Kalasin - Isan Jurassic Park

Now, when I saw the sign, I thought that this may be where most of Thailand's ex-bar girls retire to when they get too old for the flesh trade. My second thought was that it was some kind of theme park with fun and games.

Alas, what the sign is actually about is what is being marketed as "Isan's Best Kept Secret". In 2007 the Department of Mineral Resources opened a new US$12 million museum about 30 km north of Kalasin city and close to the Phu Kum Khao dinosaur site. The Sirindhorn museum houses Southeast Asia’s largest collection of dinosaur bones comprising more than 800 pieces, as well as collections of fossils from Thailand and elsewhere, models of dinosaur skeletons, and various video presentations with Thai and English explanations.

While this is all great fun on a rainy afternoon, let me point out that this "secret" tourist destination will remain very little known and with very few visitors for the simple reason that it is located in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, Kalasin is obviously proud of its prehistoric creatures.

In case you were wondering, the Palaeozoic Era was two hundred million years ago and the museum is named after HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. 

Nakhon Phanom - Once Upon A Time (2)

Other major tourist promotions in Nakhon Phanom includes two annual festivals:

Fire Boats. Communities from across the province build large scaffolding out of bamboo, which they put on boats and float down the river in the annual fire boat festival. Tin cans are filled with kerosene and stuffed with rags, then arranged on the scaffolding to form images of temples, the king, dragons, etc. At night the boats float down the Mekong river for the appreciation of spectators. Held one night a year, at the end of Buddhist lent (normally November).

That Phanom Festival. In February of each year, a festival is hosted in That Phanom to commemorate the rebuilding of the Wat That Phanom The city draws thousands of Thai and Lao tourists and the generally sleepy town is packed with people, markets and food stalls.

Late this year, a bridge (the 3rd Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge) will be completed and the hopes are the cross-border commerce will increase. At present, one gets to Laos by means of a ferry. 

In the Tha Uthen district, you can see a bicolored river - not as big and impressive as seeing Mun merge with Mekhong in Ubon Ratchathani, but there is a nice small restaurant on the river bank. From there you can enjoy the laid-back life at the end of the world. When I went there for lunch, the two border guards rose for the hammocks to leave their post for a lunch break. I bet smugglers and illegal immigrants also take lunch breaks and that's why the border guards don't need to be alert all the time - I mean, that would make their job too stressful  LOL 

An attraction I didn't catch while in town was the supposedly beautiful sight of Sri Kontraboon at dawn. I was told that the beach (actually, the river bed that is exposed during the dry season when the river's water level drops) will be golden in the wee hours as the early morning sunshine reflects as golden rays.


My excuse is that it was difficult for me to get up early as I spend the evening exploring the promenade along the Mekhong River. Many interesting buildings, bars, and restaurants although the nightlife was pretty tame.


Maybe the nightlife was lame only during my visit because the few nights I was in town, swarms of white insects with a short life were attracted to any strong light source. 
So, under street lamps, the road surface would be covered in dead or dying insects and the road would be slippery like wet soap. There were so many insects and they died so fast that if you parked your car for a few minutes with the lights on, dead insects would pile up. And eating at sidewalk restaurants became a bit annoying with dead insects constantly dropping into your bowl of rice. 

Loei - Suan Hin Pha Ngam

So, the park ranger from Phu Pha Man took me for a ride. A ride to visit the 70-meter high Tat Rong waterfall borders Phu Kradueng National Park and Phu Pha Man National Park. A folk tale says the waterfall can sing as water runs upon a piece of thin stone, the falling water veers off into different rock holes nearby and fills the forest with strange sounds.

We then went to the quirky but impressive Suan Hin Pha Ngam. This park has limestone “mountains” that have eroded over time to form interesting shapes, somewhat similar to that in Kunming in China.

A path winds through the rocks (up, down, and around) for about three kilometers or so. The path takes visitors to the top of the rock (great views) to the lovely Suan Hom, and to Phiang Din Waterfalls.

Visitors can take a slow ride in a Kubota taek-taek to the start of the path or walk the two kilometer stretch - thus making the total distance to walk around five kilometers. I opted to walk.

The park is not that easy to find. Most signs are in Thai, but a few point towards a "Rock Garden". The park lies around 20 kilometer west of Highway No. 201.

On the way back to civilization, the ranger suggested that I paid dinner at a place nick-named “Pattaya 2”, but I declined that opportunity

Khon Kaen - Phu Pha Man

The obvious natural landmark of this park is the towering limestone cliff that looks like a huge curtain, but “hidden” in lush jungle are several waterfalls and large caves. The park lies both in Khon Kaen as well as in Amphoe Phu Kradueng in Loei province.

