Nakhon Phanom Overview

Nakhon Phanom, “the city of mountains,” presents an amazing panorama of the jagged green limestone outcroppings across the river in Laos. The picturesque vista of these stunning hills dominates the city and creates a dramatic backdrop for ordinary life. At sundown, the riverside promenade comes alive with women sweating to aerobic workouts and young teens gossiping while the occasional elephant ambles casually by. Nakhon Phanom does attract a fair number of travelers, but its laid back atmosphere is perfect for whiling away a day or two along the meandering Mekong.

Nakhon Phanom Airport (☎042 587 444) is 15km from town. P.B. Air (☎042 587 207) has flights to Bangkok (70min.; M, W, F, Su 7:45am; Tu, Th-F, Su 5:15pm; Sa 8:45pm). Tuk-tuks (60-90฿) go to the airport. The Nakhon Phanom Bus Station (☎042 511 403), on Piya Rd., is in the southwest corner of town. Buses to: Bangkok (11-12hr., every 30min. 7-8am and 4:30-6:30pm, 472b฿); Khon Kaen (7hr., 6 per day 7:30am-4pm, 160-252฿); Mukdahan (2hr.; 6, 7, 7:30, 8:30am, 2pm; 55-99฿) via That Phanom (1hr., 29-52฿); Udon Thani (4hr.,every 30min 4am-3:10pm, 175฿) via Sakhon Nakhon (2hr., 66฿); Nong Khai (7hr., every 30min. 6am-11am, 140-190฿). Tuk-tuks gather near the night market on Aphibanbuncha Rd. and go around town (20-30฿). LA Bicycle, at the clock tower on Sunthon Wichit Rd., rents bicycles. (☎042 478 480. 10฿ per hr., 50฿ per day. Open daily 8am-5pm.) With help from TAT’s tourist map, bicycling is a great way to view the city.

Orientation And Practical Information

Two main roads run parallel to the river, connected by smaller perpendicular roads. Sunthon Wichit Road, adjacent to the river and lined with a promenade, houses TAT, the post office, and the police station. Farther south, past the intersection with Fuang Nakhon Road, Sunthon Wichit Rd. leads to the clock tower, the immigration office, and the intersection with Nittaya Road, where most buses enter and exit the city. The bus station is just north of Nittaya Rd., 1km from the river. Aphibanbuncha Road, with the hospital and the day market, runs parallel to Sunthon Wichit Rd., three blocks inland from the river.

The local TAT, 184/1 Sunthon Wichit Rd., one block north of the post office, provides an excellent map of Nakhon Phanom with a bicycle route of all the major tourist sites. (☎042 513 490. Open daily 8:30am-4:30pm.) Bovorn Travel, 85 Nittaya Rd. (☎042 512 494), one block away from the river, is the easiest place to book flights. Bangkok Bank, on Si Thep Rd., behind the Indochine market, exchanges currency and has an ATM. (☎042 511 209. Open M-F 8:30am-3:30pm.) Other services include: Nakhon Phanom Police Station (☎042 511 266), on Sunthon Wichit Rd., one long block north of the clock tower; tourist police (☎042 515 773), a little farther south on Suthon Witchit; the pharmacy, Sawang Fhama, 478/80 Aphibanbuncha Rd., where Aphibanbuncha intersects Fuang Nakhon Rd. (☎042 511 141; some English spoken; open daily 7am-8pm); Nakhon Phanom Hospital (☎042 511 422), on Aphibanbuncha Rd., a few blocks north of its intersection with Fuang Nakhon Rd.; Internet access at Carp Internet, directly across from the Grand Hotel, on Si Thep Rd. (15฿ per hr.; open daily 8:30am-10pm); and Nakhon Phanom Post Office, 341 Sunthon Wichit Rd., next to the police station. (☎042 512 945. Poste Restante. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm, Sa-Su 9am-noon.) Postal Code: 48000.

Accommodations 

Nakhon Phanom doesn’t really have a guesthouse scene, but some decent mid-range hotels do drop their prices during much of the year. Rates skyrocket during the famous Illuminated Boat Festival, in late October at the end of the Buddhist rains retreat. If you plan on visiting at this time, book well in advance.

