TrongpaiExpat
January 8th, 2009, 12:35
We (BF and I) started out with a short flight from Bangkok to Udon Thani on NOK Air. We arranged for the rental of a Honda Jazz with Budget of Thailand. I compared prices with some of the independents and Budget was about the same price. There's no Budget counter at Udon but they meet you with a sign and the car is on the curb ready. It's quick and efficient.
The parameters of this 10 day road trip are to tour the NE corner of Thailand comprising of a portion of Udon, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai, bordered roughly by Rt 22 to the south, the Mekong to the East and North and Rt 2 on the west.
We drove out of Udon on rt.22 to the small Udon Provance town of Nong Han where we met up with some of the BF friends who drove from Bangkok to attend a wedding at this town. We stayed at what the sign referred to as a "resort" off the highway. It was a small A frame very clean bungalow with an uncomfortable bed, one window, AC, and hot water. The normal price is 300B but they wanted 400B, the Holiday rate, more likely the Farang rate. There were 10 bungalows and we were the only customer.
The reason for the stop in Nong Han was to meet up with the other half of this touring party who drove up from Bangkok and would be meeting us in Nakhon Phanom. We were expected dinner guests at the family home of one the guys that we were meeting. We stopped and picked up a few cases of beer and some fruit as a gift. I guess someone told them all my favorite Thai foods and they had prepared a special dinner for us along with quite a warm welcome for someone that really does not have any connections to this family. Neighbor and family members came out to greet me. It seems that there's always some Thai that wants to show off his skills in English and would ask me in difficult to understand English question that I would have to repay in Thai to make sure what he was asking.
Next day after an uncomfortable night in the Nong Han Resort we drove out on Rt. 22 to the Thai/Lao border town of Nakhon Phanom. I had prearranged booking at the Nakhon Phanom River View via Sawatdee.com for 1,200B per night. It's the hotel of choice for all the Thai girls with farangs in tow. Every room has a few of the Mekong but the rooms on the right side of the hotel have a better view. I can not recommend this hotel, the AC had two setting, arctic cold or off and though it was cool off was just too stuffy and the windows came with warning stickers that if you leave open the room would fill with mosquitoes . The buffet breakfast was fair to poor and the place has seen better days. We wanted to add a night but would have had to book through sawatdee to get the same rate, the walk in rate discounted is 1,600. We looked around and found this very nice brand new Hotel called The I Hotel just 2km down the road from the River View at a sign published rate of 450, 550 and 1000B. We looked at the 550 room and it was fine, AC worked well, bed very comfortable and it was a fresh clean room, but no view and no lousy buffet breakfast. The place is all white tile and dark woods in an attractive modern bouquet style, an excellent value for exceptional quality. They do not have a web site, and don't use any web booking services, you have to call to book ( 66 042 543355) or just drop in, they most likely will have rooms available until this place gets some notoriety in something like Lonely Planet and then the price will go way up.
Nakhon Phanom is a quaint town on the Mekong with more charm and ambiance than Nong Khai. There's a nice long river walk giving unobstructed views of the Mekong and The Lao town of Thakhe and the Khammouan mountain range. There's a friendship bridge south of town and boats take Lao Nationals, Thai residents of Nakhon Phanom or anyone with a pre issued Lao visa across the river. I did go into Lao as I heard there's not much to see in Thakhe and the hotels on the Lao side are expensive. All along the Mekong you see peaces of Lao, small wooden huts, some lights, and then every now and then a huge lavish resident. Not a lot of development and a stark contrast to the urbanization on the Thai side.
Nakhon Phanom, along the river had one bar suggestively named The Love Bar and the girls appeared dressed in Patpong attire. No gay bars but certainty gay boys here and there. One in our travel party, a Thai guy in his late 20's went out one night and had no trouble finding an attractive male companion for the night.
The people seem more friendly in Nakhon Phanom than say Nonk Khai. Anytime I was alone in short time I would get approached mostly by Thai ladies asking if I could "sing-a-song" I presume if I answered in the affirmative, I would be hauled off to some karaoke bar for food, drinks and song at my expense.