To say that the roads in the park are bad is an understatement. If you want to visit duing the rainy season, it is recommended to do so in a vehicle with 4WD as the dirt tracks turn into slippery mud arteries. Moreover, be aware that all signage inside the park is in Thai, so if you (or your co-driver) cannot read Thai you will have a hard time finding the park’s attractions.

By a stroke of luck, my usual argumentation at the park entrance about the exorbitant fees foreigners are charged resulted in an unusual compromise. The park ranger offered to be my “personal guide” if you would agree to pay the full entrance fee.

In the end, the ranger guided me to exit the park a dozen or so kilometer north of the park head quarters. That exit was without any ranger station, so people can actually enter the park without paying any fee whatsoever.

As mentioned, having the ranger telling which tracks to follow was a great help as the few signs all were in Thai. So, I would most likely not have found any of the attractions and I was a bit in a hurry.

Attractions in the national park include Tham Klang Khao in Phu Pha Man Mountain. The cave’s entrance is some 100 meters up, The large cave is home to millions of bats, whose droppings have accumulated over time and smell like ... yeah, you guessed it.

Every evening, around 6 PM, the bats leave the cave in a line that stretch around ten kilometers. It takes some 30-40 minutes from the first until the last bat leaves the cave. Or so said my guide. As I was in a rush to get to Bangkok that evening, I did not have time to wait around until 6 PM

Tham Phra is near Tham Klang Khao and has a natural tunnel sloping up to the crest of Phu Pha Man Mountain. It is a bit difficult to get through, but inside are beautiful stalagmites, stalactites, and big stone pillars.

Tham Pu Ta Lo is almost 20 kilometers from park head quarters. The cave has a very spacious chamber and there are 5-7 meters to the cave’s “ceiling”. My guide’s flashlight chose to run out of battery in this cave and my pocket-size flashlight (supposed to have high-tech LED light bulbs) emitted a pathetic anemic light, we had to resort to my guide’s back-up solution: candle lights. Putting up a dozen or so of small candle lights resulted in positive side effect. The light was reflected on some glittering stones (rock crystals?), which under other circumstances could have been romantic.

Despite that I had told my guide that I was in a hurry, the ranger insisted I went to see Tat Rong waterfall and Suan Hin Pha Ngam. What I wasn’t told was that both are located in Loei Province and there thus would be quite a drive. See tomorrow’s blog for the rest a my day in Loei and Khon Kaen.

Nakhon Phanom - Once Upon A Time (1)

Nakhon Phanom - jokingly known as Nakhon Nowhere because it is so far away from Bangkok - has in recent years managed to successfully market itself as a tourist destination for Bangkokians wanting to see "Thailand as it once was". Part of Nakhon Phanom’s attraction are the many beutiful temples, stupas, and chedis that one can see in the province. There is more than one such sight per day in the week. For example, Wat Phrathat Renu, Wat Phrathat Sr Khun, Wat Phrathat Nakhon, Wat Phrathat Tha Uthen, and Wat Sri Thep Pradit Tharam.

Construction of Wat Sri Thep Pradit Tharam started in 1859 and it houses Phra Saeng, a very important Buddha image. According to legend, this image was „brought over“ from the Vientiane Kingdom during the reign of King Rama I.

The provincial museum located in a gently restored form Governor's Residence gives a very good insight into the cultural diversity of the region. This is a place to go and learn about the many tribes that around 200 years ago migrated from what is now Laos to what is now the eastern part of Thailand. It will illuminate people that think all Isan people are the same and that the Isan language is exactly the same as the Laotian language. 

Dotted around in the center of town are many "colonial-style" buildings that today are used by the local government for various purposes. This increases the retro-feel and the mood of once-upon a time. 

Ho Chi Minh resided between 1928 and 1931 at Ban Nachok, a small village on the road between the airbase and Nakhon Phanom. Both his home and a new modern museum (located at theThai-Vietnam Friendship Center) are now open to the public and „Uncle Ho“ is celebrated as a hero

In 1968, American and Thai forces established a base at Nakhon Phanom where the Thai military hosted the US 56th Air Commando Wing, which conducted special (and secret) operations against both the Ho Chi Minh Trails in Laos and carried out counter insurgency operations against Thai Communist forces while conducting search and rescue operations primarily within Laos and North Vietnam. Nakhon Phanom was affectionately known as "Naked Fanny" or NKP by the Americans and was refered to as the "End of the line at the edge of the world."

Buengkarn - Phu Tok

Roughly 180 km east of the city of Nong Khai (just south of the riverside town of Bueng Kan which is the capital of the recently established 77th Thai province) is a huge sandstone rock named Phu Tok. It jots up almost 200 meters in the otherwise flat landscape.

At the top of the mountain is a temple, Wat Chetiya Khiri Vihan (commonly simply called Wat Phu Tok), which can be reached by a seven-level wooden spiral staircase.

This staircase itself is impressive, taking nearly five years to complete, as are the views from the top. Although vistas from top are impressive, it was the challenging and literally breathtaking climb to get there that stands out in my mind.

