How are cities in Isaan ? Are Udon Thani & co worth a visit ?

[Baron Samedi]

I was wondering if cities in Isaan were interesting places to visit.

Thx ????

[Excel]

Well what are your interests ?

[Gottfrid]

@Baron Samedi Most cities are worth a visit. Ask the people who live in them.

[Lacessit]

It depends on how one is traveling, I prefer driving. There are some interesting places around Udon Thani, and the 150 km from there to Loei is quite scenic.

[Sparktrader]

Udon, nong khai, chiang khan, loei

 

Drive nice

[dddave]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

It depends on how one is traveling, I prefer driving. There are some interesting places around Udon Thani, and the 150 km from there to Loei is quite scenic.

I came here to suggest Loei as well, probably the most beautiful "undiscovered" province in the North.

Udon Thani is a large, agricultural center with a rapidly developing business district.  There is an interesting Bronze age archeological site and at least at one time, a gorgeous orchid garden but I believe the owner may have passed on so maybe no longer open. 

[Golden Triangle]

I've been to every province in Thailand, North, South, East & West, spent a couple or 3 days in each, most enjoyable, if you have your own transport & can afford to stay for a couple of days it's more than worth it, different food, people, beer & atmosphere, do it while you can mate ????????????

[Denim]

2 hours ago, Baron Samedi said:

I was wondering if cities in Isaan were interesting places to visit.

Thx ????

You need to define what you find interesting.

 

They are all pretty similar.  A few local sights to take in but very little nightlife , especially during these covid times.  If you are content just to be somewhere different all well and good. But if you are looking for actin off the beaten track .......bit of a non starter.

[Chris.B]

Lot of old expats up that way so be careful!  Watch your pockets. ????

 

[The Hammer2021]

Living life vicariously- through  the experiences of  others with generalised open questions at some point is trolling

[Adumbration]

Khon Khaen has a university...Just saying...

[Lacessit]

I think it's about 20 km south of Udon Thani, a large meeting hall and series of cabins built as a retreat for the monks. The local villagers built the hall to thank a holy man who banished all the tigers from their village, where the tigers had been eating all their chickens.

 

The hall has a large wooden floor with a shrine at one end. Every day, volunteers polish the floor with coconut husks.

 

It's an unusual experience to walk on the floor bare-footed, it's not slippery but it felt like I was walking on silk.

 

Somewhere near Loei, there is a large dinosaur park with a fairly scary dinosaur robot. Some cave temples/shrines in that region too.

[JohnOFphon]

Get a group together. 4 guys..or girls...rent a car, and go touring.

Cheaper that way.

[Resident Alien]

7 hours ago, Denim said:

very little nightlife , especially during these covid times.

And how was the nightlife in New York, Paris, Milan, Singapore, Bangkok during the covid times?

 

 

[JackGats]

Udon Thani doesn't have much in terms of sightseeing (but has some low-key nightlife). The Ubon Ratchathani  area has zero nightlife but has more to see. Sleepy small towns like Khemmarat  without any foreign tourists have a special charm. Be prepared for a shock with respect to the food though, unless normal Thai food is already your thing.

 

On the outrageous side, as a foreigner like everywhere in Thailand you will have to pay 10x the Thai price to enter national parks. When the Thai price is 20 baht it's bearable, when it is 40 baht it starts to add up.

[Sparktrader]

8 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

spent a month in khon kaen--nice town

 

month in nong khai on mekong--easy visa runs! and quiet sleepy town

 

would return to both....

Kk big food mkt?

[sanuk711]

7 hours ago, Adumbration said:

Khon Khaen has a university...Just saying...

Udon Thani has 2 university's ...Just saying........????

[Sparktrader]

8 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

Udon Thani has 2 university's ...Just saying........????

Go to bars nearby

[sanuk711]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

Go to bars nearby

One (Uni)  is completely new & outside of the town, dont know that area well--the older one is a  "Rajabhat" University --these are well known in Thailand  as being about the equivalent to British polytechnics that have become universities. They offer graduate degrees, some even to the doctoral level. The Udon one is primary about world hospitality industry.

Its been some years since I wandered in there--(you can eat there --good food) but I went with a friend who wanted to learn Thai-- there were about 20,000 students mainly from Vietnam/Laos/ Thai/Mayamar. In that order. & as with that industry mainly Females. Any student that enrolls there is given 3-5 months to learn Thai, Read write speak. etc. all lessons conducted in Thai. My friend went to sign up just for those months to learn--you do not need to show a education level or anything to join that--just pay.

Student Bars--- yer there is (was pre Covid) a large open air entertainment area quite close with different bars & ear shattering music. I am a bit past this all now to give you a decent valuation Sparktrader. There was 2 soapy' s in town a few years back one had just students working in it--that ones closed. (I'm told) A lot of the waitresses in Udon pre-covid were students -I dont even know if the Uni has reopened--or if it has it wont be up to speed yet, I know over Covid it was used a lot as the main Injection center for Udon.

 

 

 

 

[transam]

11 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Living life vicariously- through  the experiences of  others with generalised open questions at some point is trolling

Eh....?  ????

[KhunLA]

OP ... Since some of the topics you started are about money, beer & nightlife, I'd give UT & NE a pass. 

 

If interested in some nature & history, well worth a peek IF you self drive.  Although I prefer S of Bangkok, over the N of, and prefer N vs NE.

[NanLaew]

On 6/4/2022 at 10:54 PM, Denim said:

A few local sights to take in but very little nightlife ,

The local nightlife in Udon Thani is quite vibrant as is the local restaurant and dining out experience.

 

From what I've seen of Ubon while visiting rels, it's pretty much the same. Kohn Kaen would be the same.

 

Depends not so much on what one calls nightlife but ones willingness or ability to mix with the locals.

[youreavinalaff]

There are not any cities in Issan. There is only one city in Thailand but , that's a conversation for another day.

 

I would have thought the idea of Issan, as somewhere to live at least, was to avoid the big towns and stay in the country. Even for a visit there are far better places to be than town centre.

[NanLaew]

18 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

There are not any cities in Issan. There is only one city in Thailand but , that's a conversation for another day.

 

I would have thought the idea of Issan, as somewhere to live at least, was to avoid the big towns and stay in the country. Even for a visit there are far better places to be than town centre.

OK, so the provincial capitals and other commercial hubs and towns with universities aren't cities. My criteria is if there's a 'downtown' or an 'east end' and a 'west end', it's a city.

 

Udon's got all that. In another eight years or so, it will have TWO ring roads which is one more than Bangkok.

 

Living about 10km outside the ring road or a national highway is rural enough for me.

[youreavinalaff]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

OK, so the provincial capitals and other commercial hubs and towns with universities aren't cities. My criteria is if there's a 'downtown' or an 'east end' and a 'west end', it's a city.

 

Udon's got all that. In another eight years or so, it will have TWO ring roads which is one more than Bangkok.

 

Living about 10km outside the ring road or a national highway is rural enough for me.

The only criteria required is "mahanakorn". 

 

I believe Udorn is "Thani" and the town is "Muang". Therefore, not a city.