Lom Sak Overview

Located between the Phang Hoei and Luan Prabang mountains, Lom Sak serves as a transit point between Khon Kaen and Phitsanulok. This small town is also a convenient base for exploring Nam Nao National Park, which offers a stark verdant contrast to Lom Sak’s dusty streets and crumbling facades.

The bus station is located 5km west of town, at the intersection of Samakeechai Rd. and Rte. 12. Most buses will also stop in the town center. Accordingly, tickets to some destinations can also be purchased from smaller stalls in town for the same buses, departing slightly earlier. From the main bus station (☎056 912 270), buses go to: Chiang Mai (9hr., 5 per day 6:20am-11am, 371-477฿) via Pitsanulok (2hr., 98฿) and Sukhothai (4hr., 137฿); Chiang Rai (9hr., 6 per day 1:30pm-11pm, 363-466฿); Khon Kaen (4hr., 22 per day; 146-177฿); Loei (4hr.; 8am, 2pm; 120฿); Pitsanulok (2½hr., every hr. 5:20am-5:30pm, 95฿); Bangkok (6hr., every hr. 5am-11pm, 262-337฿). The same buses to Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai can be caught from a small stall in the carpark near the police station on Soi Suriyasa opposite the 7-Eleven on Wajee Rd. Buses to Bangkok can also be met at Phet Tours (☎056 701 164), 6 Soi Suriyasa, off Wajee Rd., opposite the police station.

Orientation

The town’s main intersection is where north-south Kotchasanee Road becomes Soi Pirit Road, after crossing Ronnakij Road to the east and the multilane Samakeechai Road to the west; it is marked by a shiny digital clock tower. Wajee Road runs parallel to Kotchasanee, and sois branch off both of these roads. The fenced municipal grounds are two blocks north of Ronnakij Rd., between Kotchasanee and Wajee Rd. Running between these two roads, next to the municiple grounds, is Soi Suriyasak. It houses the in-town bus stations. Parallel to and one block south of Ronnakij Rd. is Tesabarn 2 Road. Another block south is Tesabarn 3 Road, which borders the day market.

Practical Information

• Currency Exchange: Bangkok Bank (☎056 701 413), across from New Sawan Hotel on Samakachai Rd.; 24hr. ATM. Cirrus/MC/V. Open M-F 8:30am-3:30pm.
• Police: (☎056 704 717), 103 Wajee Rd., in the municipal complex on Soi Suriyasa Rd., adjacent to the bus stop.
• Pharmacy: 340 Wajee Rd. (☎056 701 629), just south of Soi 2. Open 8am-9pm.
• Hospital: Lom Sak Hospital, 15 Samakee Chai Rd. (☎056 704 1201), 500m south of the main intersection. Take the first right after the overpass; it’s 150m down the road on the right. English spoken.
• Internet access: Starnet, 118 Ronnakij Rd. (☎056 702 439), 2nd block to the left,when walking away from the main intersection. 20฿ per hr. Open daily 10am-10pm.
• Telephones: CAT, behind the post office. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm.
• Post Office: (☎056 701 103), on Wajee Rd., past Soi 20. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm, Sa 9am-noon. Postal Code: 67110.

Accommodations

As a transit point, Lom Sak’s accommodations are what you’d expect: nothing too special, but good enough for a quick stopover.

• The New Sawan Hotel, 47/6 Samakeechai Rd. (☎056 702 545), is the lime-green building at the main intersection. Rooms are clean and kept ship-shape by a friendly staff. Each has a TV and a private bathroom Western toilets and hot water. Singles with fan 300฿, with A/C 400฿; doubles 350/450฿.
• Baan Kaew Guesthouse, 18/4 Prauttaboth Rd. (☎083 007 4065), is on a quiet side street. From the in-town bus stalls, walk south on Wajee Rd. and take a left on Soi 3. Baan Kaew is set around a parking lot behind the wooden pub to your right. Its rooms are well-priced and have private bathrooms with squat toilets. Rooms with fan 250฿, with TV 300฿, with A/C 350฿.

Food

At night, food stalls set up at the bus stations near the municipal grounds. (Grilled pork chops 20฿, side of sticky rice 5฿. Open daily 5pm-9pm.) On Tesabarn 3, off Wajee Rd. south of the main intersection, a covered day market makes way for a small night market when the sun goes down.

• Duang Ta, 132 Wajee Rd. (☎056 701 781). Find the bus station to Bangkok on Soi Suriyasak near the police station. To the right of it is a small carpark. At the back of the carpark is Duang Ta on a small soi. Helpful, English-speaking owner Ekapol serves up a small selection of Thai and Western dishes. American Breakfast 80฿. Thai curries 50฿. Fish and chips 160฿. Most dishes 30-80฿. Open daily 9am-7:30pm.
• Puang Choom Restaurant (☎056 745 0216), at the Grand Hotel, serves Thai, Chinese, and Western dishes from an extensive English menu. “Fried Chicken Maryland” 120฿. Flame Re-Fried Water Mimosa Watercress 60฿. Most dishes 60-120฿. Open daily 6am-1am.
• Muang Lome, 22/14 Samakeechai Rd. (☎056 701 105), the beige building after the Caltex gas station, specializes in Chinese and Thai food. The extensive English menu does not list prices. Frog with garlic and pepper 80-120฿. Dishes 80-180฿. Open daily 10am-10pm.

Daytrip From Lom Sak 

Nam Nao National Park ( nam nao means “cold water”) stretches for 1000 sq. km at the junction of Loei and Phetchabun provinces. Hwy. 12, between Khon Kaen and Lom Sak, winds through the park’s high mountain passes and spectacular forest. The park headquarters are on this road, 55km from Lom Sak and 103km from Khon Kaen. The park’s sandstone hills and sandy plains make it ideal for hiking. Along the 6-7hr. ascent to the park’s highest peak, Phu Pha Chit (1271m), a landscape of low shrubs and small yellow flowers rolls down the mountain. The park also has bamboo forests, and some mildly interesting caves and waterfalls. The camping fee is 30฿ per person. Tent rental for one to three people 250฿. Resorts line Hwy. 12 near the park but are quite expensive. (Take a Khon Kaen-bound bus and get off at park headquarters on the left (1hr., 50฿). As most trailheads start from this road, buses to Lom Sak or Khon Kaen can help traverse the long distances between trailheads. ☎056 729 002. Park admission 400฿.)