Udon Thani

[macb]

Well I have been in Udon Thani for 2 months now and still finding my way around: I see that there is not to many postings about the city in the Isaan Section.

I also see the odd posts for information from tourists wanting a good Hotel etc etc: Well as usual I will try to add useful information here as time goes by.

The first link gives lots of information about the city.

http://www.udonmap.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon_Thani

http://www.tourismthailand.org/destination...ani-41-1-1.html

My initial view yes Big City, if you like living in city good for you if not then there is plenty of accommodation both for purchase and rent on the outskirts.

The City from what I have seen so far has everything MAKRO BIG 'C' TESCO LOTUS CARRE FOUR, ROBINSONS. HOME PRO GLOBAL JUST TO NAME A FEW.

There are also farang bars for those who have this need, plenty of restaurants.

There is a ring road that runs around the City.

Bkk is some 600+ k from Udon ,Khon Khaen app 117 k

There are both bus and train services.

I will add up-date as I discover more things. Of course I must add Farang items in the way of food are plentiful from Cornish

Pasties to cheeses Mint Sauce, Horseradish.

Edited July 6, 2009 by macb

[Bangkokbutcher]

Some good information in there Macb, I do believe udonmap are also due to open a sister site for the city of Nong Khai, www.nongkhaimap.com.

The speed at which some of these Issan based towns and cities are growing at just amazes me at times, I hope it's all for the better though

[macb]

Some good information in there Macb, I do believe udonmap are also due to open a sister site for the city of Nong Khai, www.nongkhaimap.com.

The speed at which some of these Issan based towns and cities are growing at just amazes me at times, I hope it's all for the better though

Hi there:

I have heard about your Cornish Pasties and Meat pies, I think I worded it so that it did not appear as an advert

Edited July 6, 2009 by macb

[BigSnake]

Yes, I have found UdonThani to be a great weekend get away/hideaway, fairly layback place on my visits there, kinda old fashion>roll up the carpet around 9pm a good thing>take the party home.

[macb]

If it will be your first visit to Udon Thani for the purpose of Visa Business at Nong Khai Immigration below you will find the addresses also a link to Thai Immigration. don't forget for good information from the members there is the Visa Section on Thai Visa

Nong Khai Immigration Checkpoint

107 Moo.7 Chaleomprakriet road

Tambol Meechai

Amphoe Mueang

Changwat Nong Khai 43000 0-4242-0242

[email protected]

Bueng Kan Immigration Checkpoint

365 Thaisamak road

Tambol Bueng Kan

Amphoe Bueng Kan

Changwat Nong Khai 43140 0-4249-1832 [email protected]

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=esarn

[thrilled]

Udon is A nice little city.Plenty of food.There is intertainment.There are things to do there.But it is definitely A place where ya can go to and relax.

[SHYTALK]

Whats the best way to get out to Nong Wua So for a day, from Udon?

How long would it take, and is there anywhere decent to stay there?

Tx

[jerrylee]

Udon Thani is also an important Buddhist pilgrimage destination, there's several large "Forest Temple". The most famous one being Wat Pha Ban Tard ( this is often visited by "big shots" from Bangkok, and all over the world), there's also a few farang monks living there.

Wat Pha Ban Kor - consists of a large organic farming community and the Chedi holding remains of the Lord Buddha

Wat Thum Kon Peng (The Cave Temples) and many smaller old (700 -800 years old) village temples scattered around.

The other "secret" even to non issan Thai people, is the number of Nong Nam (Swamp/Lakes) in this area, only this year, I've seen developers applying the term "Lakeside", hence we have Nong Prajak, Nong Samlong and other Nongs ...

... most Udon people don't even know about their own regional geography

[maxjay]

Whats the best way to get out to Nong Wua So for a day, from Udon?

How long would it take, and is there anywhere decent to stay there?

Tx

It's approximately 22 km from the airport. If you don't have a car...then it's the bus or private hire. Some people drive motorbikes back & forth.

