Nong Khai is a town that knows how to multi-task. As a border town, it hosts the daily ebb and flow of Laotian shoppers, expats on visa runs, and travelers on Indochine border crossings that give this small city an international flavor. Nong Khai boasts the most wats per capita in all of Thailand, but also knows how to put on a show; thousands of visitors make their way here every year for a number of worthwhile festivals, including the unexplainable Mekong fireballs that mysteriously appear at the end of the Buddhist rains retreat. When your visa has been stamped, the temples have been toured, and the fire balls have disappeared high into the sky, you’ll know it’s time to leave.
Nong Khai is a major border crossing to Vientiane, Laos. The Friendship Bridge crosses over the Mekong River, joining the two countries. To the north, Nong Khai is bordered by the Mekong River, while Highway 212 marks the town’s southern boundary. Parallel to Hwy. 212, from south to north, are Prajak Road, Meechai Road, and Rimkhong Road. The train station, on Hwy. 212, 2.5km west of the town center, is a bit of a hike. The bus station is off of Prajak Rd., southeast of the main tourist area. The nearest airport is in Udon Thani. Some guesthouses offer detailed tourist maps of Nong Khai and of the surrounding area, and the town is small enough that bicycling is an ideal way to get around and see the sites.
Good, inexpensive Thai food can be found at small local street vendors, like the ones that gather every evening around the intersection of Prajak and Chuenjit 1 Rd., creating an informal night market with the usual produce and meats. On Sunday evenings, a vibrant market takes shape off Hwy. 212, one block west of the highway to Udon Thani, towards the train station. Food, clothing, and the usual odds and ends are sold for bargain prices. (Open nightly 6-9pm.) The Indochina market (Taa Sadej Market), along Rimkhong Rd., has a few Thai eateries with excellent views of the river. (Open daily 9am-5:30pm.) For the homesick traveler, farang- runestablishments along the Mekong provide some Western comfort.
Sala Kaew Ku (Wat Khaek). The city with the most wats per capita, Nong Khai can boast another superlative, as it is home to one of Southeast Asia’s most unique sculpture parks. Towering concrete statues of Hindu and Buddhist figures are the artistic creations of Luang Poo Boun Leua Sourirat, a Laotian artist-turned-spiritual guru, who fled his Communist homeland in 1975 seeking the freer shores of Thailand to sculpt his larger-than-life work. The concrete structures, some towering seven stories high, represent various levels of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology: the good and the evil, the mundane and the fantastic, the innocent and the freaky. Most of the temple’s gravity-defying figures are gods, goddesses, demons, and Buddhas found in the Indian pantheon of mythical deities. Towards the back of the park, you can walk through a mouthed penis and out of a massive vagina, a concrete representation of samsara, the Buddhist belief in the endless life cycle of rebirth and suffering. A series of sculptures arranged in a circle represents the events of the life cycle. An amusing map of the cycle is available from Mut Mee Guest House and can help explain some of the eccentricities. The skeleton lovers are also a little odd, but they don’t even compare to the artist’s mummified body and personal remains that are displayed on the third floor of the main building. Through a corridor covered with creepy portraits of the artist himself, Luang Poo Boun Leua Sourirat’s body lies inside of a plastic dome drapped with holiday lights. (4km outside of town. Head east on Rte. 212, past “St. Paul Nong Khai School,” on the right; Sala Kaew Ku is 2 turnoffs later. 15-20min. by bike. Tuk-tuks 100-120฿ round-trip. Open daily 8am-5pm. 20฿.)
Wat Po Chai. This wat houses a small Buddha statue with a unique history. As you enter on the right, monks will bless you by sprinking water on you, and tie a colored string around your wrist for good luck. Stunning murals on the inner walls of the wat illustrate the story of how this gold and bronze Buddha image, known as Luang Pho Phra Sai, sank into the Mekong after the raft that was transporting it from Laos capsized. Twenty-five years later, it resurfaced; many believe this was a miracle. (Off of Prajak Rd., down Prochai Rd. Open daily 7am-7pm. Donations accepted and appreciated.)
Village Weaver Handicrafts. Those looking for handwoven mudmee fabrics can visit Village Weaver Handicrafts. This 24-year-old project promotes local industries and offers lucrative work to Isaan women in an attempt to provide them with the means to become self-sufficient. Ask to see the small workspace in the back where talented seamstresses tailor outfits at warp speed, which are then shipped all over the world. (1151 Soi Jittapunya. ☎042 411 236; www.villageweaver.net. Open M-Sa 8am-5pm. Mostly cotton items are sold here; a 2nd store at Prajak and Haisok Rd. sells mostly silk products. Open 8:30am-4:30pm.)
