Nong Khai

[Mahseer]

Hi, I will be heading to Nong Khai later this week for the first time and will meet up with a mate. He's coming up from Nakon Panom and I'm coming across from Petchabuhn and we'll be there for 3 days and have a couple of queries for you locals:

Hotel around 1,000-1500 baht. Asia Rooms and the others only list 4 at most and these tend to be bloody huge and would prefer something more low key but secure of course. Next to the river is a bonus. Any suggestions?

Where to play pool? My mate is addicted and pretty good too so any decent tables in town?

Bacon and sausages to take home. Neither of us can source anything decent in our respective towns so by any chance is there someone in NK who turns out a decent product. English style preferred but maybe I can't be too picky?

Thanks a lot

Edited July 27, 2009 by Mahseer

[jerrylee]

Hi, I will be heading to Nong Khai later this week for the first time and will meet up with a mate. He's coming up from Nakon Panom and I'm coming across from Petchabuhn and we'll be there for 3 days and have a couple of queries for you locals:

Hotel around 1,000-1500 baht. Asia Rooms and the others only list 4 at most and these tend to be bloody huge and would prefer something more low key but secure of course. Next to the river is a bonus. Any suggestions?

Where to play pool? My mate is addicted and pretty good too so any decent tables in town?

Bacon and sausages to take home. Neither of us can source anything decent in our respective towns so by any chance is there someone in NK who turns out a decent product. English style preferred but maybe I can't be too picky?

Thanks a lot

Theres quite a lot to choose from apart from the big ones which might be booked out for seminars anyway,

The well known Pantawee is centrally located for you and have a small swimming pool as well, rooms are around Bht 800-, its stone throw away from a german bakery/coffee shop, Pantawee also have another resort next to the ThaiLao Bridge right next to the water, but its few minutes tuk tuk away from town. Theres also farang operated guesthouses right on the river front next to the new promanade that they've recently built.

Theres an australian hotel supplier in the row of town house before the bridge, they have bacon pies and all sorts of farang foods, they'll heat up pies for you etc..

http://thailand.pantawee.com/

I recommend the sunset boat ride which leaves next to the ferry terminal every evening !! its just drinks and cruise ...

[Mahseer]

Great stuff jerrylee, thanks for this.

I did look at the Pantawee online and they certainly have a decent selection of rooms and I would love to go for the penthouse but will likely settle for something more modest. Me mate has the kids in tow and I see the hotel has a family room so I believe you have solved this one for me. Thanks very much amd cheers for the heads up on the Australian place and the cruise.

Looking forward to this trip.

[thrilled]

go to www.udonmap.com it has A forum that should help,plus A map etc.

[Mahseer]

go to www.udonmap.com it has A forum that should help,plus A map etc.

Maybe you meant to give me the Nong Khai link which I have since found under one of macb post.

Cheers

[maxjay]

Check out this place: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Udonthani-t267645.html Be sure and remember a Styrofoam cooler to take your goodies back to Petchabun and Nakon Phanom.

I also recommend The Pantawee.

[Mahseer]

maxjay, thanks for this and after spotting this we may not even make NK: Pork Pie Branston Pickle and a cup of PG Tips followed by rhubarb crumble and ice cream

You lads know how to live eh?

Thanks a lot. This trip is looking extremely good. Have mailed the Pantawee just awaiting their response.

Cheers lads

[Prajak]

Nongkhai has good hotels. The mentioned Phantawee is situated mid town and I hear hardly complaints. Much cheaper are a few guesthouses at the soi Rimkhong located between the old Nobbi's restaurant and the thanon Hai Sok. A few are new. A good place to be is the Mut Mee guesthouse, a 200 m west from the thanon Hai Sok, situated at the river.

Pool tables, you could try a new restaurant next to Phantawee hotel in the thanon Hai Sok. Or a Danish bar in the street opposite Phantawee.

Farang food. There are three places in town.

Close to the bridge you find Nongkhai Direct Import (or Supply). Frozen goods from down under. T bone and rib eye, salmon. Dutch and Danish cheese. Sausages. Bacon.

At the rim mid town there is Carsten's shop (he also is travel agent) with farang stuff. A 20 m eastward you find the shop of Swiss Rolf and Kan with bacon and sausage and good German bread.

At thanon Meechai close to the corner with Thanon Hai Sok there is a German baker Rudy with nice bread and some salami stuff.

Good luck. O, ahum, in none of these shops I am a shareholder.....

[Mahseer]

Prajak, thanks for this. Luckily me and me mate both have pick ups so just may have rooom for all the goodies you lads have available. Here in Petchabuhn things are pretty limited but it's a decent enough town so no complaints but will certainly be stocking up and will be good to sample a beer Lao or two.

Thanks again

[maxjay]

maxjay, thanks for this and after spotting this we may not even make NK: Pork Pie Branston Pickle and a cup of PG Tips followed by rhubarb crumble and ice cream

You lads know how to live eh?

Cheers lads

A recent update from Jon at Chern Chim:

a few bits of news.... as from tomorrow the big pork pies are fresh in , along with beef cumberland sausages and gala egg pie is back in stock... NEW IN are some very nice South African sausages pork,beef and curry, mango chutney, and some English piccalli.

The daily set menu until the end of August is as follows

MON - PORK CHOP , chips peas n gravy 160 bt

TUE - HOMEMADE STEAK PLATE PIE chips peas n gravy 170 bt

WED - LASAGNE with steak fries 165bt

THURS - BACON SUB 80bt ( add chips 125bt)

FRI - FISH - EITHER John Dory fillet , chips ,mushy peas bread n butter 199bt OR FISHCAKES 165bt or KIPPERS 160bt

SAT - CURRY , RICE AND NAN BREAD 150 bt

SUN - THIS WILL CHANGE EVERY WEEK ... THIS SUNDAY IS GALA PIE PLATTER.

ANY IDEAS FOR SPECIALS PLEASE LET ME KNOW --- HAGGIS ?? FAGGOTTS ?? CRUMPETS ??

And no...I have no financial interest in Cherm Chin, it is only a selfish interest...I want to see them succeed, so I will continue to have Western foods easily accessible here in Udon .

Edited July 29, 2009 by maxjay

[Mahseer]

Lovely listing maxjay. Other thing missing for me is a traditional roast dinner on Sunday but maybe that will come.

Good luck to the man.

[Prajak]

Mahseer, don't forget an ice-bucket......but the cheap polystyrene buckets are for sale here, too.

[Wee Jimmy]

Mahseer, don't forget an ice-bucket......but the cheap polystyrene buckets are for sale here, too.

If you go to Udon try Makro as they have loads of frozen western food including bacon, sausage & fish. Makro is a lot cheaper.

[Mahseer]

Just a word of thanks for the pointers you people provided to help me and me mate and our ladies out during out first visit to NK. We did stay at the Phantawee and all was fine and especially liked the outside areas available and we certainly found the 'falang supplies' shop next to the bridge where we loaded up and was suitably impressed so didn't need to visit Udon and we did imanage to find a pool table by the river so mission very much accomplished. The ladies enjoyed the food at the restaurant just around the corner from the hotel (away from the river) where staff had what looked liked DD on their blue shirts so all in a lovely 3 day stay and cetainly envious of you people that live in NK as it appears to me you have just about the best of all worlds in an excellent sized town.

Enjoyed it. Cheers