• Windsor Hotel, 272 Bamrungmuang Rd. (☎042 511 946). From Aphibanbuncha Rd., walk toward the river on Fuang Nakhon Rd. and take a right; the hotel is on your right. Rooms are well kept, with a professional feel. Some rooms have a view of the Lao mountains. The lobby is welcoming and the staff is attentive. Singles with TV 250฿, with A/C 350฿; doubles with A/C 400฿.
• KS Mansion (☎042 516 100), on the corner of Aphibanbuncha and Salaklang Rd., across from the imposing yellow French-colonial building, has spotless modern rooms, each with a small balcony, fridge, and cable TV. Very little English spoken. Internet 20฿ per hr. Rooms with fan 280฿, with A/C 350฿.
• Grand Hotel, 2210 Si Thep Rd.(☎042 511 526), a few blocks south of the clock tower. Nothing too grand here, but the rooms are comfortable enough. Singles 180฿, with A/C 320฿; doubles 280/380฿.

Food

Get a 20฿ bowl of noodles at the night market, or, better yet, sample some of Isaan’s famous chopped pork ( lab ) or salted Mekong fish on Fuang Nakhon Rd. There is also a popular food court above the Indochine market, where locals congregate to sip bottles of whiskey mixed with soda at all hours of the day and night. Thai food (25-80฿) is available as well. Riverfront restaurants dominate Nakhon Phanom’s culinary scene. A few open-air restaurants line Sunthon Wichit Rd. south of the immigration office.

• Nakhon Phanom Riverview Hotel Restaurant, 9 Nakhon Phanom-That Phanom Rd. For great river views, stroll 1-2km south along the river promenade toward the Nakhon Phanom River View Hotel. The hotel boasts a fancy restaurant with ample A/C and phenomenal food to justify the splurge. Dishes 80-350฿. Live music nightly.
• View Khong , 527 Sunton Witchit Rd. (☎042 522 314), an open-air riverside eatery with a stunning view of mountains in Laos. Has an extensive menu with fish (50-169฿) fresh from the river. Open daily noon-midnight.
• Meringue Bakery, 203 Sunthon Wichit Rd. (☎042 514 237), across from the clock tower, makes a great place for a midday coffee break. Bakes an impressive selection of brownies. Baked goods 10-30฿, coffee 20-45฿, shakes 25-30฿, small selection of Thai food 30-80฿.

Sights And Entertainment 

By far the best way to experience Nakhon and see the sights is to rent a bike from LA Rentals and get a map from TAT that clearly marks out a fantastic bicycle route throught city, surrounding rice fields, and wats. Wat Okatsibuaban, adjacent to the promenade south of the clock tower, houses two highly revered images of the Buddha in a brightly painted and immaculately kept wat complex.

Thai-Vietnamese Friendship Village and Ho Chi Minh House are a few kilometers from town, off the highway toward Sakhon Nakhon. There is an interesting museum displaying artifacts and information about Thai-Vietnamese relations during the last century. Of particular interest is Nakhon Phanom’s link with Ho Chi Minh, who stayed in Thailand for much of 1928-1930 and planned his return to Vietnam to bolster support for his Communist Party of Vietnam and pending revolution. Near the Friendship Village is the rustic home where Ho Chi Minh actually stayed, surrounded by rice paddies and nibbling cows. Some of Ho Chi Minh’s belongings have been preserved as they were when he lived here. An amusing sign points to a coconut alm that Ho Chi Minh supposedly grew. Bring water and be prepared for a real workout if you choose to bike (30min.). Alternatively, negotiate with a tuk-tuk driver to take you (10min., 50-80฿) and wait. Ask the groundskeeper to turn on the lights and some kitschy Communist music will pipe up. (Free entrance to displays; small box for donations as you enter.).

If all this wat- hunting and pleasure-strolling has worn you down, recharge with pumping MP3s and an ice-cold Singha (small 50฿) at the Duck Pub, on Nitayo Rd., one block toward the city center from the bus station. A younger crowd sits around high tables and listens to local rock bands. The dancefloor gets going later in the night. No cover. Live music at 10:30pm and again at midnight. Open nightly 8pm-1:30am. There are also a number of music venues and drinking spots along Nitayo Rd. near Duck Pub, very close to the river. Crowds pick up around 9pm, and some spontaneous karaoke is known to break out from time to time. If you’re looking for a more low-key evening, Livingroom Pub and Bar has acoustic music and a more relaxed environment. Open 6pm-midnight.