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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.

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Perhaps we should start with an explanation of what a prasat is and isn’t. Prasats are unique to the Isaan region of Thailand and Cambodia. In fact, Isaan used to belong to the vast Khmer empire of Cambodia, which arguably reached it’s height of prosperity and influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. It is believed that most of the prasats were built during this era. Prasats are temple-like sanctuaries that were connected by a “roadway” from the Isaan region stretching to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. They served as sanctuaries for weary travelers traveling along the vast roadway. Sometimes people, even Thai may mistakenly refer to the prasats (translated into English) as “castles” or “palaces” but the prasats were not used as royal residences. The inner structure of the prasats generally contain some Hindu images, reflecting Isaan’s pre-Buddhism era, though Buddhist images were later added. The prasats are often adorned with statues leading up to the main complex.

Perhaps the two most famous of the prasats, at least from a traveller’s perspective are prasat hin phimai (in Phimai) and prasat hin phanom rung (near Buriram). I have blogged a separate entry for each of these locations in this blog, so you can search through the blog entries to find more details specifically about those locations, including contact information (if available), pricing, and hours of operation.

**The attached photo is of what is known as a “prang” – a corn cob shaped tower where the sanctuaries most prestigious religious imagery was kept.

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Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung is a 11th to 12th Century Khmer structure that is located near the town of Buriram in the Isaan region of Thailand. Buriram is located 56 miles east of Nakhon Ratchasima. To reach the historical park from Buriram travel south on Highway 219 to Highway 24, there are signs for the park once you reach Highway 24. Or if you are coming from Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) or Khon Kaen, exit off of Highway 2 onto Highway 24, then follow Highway 24 east. The park is located about an hours drive south of Buriram. There isn’t much in the way of luxury accommodations in Buriram, so your best bet is to spend the night in Nakhon Ratchasima then drive the couple of hours east on Highway 24 to the park.

The park does not disappoint. It is much larger than the ruins at Phimai and there are several souvenir vendors available in the area with every type of souvenir imaginable with very affordable prices, along with a very impressive museum which gives information on the history of the site in English as well as Thai. Entrance to the museum is free and open daily from 9am to 4pm. The park itself is open daily and there is a fee of less than $2 American (about 50 baht) per person. I have seen conflicting reports on the park’s hours with the earliest listing 6am and the latest listing 8:30am – most information has generally agreed that the park is open until about 5:30pm or 6pm. Shoot for mid-day and you should be fine! However, many bus tours arrive here throughout mid morning until late in the afternoon. For such a large attraction in Thailand there is suprisingly no contact information to be found either on the Internet or in other guidebooks. There is only one public restroom available to the best of my knowledge, which is inside one of the shops that sells souvenirs, snacks and drinks, and there is a small fee of 2 baht to use the toilet.

The prasast sits atop an extinct volcano and once you trek up the elaborate series of steps to reach the prasat, you will be treated with a grand view of the valley below. During the Songkhran festival in April (look for a future entry about Songkhran) the local people have their own Phanon Rung Festival. This is to commemorate the restoration of the prasat. The name “phanom rung” in Thai means “big hill.” Aptly named considering that the rest of the surrounding topography is quite flat. This prasat is probably the one that most resembles and rivals the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The park was restored in the 1980’s at an approximate cost of 2 million dollars and is one of the few Khmer sanctuaries without later Thai additions. Though the park is off the beaten path from other destinations in Isaan, if you are here to see prasats, there are many other prasats located along Highway 24 with signs in English. In fact, Prasat Meuang Tam is a mere 8km from Phanom Rung and it too has been restored. Unfortunately, due to time constraints I have yet to visit this prasat, but I plan to on a future trip. A word of caution however, as I haven’t yet explored any of the other smaller and more decayed ruins, I can not comment on which ones are worth visiting. I have heard rumors however, that some of the prasats may still have buried land mines and unexploded grenades from past military conflicts which would remain hidden amongst the overgrown vegetation. So a definite word of caution if you decide to venture off the main road to explore some of these more obscure prasats.

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One of the most culturally alluring sites I’ve visited in Thailand. And some beautiful photo opportunities.

Prasat Hin Phimai Historical Park is an 11th Century Khmer/Thai prasat located about midway between Bangkok and Khon Kaen, with access via Hwy 2. The prasat is located just north of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) and you turn east on Highway 206 off of Highway 2. Highway 2 is a major interstate whereas Highway 206 is much smaller but still a comfortable drive.