Hat Jomanee. On the far side of the Friendship Bridge, just before the Mekong Royal Hotel, is this natural, fine-white-sand Mekong beach. This play area is only accessible from late January to April, when it magically emerges as the water drains out of the river. Try your luck at the local fishing park, where poles can be rented and locals will get a hoot out of watching farang trying their hardest to pull fish out of the pond.
From the Nong Khai Bus Station, take a bus to Beung Khan (7hr., every 30min. 6am-11am, 140-190฿). From the Beung Khan bus stop across from the Kasikorn Bank, catch a bus to Ban Similai (40min., approx. every hr. 4:50am-3:40pm, 35-54฿). From Ban Similai, negotiate with a tuk-tuk driver to take you the 20km to Wat Phu Tok and ask them to wait (300฿). Alternatively, hire a jumbo (large tuk-tuk) from Bueng Khan clock tower directly to Wat Phu Tok and negotiate a return rate including several hours at the wat (about 650฿). On the return journey, buses depart from Ban Similai to Bueng Khan from a small shelter near the police box, approx. every hr. 9am-9pm. From Bueng Khan, buses depart for Nong Khai (2½hr., approx every hr. 6am-3:30pm) and Nakhom Phanom (5hr., every 40min. 8am-12:30pm, 140฿).
Although it is one of northeast Thailand’s most spectacular sights, Wat Phu Tok (“single mountain”) remains untouristed because of its remote location. The shrine stands on a red sandstone outcropping rising seven levels, each representing a stage of enlightenment. Level five has a sanctuary built into the cliff while thick bamboo groves cover the paths at level seven. On the opposite side of the mountain, a hermitage on a pinnacle nestles under a boulder. Along the way, huts and platforms are used for meditation. Reaching the top involves climbing stairs to a maze of paths that cut into the rock and wooden platforms—while traversing the platforms, be careful of the gaps between the lower planks. The journey itself is intended to be physically arduous, representing the spiritual challenges of attaining Nirvana. The view of the Isaan plains is incredible, though during the rainy season, the rocks and paths can become very slippery. Take extreme caution. It is always a good idea to climb with a buddy.
Considering Wat Phu Tok distance from Nong Khai and Nakhom Phanom, you’ll probably want to spend the night in Beung Khan, on Hwy. 212, and the only place between Nong Khai and Phu Tok where an overnight stay is possible. Hwy. 212 becomes Thaisamok Road, home to a small bus stop, a rotary, and clock tower. Maenam Hotel , through the rotary on Thaisamok Rd. and left on Chasin Rd., is your best bet for a restful night’s sleep. Modern rooms with soft bed, A/C, large TV, and private bath start at 400฿. (107 M1 Chasin Rd. ☎491 0512; www.maenamhotel.com.) The hotel also has a restaurant with an English menu. (☎491 037; Thai dishes 60-100฿.) A bunch of other small eateries can be found on Chasin Rd. There is a hospital at 255/1 Maesongnang Rd. (☎491 161), and the Bueng Khan Police Station (☎491 354) is 200m further at 395 Maesongnang Rd. A few Internet cafes are on Prasatchai Rd.
Not far from the dusty village of Ban Phu, Phu Phra Bat Historical Park covers about 5.5 sq. km of mountains in the Phu Pan Range. Famous for pre-historic rock paintings dating back to 1500 BC, the caves and mushroom-like rock towers are truly captivating. Over a dozen excavations are scattered along a shady, well-marked path that takes several hours to meander around. Buddhas abound in Tham Phra (Cave of Buddha Images). At the top of the mountain, the 800m path yields an astounding vista of Pha Sadet Cliff, with a perfect picnic area overlooking the Laotian mountains. (The best way to get to the park is by motorbike. Take Rte. 2266 next to the post office. At Ban Klang Yai, 29km away, head towards Ban Tiu for 8km; signs will direct you the remaining 4km. Although longer, in the rainy season it may be better to take the main highway to Ban Tha Bo, follow signs to Ban Pheu, and continue to Ban Tiu. ☎042 910 107. Open daily 8:30am-sunset. Camping fee 20฿. Tent rental 50฿, bungalow rental 400฿ per person. 30฿.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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