The food in this region is heavy influenced by Vietnamese. Excellent coffee, bread and even the Thai standards have a French/Lao/Viet flair. This area of Thailand geographically is as close to Vietnam as you can get. Route 8 from Lao crosses a narrow expanse of Lao into the Vietnamese town of Vinn on the gulf of Tonkin. It looks like such a short distances on the map but I was told that it's a narrow winding road not in the best of shape and it takes all day to make it to the coast.
Route 212 follows the Mekong all the way to Nong Khai. There's several small towns along the river. The area is less cultivated than further south and there are several protected wildlife sanctuaries, waterfalls and parks along the route. The whole area seem to be off the tour bus route, you seldom see a farang and there's little traffic. Some of the small towns have guest houses, often signs only in Thai or no signs at all, you have to ask. Food in these towns is excellent with friendly service but most lack signage, again you have to ask a friendly local.
We ended back up at the undistinguished flat city of Udon Thani and stayed at the worn Charoensri Grand Royal, quite a fancy name for a decaying hotel. They seem to have spent all there money on a lavish lobby and fancy entrance with a waterfall and just let the rooms wear away. The ac works well, it's comfortable but the best feature is an excellent buffet breakfast, thou it seems that has slipped a bit as well over the years. The big problem with this hotel is the Disco across the street and no window sound proofing. The base boom-boom lasts until 1:30am. You can ask for a room on the back side hotel but there's only twin beds on that side. Across from the hotel there used to be a few internet cafes, coffee shops and stores, it's all demolished now all the way to the curb with only the dam Disco left intact. There might be some construction pending and more noise coming.
I have been traveling in Isaan for about 10 year now and back then seeing a farang was a rare sighting. Now, they are getting more and more common. Some living with Thai ladies, some with families, building houses and dieing. One of the Thai families we visited told me of a farang from Sweden who build a big house for his Thai lady. He did not eat Thai food and sat all day out in from of the house drinking beer, eating bread and cheese. He died when the house was finished, they all concluded it was the cheese.
Back to Bangkok on Nok Air, the airline of choice for Farangs in tow with Thai ladies. Occasionally you see a Farang with a Thai boy and this trip I counted three. There were so many farangs with Thai ladies I could not count them unless they all stood still.
I have omitted links and some specifics of this trip but if anyone is contemplating a trip to this region of Thailand, drop me a PM or E mail and I would be happy to help with more details.
The parameters of this 10 day road trip are to tour the NE corner of Thailand comprising of a portion of Udon, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai, bordered roughly by Rt 22 to the south, the Mekong to the East and North and Rt 2 on the west.
We drove out of Udon on rt.22 to the small Udon Provance town of Nong Han where we met up with some of the BF friends who drove from Bangkok to attend a wedding at this town. We stayed at what the sign referred to as a "resort" off the highway. It was a small A frame very clean bungalow with an uncomfortable bed, one window, AC, and hot water. The normal price is 300B but they wanted 400B, the Holiday rate, more likely the Farang rate. There were 10 bungalows and we were the only customer.
The reason for the stop in Nong Han was to meet up with the other half of this touring party who drove up from Bangkok and would be meeting us in Nakhon Phanom. We were expected dinner guests at the family home of one the guys that we were meeting. We stopped and picked up a few cases of beer and some fruit as a gift. I guess someone told them all my favorite Thai foods and they had prepared a special dinner for us along with quite a warm welcome for someone that really does not have any connections to this family. Neighbor and family members came out to greet me. It seems that there's always some Thai that wants to show off his skills in English and would ask me in difficult to understand English question that I would have to repay in Thai to make sure what he was asking.
Next day after an uncomfortable night in the Nong Han Resort we drove out on Rt. 22 to the Thai/Lao border town of Nakhon Phanom. I had prearranged booking at the Nakhon Phanom River View via Sawatdee.com for 1,200B per night. It's the hotel of choice for all the Thai girls with farangs in tow. Every room has a few of the Mekong but the rooms on the right side of the hotel have a better view. I can not recommend this hotel, the AC had two setting, arctic cold or off and though it was cool off was just too stuffy and the windows came with warning stickers that if you leave open the room would fill with mosquitoes . The buffet breakfast was fair to poor and the place has seen better days. We wanted to add a night but would have had to book through sawatdee to get the same rate, the walk in rate discounted is 1,600. We looked around and found this very nice brand new Hotel called The I Hotel just 2km down the road from the River View at a sign published rate of 450, 550 and 1000B. We looked at the 550 room and it was fine, AC worked well, bed very comfortable and it was a fresh clean room, but no view and no lousy buffet breakfast. The place is all white tile and dark woods in an attractive modern bouquet style, an excellent value for exceptional quality. They do not have a web site, and don't use any web booking services, you have to call to book ( 66 042 543355) or just drop in, they most likely will have rooms available until this place gets some notoriety in something like Lonely Planet and then the price will go way up.
