Hi this is my first post in this forum and hopefully I'll get some useful feedback and stay :)

 

I'm visiting Isaan from Australia for the second time starting this weekend.  I had intended to hire a car (like I did last year) for 11 days and tour around to less visited places.  Unfortunately, it appears that the rental car companies based at Khon Kaen and Udon Thani airports now require credit card security, which they didn't last year.  I don't have a credit card so will need to get around by bus and train.

 

What is the best city in Isaan to base oneself to have access to the most destinations by bus for day and overnight trips? I had hoped to visit more easterly locations along the Meekong such as Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom as well as Chiang Khan in Loei

 

Hope someone can help

How do you book flights with no credit card then?

its probably korat ... but its 6 hours from mukdahan .. but they have a two bus stations, buses to bangkok every 30 minutes probably more than one. They also have a train station but bus is better.

 

Others can give you other recommendations .. im not an expert in isaan, but 6 hours is a small journey on the bus in thailand

In all seriousness, please, do some research on road fatalities and bus accidents in Thailand!

Check out Udon Thani Central Bus station...centrally located...cheap local accommodations...walk to train station...walk to Central Mall where Vans going to all areas of Issan can be taken...

 

Look into staying at the AEK apartments...walk to UD Town shopping and restaurants...

 

All of these places are a 5 min walk from Bus station...

..you can get busses or vans from almost anywhere.. with varying degrees of comfort and safety.. busses are slower but safer than the vans.. For Chian Khan.. Air Asia do a flight to Loie city with a minibus connection to Chiang Khan.. nice place.. from there you can travel to Nong Khai along the river.. songtao (truck with 2 benches .. not as uncomfortable as it sounds and an interesting trip  ..takes you about half way)..  then a bus to Nong Khai.. bus or train to anywhere you want from there..

Photos from Loie:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/laza45/albums/72157675198998250/with/29657033730/

Got to be Udon Thani if you are looking at places along the river to visit many hotels very near bus and train station some car rental places there also

 

 

Fur only travelling in Isaan then Roi-Et or Mahasarakham.

 

Central locations means shortest journeys to other Isaan cities.

 

I would choose Roi-Et.

 

 

8 hours ago, PatOngo said:

In all seriousness, please, do some research on road fatalities and bus accidents in Thailand!

The most City to City bus company are very good, have good record , it is the tourist bus that have the bad record, but not all bus company only the really good ones. like NCA, Air Udon, Air Korat, Chan touris spelt wrong look at google    

9 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

How do you book flights with no credit card then?

Debit card...I suppose

Bus transport is very good and cheap throughout Isaan. Just stay where you plan to spend most of your time. All major towns are linked up pretty well. Every province capital has a bus station with links to almost every other major towns in Isaan. On the southern strip there is also a railway connecting Ubon Ratchatani, Surin, Buriram, Korat, Bangkok. 

11 minutes ago, pdtokyo said:

or direct debit ... in Australia BPAY is nearly universally accepted payment method and actually cheaper than credit card ... BPAY is fee-free 

How much is a pearl necklace?

OP, I'm not sure why you want to be "based" anywhere for an 11 days trip. I'd say it would be best to simply visit the towns you're interested in one after another (without returning to a base). There are usually frequent connections between towns nearby.

 

Assuming that you fly in, you could start in Udon Thani, continue to Nong Khai and head east from there along the Mekong. Fly out from Nakhon Phanom or Ubon Ratchathani.

 

 

16 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

How do you book flights with no credit card then?

Debit card??

You can hire a car from ubon airport with cash only . I'm sure sisaket has some similar car rentals , usually the sight of cash for these people is enough to bend the rules . 

Has been said before but its daft easy. An old-style guidebook, OZ once excelled in those (its named Lonely Planet, even an old one from the public libr, will do nicely), check what you want to see, as youve been already, or is it just to revisit the girl from yesteryear? Then move on ev 2-3 days. There are big buses between all major towns at least hourly or so, just go to busstation (smart people even spend a few mins when getting off and check whats going for next trip out- but then it often seems OZies lack smartness?). There wll also be cheap local hotels anywhere.

Just to compare: it nearly equals about NSW in surface, or is a lot larger as Vic. Do you really intend to be able to cover that from one local base?

Also ANY local province has a direct bus to BKK, the big ones like KhonKhaen or Udorn about ev 30 mins. incl. overnight.