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."