travel (I’m not counting runs across the border to Mexico or travels that I am too young to remember). I travelled to Japan in summer 2004 and subsequently moved there to live in 2005 & 2006. Since that first international travel experience in summer 2004 I was hooked! There is a kind of buzz and excitement that comes from international travel. I’ve also travelled to Thailand annually and in some cases more than once a year since 2007. There is also a kind of “intelligence” I think that comes from learning about other cultures and geographical locations that probably doesn’t show-up on any IQ tests. I’m not talking about knowing the name of the capital city of Thailand or being able to point to it on a map (something I’m sure most Americans can’t do!) but rather more of a sociological knowledge. Not to mention that I think when your horizons expand beyond your own borders you begin to view the world and your own country’s place in it differently. And of course living in a foreign country also provides opportunities to expand your sociological and cultural horizons, or IQ, as I like to think of it as.
Archive for January, 2010
International travel: a new kind of “intelligence”
Sunday, January 31st, 2010Udon Thani: including Wat Pho & Wat Ard Su Ra Vi Han
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010-
- wat ard su ra vi han, udon thani
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- thai warrior statue, wat ard su ra vi han, udon thani
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- buddha statue @ wat ard su ra vi han, udon thani
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- wat pho, udon thani
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- nong prachak park, udon thani
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- nong prachak park, udon thani
**NOTE (you can click on the above photos to blow them up to full size)**
Udon Thani is approximately 560 km northeast of Bangkok and is considered Isaan’s “gateway city” to Laos. It is located about an hours drive from the Laotian border and has a population of approximately 225,000. During the Vietnam War, the city catered to the nearby Royal Thai Air Force Base and the American military. Yearly training events among the American military and the Thai military are still held here, so the city has developed a sort of “GI feel” with a lot of bars and massage parlors. However, the city has other historical and cultural attractions that are often overlooked. About 47km east of Udon Thani is Ban Chiang, a Bronze Age archaeological site. And amongst the city’s impressive wats are Wat Pho (a replicated design of the more famous “Wat Pho” in Bangkok) and Wat Ard Su Ra Vi Han – an often overlooked wat by tourists.
Wat Pho is quite impressive in terms of the size of the grounds and the numerous buildings. Many young Thai men perform their required monk “internships” at this wat. From the Charoensri Grand Royal Hotel (renamed the Centara Hotel & Convention Centre in 2009), and the adjacent main shopping plaza, it is about a 50 baht tuk tuk ride. Even more impressive is Wat Ard Su Ra Vi Han, which is located near one of the city’s 2 lakes – on the other side of the lake is a Chinese temple known as Sala Poo Ya which is worth a visit since you are in the area. You can walk around the concrete park path with some nice views of the lake, check out the Chinese temple (there’s a Chinese restaurant there as well), and then make your way over to the Thai temple. A tuk tuk ride from the Centara Hotel round trip, including wait time for the tuk tuk driver while you walk around the park and visit the Thai temple (allow about 1-2 hours), should run you about 300 baht.
Udon Thani also has a sizable night market, which is located about a 10-minute walk from the main shopping plaza (adjacent to the Centara Hotel). And there are many eateries located within walking distance or a short tuk tuk ride from here as well. The large shopping plaza is about 5 floors high and has a food court, movie theater, and KFC amongst other options. The city also has two city parks, one which is located across from Wat Ard Su Ra Vi Han and the other named Nong Prachak is located near Wat Pho and is quite impressive in size and is a favorite spot for locals to spend a lazy afternoon on the well-maintained grass.
Commuting to Udon Thani from Bangkok:
From Bangkok you have three flight options to Udon Thani. Yes, there are other travel options by bus or train, but these will all take 8 hours or more. You will save a few thousand baht perhaps, but loose a few hours in the process. I did take a VIP bus from Bangkok to Khon Kaen on two occassions and though it was comfortable enough, I really prefer to explore the highways and countryside on my own via car – maybe you feel differently.
THAI Airways flies three times daily from Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Udon Thani – a mid-morning flight, afternoon flight and evening flight. Check their website for exact travel times. The fees will vary from about 3,500 baht to 5,000 baht (round trip) depending upon whether you are travelling during a peak season or holiday like Songkran (mid April).
Air Asia flies twice daily from Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Udon Thani – an early morning flight and a late night flight. Again check the website for exact travel times. Sometimes you will find an Air Asia flight to be a little cheaper than THAI Airways, but in my experience they are often about the same and if I have an option, I like the afternoon flight better – Air Asia doesn’t offer one.
Nok Air flies twice daily from Don Mueang to Udon Thani – an early morning flight and an afternoon flight, no evening flights. Nok Air is perhaps good if you are flying domestically, but if you arrive on an international flight, you will arrive to what is often referred to as “the new airport” which is Suvarnabhumi (BKK). This means that you will need to take a metered taxi (about 650 baht and 45 minutes) to reach the old airport, Don Mueang. Although Nok Air is sometimes as much as 50% cheaper than either THAI Airways or Air Asia, when you factor in the taxi ride, the time lost, and the inconvenience I don’t feel it is a viable option if you are arriving on an international flight.