The temple is accessed by circling upwards on a network of rickety staircases built in, on and around the giant sandstone outcrop. Six levels of steps, plus a seventh-level scramble up roots and rocks to the thick forest at the summit, represent the seven steps towards enlightenment in Buddhist teachings. According to them, the last level of life is always covered alone so Phu Tok’s seventh level has an access so narrow one has to climb there in single file.

I felt a sense of achievement once I finally reached the top, grateful that the rickety staircases didn’t collapse or that I didn’t fall over the side while I navigated my way up the seven levels.

The first three levels took me up through spectacular forest below the tree line, passing by deep cuttings and huge tropical trees with their buttress roots.

Level four goes through a passage actually within the rock. A choice of two routes – the left fork is more interesting – leads to the fifth and most important level, where a sala houses the temple's main Buddha image in an airy, dimly lit cavern. Pilgrims can seek permission to spend the night on a wide polished floor.

The artificial ledges that cut across the northeast face are not for the fainthearted, but they are one way of getting to the dramatic northwest tip on level five. On the other side of a deep crevice spanned by a wooden bridge, the monks have built an open-sided Buddha viharn under a huge anvil rock. This spot affords stunning views over a broad sweep of the flat countryside below.

Kutì (meditation huts and living quarters for the 50 or so monks living in the temple) are scattered around the mountain, in caves and on cliffs.

The arduous work of building the staircases was seen by the venerable monk, Phra Ajahn Juan, as a form of meditation in itself. Ajahn Juan founded Wat Phu Tok in 1968 and died in a plane crash in August 1980 along with several other highly revered forest monks who were flying to Bangkok for Queen Sirikit’s birthday celebration. A marble chedi containing his belongings and some bone relics was built at a small lake at the foot of Phu Tok.

Roi Et - Luang Pho To

Near Roi Et city's moat, the world's tallest statue depicting Buddha in a blessing posture can be found. The statue itself is 59 meters tall and is on the top of an 8 meter higher pedestal that houses a museum. The statue was completed in 1979 and is now in one of Roi Et's most revered temples.

Roi Et - Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon

Wat Pha Namthip Thep Prasit Wararam in Roi Et includes the stunning or Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon or the Chai Mongkhon Pagoda. The pagoda is simply amazing. Pictures cannot really show or convey how stunning it is, but I've attached a few.

I highly recommend a visit.

The temple is reached driving up a slightly rugged and winding road. Along the way, there are stalls selling somtam, roasted chicken and grilled fish.

At 101 meters high and rising from a 101 meters wide and 101 meters long base, this pagoda truly is one of the most beautiful and largest pagodas in Thailand. Lord Buddha’s relics are enshrined in this five-storeyed pagoda. The view of the surrounding landscape can be enjoyed from the roof.

Buriram - Prasat Hin Phanom Rung

Phanom Rung lies around 65 km south of Buriram city, just 12 km off Highway No. 24.

Phanom Rung is an ancient temple and resting place. One in a string of temples built for pilgrims traveling between Angkor and India back before there was a Siamese kingdom. Muang Singh, Khao Phi Mai and Khao Phra Viharn are some of the other famous rest stops.

Over 1,000 years old, Prasat Hin Phanom Rung is situated on top of one of Buriram's extinct volcanoes. This sandstone monastery is 400 meters above sea level and was originally dedicated to Shiva and his heavenly abode, the holy mountain of Kailash.

The regional chief of Thailand's national park service has unfortunately unilaterally decided the no foreigner can get in to visit Phanom Rung without paying the full price (seven times higher than the Thai price) irrespective of whether the foreigner has a work permit or a residence permit, thus paying Thai income taxes.

Isan - Bucolic Paradise

The need to connect Bangkok and sea ports to the American airbases in Isan - the north-eastern region of Thailand - during the Viet Nam conflict resulted in the construction of several quality highways.

As a side benefit, these highways resulted in that it became easier for people to go to and around Isan and in that goods could move around more easily.

So, export of surplus agricultural production became easy. Initially, this was primarily rice as can be seen in the national production statistics for 1960s and 1970s.

Isan at the start of the Viet Nam era was sparsely populated, so the increase in rice production was mainly a result of an increase in population as people migrated to Isan to convert forest and bush areas into rice fields.

Geographically, Isan mostly consists of the Khorat Plateau, which a trillion years ago used to be a seabed. So, the soil east of Khorat is mostly sand.

And as Isan farmers (unlike farmers in estuarine areas) suffer from a lack of water, the region is one of the poorest regions in Thailand.

On the bright side, the region can also be considered a bucolic paradise where watching the local wildlife is a pastime visitors can enjoy. But the many Isan women that flock to the bar beers in Pattaya, Patong, and Patpong are more interested in money than in staying at home in the countryside.