Nakhon Phanom is a quaint town on the Mekong with more charm and ambiance than Nong Khai. There's a nice long river walk giving unobstructed views of the Mekong and The Lao town of Thakhe and the Khammouan mountain range. There's a friendship bridge south of town and boats take Lao Nationals, Thai residents of Nakhon Phanom or anyone with a pre issued Lao visa across the river. I did go into Lao as I heard there's not much to see in Thakhe and the hotels on the Lao side are expensive. All along the Mekong you see peaces of Lao, small wooden huts, some lights, and then every now and then a huge lavish resident. Not a lot of development and a stark contrast to the urbanization on the Thai side.
Nakhon Phanom, along the river had one bar suggestively named The Love Bar and the girls appeared dressed in Patpong attire. No gay bars but certainty gay boys here and there. One in our travel party, a Thai guy in his late 20's went out one night and had no trouble finding an attractive male companion for the night.
The people seem more friendly in Nakhon Phanom than say Nonk Khai. Anytime I was alone in short time I would get approached mostly by Thai ladies asking if I could "sing-a-song" I presume if I answered in the affirmative, I would be hauled off to some karaoke bar for food, drinks and song at my expense.
The food in this region is heavy influenced by Vietnamese. Excellent coffee, bread and even the Thai standards have a French/Lao/Viet flair. This area of Thailand geographically is as close to Vietnam as you can get. Route 8 from Lao crosses a narrow expanse of Lao into the Vietnamese town of Vinn on the gulf of Tonkin. It looks like such a short distances on the map but I was told that it's a narrow winding road not in the best of shape and it takes all day to make it to the coast.
Route 212 follows the Mekong all the way to Nong Khai. There's several small towns along the river. The area is less cultivated than further south and there are several protected wildlife sanctuaries, waterfalls and parks along the route. The whole area seem to be off the tour bus route, you seldom see a farang and there's little traffic. Some of the small towns have guest houses, often signs only in Thai or no signs at all, you have to ask. Food in these towns is excellent with friendly service but most lack signage, again you have to ask a friendly local.
We ended back up at the undistinguished flat city of Udon Thani and stayed at the worn Charoensri Grand Royal, quite a fancy name for a decaying hotel. They seem to have spent all there money on a lavish lobby and fancy entrance with a waterfall and just let the rooms wear away. The ac works well, it's comfortable but the best feature is an excellent buffet breakfast, thou it seems that has slipped a bit as well over the years. The big problem with this hotel is the Disco across the street and no window sound proofing. The base boom-boom lasts until 1:30am. You can ask for a room on the back side hotel but there's only twin beds on that side. Across from the hotel there used to be a few internet cafes, coffee shops and stores, it's all demolished now all the way to the curb with only the dam Disco left intact. There might be some construction pending and more noise coming.
I have been traveling in Isaan for about 10 year now and back then seeing a farang was a rare sighting. Now, they are getting more and more common. Some living with Thai ladies, some with families, building houses and dieing. One of the Thai families we visited told me of a farang from Sweden who build a big house for his Thai lady. He did not eat Thai food and sat all day out in from of the house drinking beer, eating bread and cheese. He died when the house was finished, they all concluded it was the cheese.
Back to Bangkok on Nok Air, the airline of choice for Farangs in tow with Thai ladies. Occasionally you see a Farang with a Thai boy and this trip I counted three. There were so many farangs with Thai ladies I could not count them unless they all stood still.
I have omitted links and some specifics of this trip but if anyone is contemplating a trip to this region of Thailand, drop me a PM or E mail and I would be happy to help with more details.