Our flight landed smoothly at Suvarnabhumi
International Airport, Bangkok... so the journey continues... Six girls embarked
the next flight to Phuket while Yuni and I struggled to find our way towards
Nong Khai. Night train travel was the first thing that came to our mind since
both of us were eager to have a taste of a long-haul train trip, whether in a
soft-sleeper compartment or a hard-sleeper one... Unfortunately we ran out of
tickets by the time we reached Hua Lamphong Railway Station. Dragging our bags
out of the station, we decided to take a night bus instead. Hopped into a taxi
that drove us to Mochit (Chatuchak) Bus Terminal/Northern Bus Terminal. We
bought the ticket on the spot at THB 700 per person. For bus timetables, check
out http://www.1stopbangkok.com/getting_here/bus/
Nong Khai, the Gateway to Laos (officially the Lao PDR).
Nong Khai is located on the banks of Mekong River, 630 km northeast of Bangkok.
Across the river is the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It was through Nong
Khai that the first land crossing to Laos was opened for foreigners via the
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge that was completed in 1994. Although today, a decade
later, there are a range of options available to enter Laos, many still choose
to go via Nong Khai. Been thinking of crossing the Mekong River or took a bus
ride crossing the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge to take a peek of Laos... but my
tight timeline (merely 1D1N in Nong Khai) and the fact that I had to pay USD 30
for Laos visa made me have second thought. Will save Laos for my next year
trip. Meanwhile... I'll just lay back and enjoyed the sleepy town of Nong Khai.
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| Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi Airport |
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| Tuk-tuk |
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| Nong Khai Grand Hotel |
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It's easy to spot Nong Khai Grand Hotel since
it's the biggest and grandest hotel in town which located on Route 212... but I
was not staying at this fancy hotel. I walked pass NKGH to a small street
behind and found a nice clean guesthouse. Don't ask me the name of the
guesthouse... I have no idea. The girl behind the desk didn't speak English and
the hotel receipt were in Thai.
However I managed to book a room for THB 450 (double-bed room with A/C and
private bathroom). I still keep the guesthouse number just in case I need it in
the future. Here we go... 6642-4239723. The guesthouse is located right behind
the NKGH (589 Moo 5, Nong Khai-Poanpisai Road, Muang, Nong Khai 43000), about
30mins leisure walk from Nong Khai Bus Station.
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| Internet Cafe |
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After a short nap and a quick freshen up, Yuni
and I took a tuk-tuk to Nong Khai Bus Station to book bus tickets returning to
Bangkok the next day. We found a small internet cafe next to the ticketing
office and decided to spend a little time there. What a bloody sunny afternoon
and we need to get away from the sun for a while. The cozy cool internet cafe
turned out to be a perfect choice. While we're on the net, we did the web
check-in for our next day night flight from Bangkok to Jakarta.
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| Keyboard Keys in Thai Characters |
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| Ozone@net |
Meanwhile we tried to arrange a half day tour
from here... and it'd be a walking tour. Start from Nong Khai Bus Station...
heading to Mekong River and simply walked along the riverside promenade to
visit Wat Lam Duan and Ta Sadet Market.
The sunset view along Mekong River and a glimpse to Laos land was a feast to
the eyes.
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| Street Vendor |
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I grabbed my lunch at a small street stall
across Ozone Internet Cafe within the area of Nong Khai Bus Station. Had a
plate of padthai. Not bad...
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| Nong Khai-Vientiane Bus |
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| Suvarnabhumi Airport-Nong Khai Bus |
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So they have direct bus from Suvarnabhumi
Airport to Nong Khai... OMG... Should do my homework well next time :)
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| Street Vendor |
Definitely my dinner for the evening. Too bad
they didn't provide benches for dine-in customers.
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| Street Vendor |
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| Yummy Satay |
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| The Gate |
Here's the gate into the riverside promenade
along Mekong River which leads to Wat Lam Duan and Ta Sadet Market.
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| The Riverside Promenade |
|
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| Mr. Bean's Car? :) |
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| Wat Lam Duan |
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Wat Lam Duan, topped by an immense Sitting
Buddha image overlooking the Mekong River.
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| Boon Koom Buddha |
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A large golden Buddha sits on the roof of Wat
Lam Duan. The name of the Buddha is Boon Koom. Thanks to Phramaha Tharabun (http://opencharm.multiply.com) for the
in-depth information.
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| The Sitting Buddha |
The Giant Sitting Buddha of Wat Lam Duan overlooking Mekong River and Laos.
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| Dancing Clouds |
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| Sunset along Mekong River |
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| Ta Sadet Market |
If you
are looking for a place to shop and eat with nice scenery that illustrates the
identity of Nong Khai, then Ta Sadet Market is definitely the place.
Nong Khai is one of the official Thai-Laotian border checkpoints and has been a
significant trading center between Thai and Laos throughout history. In the
past, Ta Sadet was a pier for Thai-Laos boats transporting goods from Indochina
and Eastern Europe. Later on, Ta Sadet Market became a shopping center,
situated on the banks of Mekong River, north of Nong Khai. The market is opened
daily from 07.00-18.30. It offers a wide range of local foods and various
products.
In the evening, Ta Sadet Market is the place to watch a stunning sunset and the
mighty Mekong River before returning home.
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| Ta Sadet Market |
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The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge can be vaguely
seen in the background.
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| Ta Sadet Market |
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| Nak Statue, Ta Sadet Market |
The nak, the Thai rendition of the Hindu
"Naga", is a creature more playful than its ferocious European
cousin, the dragon, and more whimsical than the Chinese dragon and other
mythical serpent gods. According to Buddhist tradition, it lives in the Mekong
close to Nong Khai and helped to protect the Buddha.
On the evening of the full moon of the eleventh lunar month, the final night of
Buddhist Lent, people can see fireballs emerging from the Mekong River and
shooting up into the sky about 50-100 metres high before vanishing into thin
air. The reddish-pink elliptical fireballs are believed to belong to the Nagas
who live beneath the waters of the Mekong River. It has become an annual
festival -Naga Fireballs Festival- which draws a flock of tourists travel to
Nong Khai Province to witness this eerie phenomenon.
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| Nak Statue, Ta Sadet Market |
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| Nak Statue, Ta Sadet Market |
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| Souvenir Shop at Ta Sadet Market |
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Behind this souvenir shop, we can find the Ta
Sadet Market. The market area is roofed to provide comfort for shoppers and
merchants protecting them from rain and sun. The goods available are cheap and
the market is quite easy to explore.
At Ta Sadet Market, there are many local products, which make wonderful
souvenirs. Apart from shopping at the market, there are many food stalls along
the Mekong River as well.
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