I visited this park (as seen in the photos) in May 2007 and was impressed by how intact the buildings are. Look at the detail on the photo showing the inside of one of the buildings – and this place is a thousand years old! It has been partially restored, of course.

The lawn is well-kept and landscaped and there are public restrooms as well as vendors there to sell you snacks and a wide array of very affordable souvenirs (i got a souvenir plate with my photo on it for only 100 baht – about $3 American). The park is open daily from 7am to 6pm. While this structure is impressive, the Prasat Phanom Rung is even larger and more impressive (look for a separate blog entry about Phanom Rung).

Although we may use the term “temple” or “village” in English to describe these structures, the prasats were in fact not a true temple, village, or even royal residence as some mistakenly believe based on the decorative statues that adorn the prasats. The prasats were designed as a retreat for those travelling across the Khmer lands to the temple of Angkor (in present-day Cambodia). The Isaan region of Thailand was once part of the vast 11th century Khmer empire.

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If you are visiting the city of Nakhon Ratchasima in Isaan, I would highly recommend a visit to the Korat Zoo. The zoo is located about 20 minutes south of Nakhon Ratchasima (also known locally as Korat) and is accessible via Highway 304 from Highway 2 or Highway 24. Highway 2 runs in a northeastern direction from Bangkok to Khon Kaen, with Nakhon Ratchasima about midway. So if you were coming from Bangkok, you would take Highway 2 north, then south on Highway 304 to reach the zoo. Highway 24 runs east from Nakhon Ratchasima, so if you were coming from say Cambodia, you would want to head west on Highway 24, then take Highway 304 north to reach the zoo. There are signs in English for the zoo once you are on Highway 304.

In 2007, the entrance fee was 50 baht for Thai and 100 baht for foreigners (that’s about $3 American). The zoo has a very cool feature which you can see in the attached photo – a tram system. You start off from the visitor center in one of these vehicles, then you simply jump off when you want to visit a particular exhibit. If you are not interested in say the snake exhibit, just stay on the tram until it reaches an exhibit you are interested in. The trams run every 10 minutes or so, so it’s never a long wait until the next one arrives to take you onto the next destination. I visited the zoo twice and both times the tram system was very efficient.

The layout of the park and the exhibits are well designed and with the trams you get a real Jurassic Park feel to the place! The bird exhibits were particularly impressive. There are snack shacks along the way and of course souvenir shops. The zoo closes at 5pm. The last time I was there in fall 2007 they were building new exhibits so I think the zoo will likely expand. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information in English available about it, the website is in Thai only.

The gift shop has a lot of nice souvenirs including hats and polo shirts with the Korat Zoo name. When I was there on a Wednesday, the gift shop had closed early, before 5pm I believe it was, but they were willing to open it back up for me when I said I wanted to buy a polo shirt

A word to the wise, be prepared that if you must use the toilet, there is no toilet paper provided in the stalls. You must purchase it from one of the gift shops. When you enter the zoo, they will give you a map of the zoo so you can identify at that time where the facilities are. To tour the zoo expect about 2-4 hours depending upon how much of everything you want to see. You should allow at least 2 hours but if you have 4 hours to spare there certainly is enough exhibits to keep you busy. And the landscaping of the zoo is very relaxing, so you will likely want to allot some time to simply sit on one of the benches and relax and enjoy the green surroundings.

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If you are into the “great outdoors” you will surely enjoy the Nam Phong National Park and Nam Phong Dam, also known as the Ubonratana Dam (it may be spelled “U-Bonrat” on some maps), located in the Khon Kaen province and a relatively short drive from the city of Khon Kaen. From Khon Kaen city take highway 12 west for about 30 km. Next, turn right heading north ( look for a sign for Ubonratana Reservoir) and drive 19 km to the headquarters. There are campsites available, restroom facilities and tent camping is also allowed. The dam is a short drive from the headquarters, just follow the signs available to the dam. The dam provides wonderful views of the surrounding lake and mountains and there is an outdoor eatery or two located around the dam where you can order fresh fish caught from the lake! My advice would be to plan this trip around dinner time, before dusk, so that you can watch the sun set on the lake while eating dinner – beautiful!

If you are an outdoor enthusiast there certainly is enough here to keep you busy for a whole day – many areas to explore and hike including lush Evergreen forests, or you could watch the fishing boats out on the lake. The surrounding National Park offers many additional opportunities to explore.

