Is Udon Thani any good? Thinking about heading up there for Songkran.

[WineOh]

pretty self explanatory question really..

never been to Udon, thinking about going next month.

 

Is it any good?

Whats it like for picking up girls there?

what's the day scene like??

any good bars?

 

thanks for any info.

[CharlieH]

Better to ask in Isaan forum for local input.

 

MOVED

[Upnotover]

There's this recent thread on the subject, sounds like a blast.....

 

[Maha Sarakham]

It wasn't that great pre-covid, from what I hear even more unspectacular post-covid.  I'd give it a pass unless you just want to talk with other retired expats.

[Patong2021]

All depends on what you are looking for. I have been several times and have a net positive impression.

Pros:  Big city but small town feel; People polite and friendly; Remarkably clean; minimal opportunistic petty crime as experienced in tourist towns. Not far from the  Issan countryside which allows for excursions out of town. Has lovely Centara and Central, so quality comforts are available.

Cons: entertainment district is stereotypical low end beer bar that caters to low class elderly farangs. 

The higher end Thais and  foreigners steer clear. (they have active  social scene including many athletic activities so you need to know someone to know what is going on.)

 

Udon is worth the visit and gives a different impression of Thailand for those who have only experienced the insincerity of  tourist destinations. It's the real deal as they say.

 

 

[JoePai]

If you are asking those sort of questions stay in Pattaya

[pookett]

Many eons since I've been in Udon but I did enjoy my visit. Went with a friend and a couple of girlies from there.

Hotel was decent, food was good everywhere we went and there was a very large indoor, live music venue that was good fun. It too was surrounded by good eateries.

Is it still there? No idea.

We also did a day trip over to Laos, Vientiane, that was my first time there.

Forget the name but a worthwhile visiting temple there as well as the red lotus lake and I can vaguely remember another lake ( or same place?) that had temple style walkways stretching over it.

 

As I say, a long time ago...

[jingjai9]

There are two Udons, one if you speak thai and another if you do not.

There is an entertainment area for westerners; however, there is much to be enjoyed if you wander away. There is a western night life and a Thai nighlife. I do not see many Thais in the western area nor many westerners in the Thai nightspots.

[Stevemercer]

Might be best to set yourself up before you get there. Plenty of Laos girls.

[Aomelia]

I just got back to

patts from Udon and NK , a lot of places open getting busier everyday , Soi Sampan is Soi Farang stay on that Soi and can drink snd eat and crawl to your hotel , , Day and Night Bars complex and Nutty Park near Good Corner Restaurant, rooms anywhere from 400b to 1200 b mid week , We stayed TopHostel 500b a night stay 5 night get one free , you can upgrade to Pannarai hotel has pool , Kabinburi  has pool , also 

[Aomelia]

On 3/28/2021 at 10:39 PM, Maha Sarakham said:

It wasn't that great pre-covid, from what I hear even more unspectacular post-covid.  I'd give it a pass unless you just want to talk with other retired expats.

A lot of girls have gone home to Isaan so they are around sit in Starbucks at Central Festival and have a look , UD Town is great for shopping and eating and looking girls , go up to Nong  Khai a lil more quiet but have Soi Farang at Nong Khai City Hotel Soi Sanpanit 

[Bradmeister]

Is that a Joke? 

 

Its not a self explanatory question at all.... 

 

Do you speak and understand Thai, the Issan Dialect, or Laotian language?

 

It sounds as though your insights and subjective questions are purely self serving. 

 

Do you like beer? Is the beer there any good? Can I buy beer there? Whats it taste like.... bottle or can?  Does it have a high percentage of alcohol? 

 

Do everybody a favor. Don't go, its probably not for you. 

[Andycoops]

I go to Udon for the weekend as it's half the time and distance than going to Pattaya.

Many farang orientated bars and restaurants around Central Festival, the main drag is Soi Sampan.

I usually stay at the Old Inn but there are several others to choose from on that road depending on your budget.

Prices for food and beer are good.

[cauldlad]

My wife is from Udon Thani  so I have been many times including Xmas which was great. 

 

We always stay at Centara Hotel but there are many other hotels far cheaper.

 

There are some good bars, restaurants and entertainment venues with live music but you need to know where they are.

 

If you have never been before you will probably be wandering around and miss them.

 

Some of the bars do have girls but they are far more discreet than Pattaya.

 

Give it a go, at least it will be a change of scenery for you.

[Pilotman]

You Sir are a brave man going anywhere at SK.  I pack Mrs P off to her folks, ( In Udon) stock up on food and booze, double pad lock the gate and hunker down for a few days by my pool with my dogs. Its by far the best way to get through the madness of SK. 

[ilikethai]

"Do you speak and understand Thai, the Issan Dialect, or Laotian language? "

It should be more like "Do you speak and understand Thai or Lao (Issan accent) language?"

 

[Aomelia]

On 3/31/2021 at 9:59 AM, cauldlad said:

My wife is from Udon Thani  so I have been many times including Xmas which was great. 