There is a nice bungalow type resort on highway #210 about a 1/2 km past the town. Sorry, don't know the name of it, but if you post the question on

http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/accommodation-f6.html

I'm sure someone can help, many forum members live out that way.

Edited August 14, 2009 by maxjay

[abdulrahman]

... most Udon people don't even know about their own regional geography

Thais or farangs?

Thai schools don't teach Geography,so the Thais are excused.

The farangs only waited for your superior knowledge.

[jerrylee]

... most Udon people don't even know about their own regional geography

Udon people in this case refers to indigenous people of local area,

even if they know of the names of the places, they've never actually visited.

I've overlooked that there's also farangs here left from Vietnam war,

but they don't teach geography neither, and only hangs out at same old places.

These king-pin farangs are the only ones who knows it all,

and any other alternative views will be deemed as "superior".

[abdulrahman]

I've overlooked that there's also farangs here left from Vietnam war,

but they don't teach geography neither, and only hangs out at same old places.

Very true!You are one of them?

Alternative view=bull_shit?

[SHYTALK]

Whats the best way to get out to Nong Wua So for a day, from Udon?

How long would it take, and is there anywhere decent to stay there?

Tx

It's approximately 22 km from the airport. If you don't have a car...then it's the bus or private hire. Some people drive motorbikes back & forth.

There is a nice bungalow type resort on highway #210 about a 1/2 km past the town. Sorry, don't know the name of it, but if you post the question on

http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/accommodation-f6.html

I'm sure someone can help, many forum members live out that way.

Many thanks Max , I'll ask on the link.

Probably start off staying in Udon till I get my bearings then move out.

Cheers

[frankthetank]

Love the place!

[Narachon]

I was sitting in the Eagle beer bar in Pattaya last month, when I got the sudden urge to visit Issan for some reason....

My expat friends there thought I was crazy - "Why you going up there - nothing's up there!"

Some of the Thai girls in the bars thought I was crazy - "Why you going up there - nothing up there!"

or

" You have girlfriend / Wife there?"

I decided to go on a two day "exploration expedition" to the unknown ( to me ) Northeast Area. I choose Udon Thani ( Lonely Planet said that it had a growing Expat population, among other things... ) and Nongkai

( I have a lady friend in Bangkok that is a native of the town, who told me to check it out ).

For some reason, *none* of my Expat friends living in Thailand that I know have never made it out to the far northeast region, and some of them have been in Thailand for years....

Yes, much of Udon Thani looks like this....

I hate to say, but I did most of my eating at the KFC at this Mall - I really did not eat at any of the nearby local eateries / food stalls...

Udon Thani has sort of a main Beer Bar Street ( ala Loy Kroh road in Chiang Mai / Soi 7/8 in Pattaya ) called Soi Samphan Thamit .

There are several dozen Bars and Pubs there ( some closed / for Rent though.. )

Udon Day Night Beer Bar Hall ( you can see part of it in the picture before the one above ) is pretty much the main place for the local expats to go to if one sort of misses the "Pattaya Experieice ".

I was pretty much the only young guy there though ( And I'm 40! ) - most of the expats / foreigners there were my dad's age ( 60 + )..

( Found more than a few ex- Pattaya girls there too... One or two could not believe that I left Pattaya to come up there.. But the others seemed to be happy to be back in Issan though...).

( There is also a pretty nice Night Market nearby as well.... )

I was only in town for two days, ( I spent most of my second day up in Nongkai ) before moving on back to my lovely Chiang Mai.

But I was pleasantly surprised. While Udon Thani is not as exiting as Bangkok, Pattaya, or Chiang Mai, and off the beaten tourist track , there is some thing about the place I can't put my finger on. Some kind of "Issan Urban Charm" or something....

The Thai people both the men and women there ( even the police!!!! ), seem to me way more friendly than the other parts of the country. And more than a few told me that I really should come back and visit.

Next time I really think I'll stay a little bit longer......