A short drive from the dam is a Buddhist shrine (see photos) – though it is off the beaten path, we took a dirt road to get there, but it was drivable with a small passenger car, but be weary of mud after heavy rains. Sorry I can’t tell you exactly how to get to this shrine, we had to stop and ask directions and the conversation didn’t take place in English, so I can’t tell you exactly how to get here. However, if you are staying in Khon Kaen, this shrine is well known to the residents so I’m sure you could find someone at a hotel like the Charoen Thani or Sofitel to give you directions. Or try the contact information below.

Contact information:
Nam Phong National Park
P.O. Box 13, Don Mong, Nong Rua district,
Khon Kaen 40240
Tel: 043-248006 ~ 7

If you happen to find yourself in the southeast corner of the Isaan region, an afternoon spent at the Rong Kluea Market near the city of Sa Kaew is highly recommended. Actually, the market is on the Thai/Cambodian border with the nearest “city” being that of Sa Kaew. But don’t expect much in the way of accommodations in Sa Kaew. The market is most easily accessible via highway 33 East, which you can reach from Bangkok. The total distance from Bangkok is 214 kilometers.When I visited the market in February of 2008, we had arrived in Sa Kaew quite late in the evening after having driven most of the day from Hua Hin. I don’t recall at this time the name of the hotel we stayed in, though I will update this entry if I do recall the name of the hotel. Not that I would necessarily recommend a stay in this hotel as anything special, but I think it might be your only reasonable accommodation option in this very small town. And the room was reasonably clean and it was cheap.

Anyway, back to the market which is one of the reasons to find yourself this far into the corner of Isaan. The market is full of some really nice high-end “knockoffs” including designer handbags, a variety of techno gadgets, digital cameras and top-of-the line cell phones and PDAs. Along with your usual assortment of clothes and sunglasses. But the real reason to consider a trip here is the technology that can be had for a fraction of the price of the real product. And these knockoffs are quite high quality. For a rough estimate, expect to pay about 25% of what you would pay if you were buying the real item (for techno gadgets, substancially less for clothing and sunglasses).

A word of caution. While I was there at the market, quite a few “guides” came up to me saying in English that they could take me on a day trip to Cambodia and all I needed was my passport. I’m not sure, but I believe a visa is required to exit and re-enter Thailand from Cambodia and at any rate, I have heard stories of foreigners held hostage in Cambodia for ransom. Cambodia does not exactly have good relations with either Thailand or America (I would presume it is the same for western Europe and the like), so consider that a day trip into Cambodia especially a spur-of-the-moment trip such as this may be an adventure you don’t want!

Okay, so onto reason number two as to why you should consider travelling this far southeast into Isaan – the beautiful countryside. And this is such a remote area of Thailand and of Isaan for that matter. From the market, I recommend that you take highway 348 north to highway 24. From highway 24 you can head west back to Nakhon Ratchasima (from there you can get back onto highway 2 and get to Bangkok or Khon Kaen easily). Highway 24 is a major highway, so this is not part of your “countryside tour” per say, but highway 348 will take you through some very remote and beautiful areas. Just be aware that highway 348 though well paved at times is at other times little more than a dirt road. And watch out for the potholes! Also a word of caution about the signage – there isn’t any in English, at times it is only Thai sanscrit, so only travel in this direction if you are confident you can read it or find your way. Don’t expect locals to speak any English here. It’s best of course to travel with a Thai speaker. But if you make the couple of hours trek up highway 348 you will be rewarded with a trip that certainly no one in your circle of friends and probably even their circle of friends can remark that they have been there and done that too! For an added adventure, when you reach highway 224 at the intersection of highway 224 and highway 348, you can take highway 224 west. This will also take you to highway 24 and back to “civilization.” But it adds a little more time spent with the beautiful Thai countryside onto your journey. Isaan is a remote destination for most travelers to Thailand, this is the remote of the remote!

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I doubt that anyone planning a vacation to Thailand would likely start out by saying ‘I want to visit Khon Kaen.’ Maybe you might visit some of the tourist attractions in the Isaan region of which Khon Kaen is located within. Attractions like the Prasat Him Phimai or the Prasat Him Phanom Rung or even the Korat Zoo. But spending a few days in a city like Khon Kaen is certainly a good way to get a feel for “authentic” Thailand. Away from the big city of Bangkok, away from the tourist traps in the South like Phuket or Pattaya, Khon Kaen is a glimpse of day to day life in modern Thailand. Where old ways and new ways combine. On my 1st trip there back in May 2007 I was very surprised to see water buffalo while driving along some of the streets on the outskirts of town and yet be able to go to an Internet cafe where I could access a high speed connection.