 

We always stay at Centara Hotel but there are many other hotels far cheaper.

 

There are some good bars, restaurants and entertainment venues with live music but you need to know where they are.

 

If you have never been before you will probably be wandering around and miss them.

 

Some of the bars do have girls but they are far more discreet than Pattaya.

 

Give it a go, at least it will be a change of scenery for you.

Centara has No Balconies , Bummer 

[cauldlad]

4 minutes ago, Aomelia said:

Centara has No Balconies , Bummer 

You are right, if you need balconies Centara is not for you.

[Skeptic7]

3 hours ago, Aomelia said:

Centara has No Balconies , Bummer 

Pannarai Hotel has them and a big swimming pool. Same area...right next to Day and Night Bar Complex and 5 min walk to Central Festival. 

[sanuk711]

I have lived in Udon the last 15 year after 7 years in Pattaya/BKK....  Honestly WineOh its absolutely no good, don't waste your time coming up here.

 

I really don't think you should think about traveling much further than Soi 6.

[cauldlad]

From a guy that has lived there for 15 years!!!

Cannot be that bad surely?

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, sanuk711 said:

I have lived in Udon the last 15 year after 7 years in Pattaya/BKK....  Honestly WineOh its absolutely no good, don't waste your time coming up here.

 

I really don't think you should think about traveling much further than Soi 6.

Are we a bit tongue-in-cheek? ????

[cauldlad]

Could be.

 Been many times and always enjoyed it. but I suppose it depends on the company you keep,, like everywhere else.

[AmISam]

I've visited on a visa run to Vientiane, and I can't really tell you about the girls so much as I was trying to avoid the bar scene as best I could.

 

The thing about Udon is that for me it was actually nicer and closer to the Thailand experience that I am so often frustrated in trying to find, than I expected. Getting there on public transportation is an extreme headache, however. Private car is best.

 

I think that the typical expat story in Udon involves a lot of people who've been rooted in Thailand since the Vietnam War. Really deep roots for foreigners. Walking past the bar district, there were a lot of much older men, and more of the "deep pockets, go for a massage in the daytime because the Thai wife will permit it, treat a girl really nice because reputation", types of guys around. Massage girls were stunningly beautiful.

 

Not really nightlife so much. Much safer than Korat, much less to do. At night it's a little problematic, there are Thai gangs, there's territorial behavior over drug activity. Probably will be violence like any rural population in a regional city, sporadic, nonsensical and vicious. I wouldn't go around trying to pick up girls.

 

Vientiene is the closest major city, and Laos forbids foreigners from sharing a bed with Lao nationals unless married. That makes society more civil, but pushes some prostitution and traffic underground and the Laos who come to Thailand for such things are going to be a hell of a lot more troubled than Thais at home.

 

Bunch of discos, bunch of nice people. Udon is great in the daytime.

 

[sharksy]

Patong2021 summed up pretty accurately my experience, admittedly, 9 years ago - and for only 2 nights.
I scanned the small bar area, every bar seems to have one ladyboy, who was always the first to approach, annoyingly for me anyway.  What I remember the most, was the older poor farang who seemed to exist on cheap beer.  I don't wish to insult people who live there, but this was what I remember the most.  And one older guy in particular was very drunk and aggressive (not aimed at me, I was simply walking by at the time).

[Excel]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:22 PM, cauldlad said:

From a guy that has lived there for 15 years!!!

Cannot be that bad surely?

Of course not, and I suspect it was not a serious comment, rather more of a deterrent as like the OP I have lived here many many years and after living several years in Bangkok and also Pattaya before I guess the OP, like myself, is trying to deter the frequenters of Soi 6 from coming here. After all when you listen to the BS in those bars what we don't want in Udon are all those ex Seals, ex SAS ex whatever complete with their regulation dirty white Tee shirts mouthing off - do we ?

[Excel]

On 4/4/2021 at 10:19 AM, Victornoir said:

 

It wasn't for me over 10 years ago either.

A town without charm, huge with Moukata restaurants on every street corner, a western small area for old people and a few very average-looking girls who play divas, a large unattractive shopping center frequented mainly by young Thais who play it new fashioned by swallow fast food at the local Macdo.

I wanted to see. I had planned a week but returned after 2 days.

Hope you feel more at home in Soi 6 Pattaya 

[Maha Sarakham]

On 4/3/2021 at 8:19 PM, Victornoir said:

It wasn't for me over 10 years ago either.

A town without charm, huge with Moukata restaurants on every street corner, a western small area for old people and a few very average-looking girls who play divas, a large unattractive shopping center frequented mainly by young Thais who play it new fashioned by swallow fast food at the local Macdo.

I wanted to see. I had planned a week but returned after 2 days.

 

Now that's funny.  Average age of the women 30's & 40's, average age of the men 60's & 70's.  Udon feels like the retirement center of Thailand.  Nothing wrong with that, just gotta know what you're getting yourself into.