And there are attractions in Khon Kaen mind you. Three wats (Wat Wutharam, Wat Nongwang, and Wat Jien Bung) surround the towns lake which is located in the center of the city. The lake itself, Beung Kaen Nakhon Lake, which is surrounded by a nice-sized “family park” is worth a visit. The man made lake is large, a concrete walking/cycling path circles the lake and is frequented by Khon Kaen residents. Cycling, walking, running and dog walking are all popular activities. It takes about 90 minutes to walk the entire stretch of the concrete path around the lake.

Speaking of the lake, the cities best restaurants are located on the street that circles around the lake. There are too many to name and I’ve eaten at quite a few of them. All of them have different tastes and styles but I have enjoyed the meals at all of them, so try them out and see which one you like best! On the weekends and sometimes even during the week in the evening, many of them have live music, some featuring Thai music and even some featuring American music. Some of the restaurants have a nice view of the lake so you can sit outside and enjoy some good Thai food while looking over the lake at dusk.

As far as hotel accommodations I have personally only stayed in two hotels in Khon Kaen: the Charoen Thani Princess and the Bussarakam Hotel.

At the time that I stayed in the Charoen Thani in May 2007, it was rated as a 4-star hotel. Though on my Trip Adviser review I did “ding” the hotel as a low 4-star hotel, mostly based on service, it was at that time a very nice hotel with clean and well-appointed rooms and at less than 2,000 baht a night, a very good bargain. However, in reviewing the Trip Adviser website, I found that the hotel has been bumped down to a 3-star rating. And there average room rate is now about 1,200 baht per night, down from the 1,700 baht per night average when I stayed there. So perhaps the quality has slid a little since I last stayed there. They have a website now:

WEBSITE:

http://www.charoenthaniprincess.com/

And the Bussarakam Hotel is a budget/business hotel that I found to be very clean for about 1,250 baht a night for 2 people. The hotel is not officially rated on Trip Adviser, in fact I was the user that submitted their hotel to the Trip Adviser site but I would say they are between a 2-star and 3-star hotel. I was told by staff that the hotel was built in approximately 2005, and I believe them because it looked quite new and the room was clean and in good condition.  The hotel has a website, but it’s in Thai only. And don’t let the photo on their home page fool you, it doesn’t look quite this nice in the day time. But as I said inside the rooms are quite clean, at least they were in 2008 when I last visited here. By the way, if you visit the Trip Adviser review for this hotel, I included a photo or two of the room there. The hotel’s website has their contact information including their email address. I don’t believe any of the hotel staff speak English, this hotel is mainly used by Thai businessmen. They don’t get a lot of foreigners staying here I think, but the hotel served its purpose and the room also came with a coffee maker, hair dryer, mini fridge and robe – the usual suspects.

WEBSITE:

www.bussarakamhotel.com

A word about the Sofitel Raja Orchid (which has now changed their name to the “Pullman Raja Orchid”), which is considered the number one hotel in Khon Kaen. It is listed as a 4-star hotel and I have heard nothing but kind words about it, though I’ve personally never stayed at that hotel. I’ve included their contact information here (for some odd reason, the #1 hotel in Khon Kaen doesn’t have a website, but you can book reservations online for them, just do a Google keyword search on their name and a few options should pop-up):

CONTACT INFORMATION
9/9 Prachasumran Road, Amphur Muang, Khon Kaen 40000 Thailand
Tel: (66)(43)322155 FAX: (66)(43)322150

For entertainment, Khon Kaen features a lively night market – expect the usual suspects here, techno gadgets, clothing (including good deals on Polo shirts), sunglasses and the like. In the same area of the night market there is a mall known locally in English as “the Family Plaza” which was remodeled in fall of 2009 and is quite impressive for a town of Khon Kaen’s size. Here you can find American fast food like McDonald’s, KFC and Swensen’s Ice Cream. And both the Sofitel and Charoen Thani Princess have discotecs and live music. On my 2nd trip there back in September 2007 I caught the show at the Charoen Thani which included a Thai rock band, a ladyboy singer and comedian as well as other styles of music and signing. It was quite a good show that lasted about 2 hours as I recall. The shows probably change, but you can contact the Charoen Thani to find out what they currently have in the way of entertainment.

There is a nice website at www.khonkaen.com where you can find more information about the hotels, the wats and restaurants located in Khon Kaen.