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Northeastern Thailand

The northeast is Thailand’s forgotten backyard. Isan (ee·săhn), as it’s usually called, offers a glimpse of the Thailand of old: rice fields run to the horizon, water buffalo wade in muddy ponds, silk weavers work looms under their homes, and pedal-rickshaw riders pull passengers down city streets.

Spend even just a little time here and you’ll discover as many differences as similarities to the rest of Thailand. The language, food and culture are more Lao than Thai, with hearty helpings of Khmer and Vietnamese thrown into the mix. And spend time here you should, because it’s home to some of Thailand’s best historic sites, national parks and festivals. The tourist trail is a bit more challenging here if you don't speak any Thai, but the fantastic attractions and daily interactions could end up being highlights of your trip.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northeastern Thailand.

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Phimai Historical Park
Prasat Phimai is one of the most impressive Khmer ruins in Thailand, both in its grand scale and its intricate details. Though built as a Mahayana Buddhist temple, its carvings feature many Hindu deities, and many design elements – most notably the main shrine 's distinctive prang tower – were later used at Angkor Wat. There has been a temple at this naturally fortified site since at least the 8th century, though most of the existing buildings were erected in the late 11th century by Khmer King Jayavarman VI. You enter over a cruciform naga bridge, which symbolically represents the passage from earth to heaven, and then through the southern gate of the outer wall, which stretches 565m by 1030m. The orientation to the south (though not due south) is unusual since most Khmer temples face east. It's often written that Phimai was built facing south to align with the capital, though historians reject this theory since it doesn't face Angkor directly. A raised passageway, formerly covered by a tiled roof, leads to the inner sanctum and the 28m-tall main shrine built of white sandstone and covered in superb carvings. Inside the adjacent Prang Brahmathat is a replica stone sculpture of Angkor King Jayavarman VII, sitting cross-legged and looking very much like a sitting Buddha. The original is in the Phimai National Museum. Knowledgeable local students sometimes act as guides, but few speak English. Luckily, various signs and a free brochure from the visitors centre just inside the entrance provide a decent overview of the complex.
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Prasat Phanom Rung
Prasat Phanom Rung has a knock-you-dead location. Crowning the summit of a spent volcano, this sanctuary sits 200m above the paddy fields below. To the southeast you can see Cambodia’s Dongrek Mountains, and it’s in this direction that the capital of the Angkor empire once lay. The temple was erected as a Hindu monument to Shiva between the 10th and 13th centuries, the bulk of it during the reign of King Suriyavarman II (r AD 1113–50). Below the main sanctuary, above the long row of gift shops, an information centre houses artefacts found at the site and displays about both the construction and the restoration, which took 17 years. You can pick up a free informative brochure or arrange a Thai-speaking guide (price is negotiable) here. Those who don't want to climb can use an upper car park (per car 50B), but the brochure usually isn't available there, and you'll miss out on the fabulous promenade leading up to the main gate. In fact, the promenade is one of the most remarkable aspects of Phanom Rung. It begins on a slope 400m east of the main tower with three earthen terraces. Next comes a cruciform base for what may have been a wooden pavilion. To the right of this is the Phlab Phla, assumed to be where royalty bathed and changed clothes before entering the temple complex. You then step down to a 160m-long processional walkway flanked by sandstone pillars with early Angkor-style lotus-bud tops. This walkway ends at the first and largest of three naga bridges, flanked by 16 five-headed naga (mythical serpent) in the classic Angkor style. As at all Khmer temples, these symbolic 'bridges' represent the passing from the earthly realm to the heavenly. At the top, the magnificent east gallery leads into the main sanctuary. The main tower has a gallery on each of its four sides, and excellent sculptures of Shiva and Vaishnava deities can be seen in the lintels and pediments over the doorways and in various other key points on the exterior. On the eastern portico of the mandapa (hall in front of the main tower) is a Nataraja (Dancing Shiva) and the well-known Narai Bandhomsindhu lintel, which represent the destruction and rebirth of the universe respectively, while on the southern entrance are the remains of Shiva and Uma riding their bull mount, Nandi. The central cell of the main tower contains a Shiva lingam, and in front of it is an evocative Nandi statue.
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Khao Yai National Park
Cool and lush, Khao Yai National Park is an easy escape into the primordial jungle. The 2168-sq-km park, part of a Unesco World Heritage site, spans five forest types teeming with wildlife. There are good hiking trails and some fantastic waterfalls including Nam Tok Haew Suwat and Nam Tok Haew Narok that put on thundering shows in the rainy season. The park is the primary residence of, among many others, around 200 elephants, a few very shy tigers, noisy gibbons, colourful tropical birds, massive pythons and countless audible, yet invisible, insects. Khao Yai is a major birdwatching destination, with large flocks of hornbills and hundreds of other birds. In the grasslands batik-printed butterflies dissect flowers with their surgical tongues and semi-tame deer graze with little care about nearby shutterbugs. Visiting independently is quite easy as the English-speaking staff at the visitors centre are very helpful, motorcycles and bicycles can be hired, and visitors with cars are usually happy to pick up pedestrians; though tours are reasonably priced and easy to arrange. There are five marked trails for independent walking, but birdwatchers or animal trackers should consider hiring a jungle guide to increase their species count (the guides here are excellent) and appreciation of the environment. Early-morning and early-evening visits to the roadside salt licks and the Nong Pak Chee Observation Tower sometimes provide close encounters with elephants, guar, and other large mammals, though the night safaris (reserve at the visitors centre) are the best wildlife-watching opportunity. It's important to understand that spotting the park's elephants and smaller critters is considered a bonus, with most people happy just to admire the mature jungle and frothy waterfalls that blanket and drain the peaks of Big Mountain.
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Sala Kaew Ku
One of Thailand’s most enigmatic attractions, Sala Kaew Ku can't fail to impress. Built over 20 years by Luang Pu Boun Leua Sourirat, a mystic who died in 1996, the park features a wonderful smorgasbord of bizarre cement statues of Buddha, Shiva, Vishnu and other deities. The main shrine building is packed with hundreds of smaller sculptures of various description and provenance, photos of Luang Pu at various stages throughout his life, and his corpse under a glass dome ringed by flashing lights. As he told his own story, Luang Pu tumbled into a hole as a child and met an ascetic named Kaewkoo who introduced him to the manifold mysteries of the underworld and set him on course to become a Brahmanic-yogi-priest-shaman. Shaking up his own unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, Luang Pu developed a large following on both sides of the Mekong in this region. In fact, his original project was on the Lao side of the river, where he had been living until the 1975 communist takeover in Laos. Some of the sculptures are quite amusing. If you’re travelling with kids, they’ll enjoy the serene elephant wading through a pack of anthropomorphic dogs (which teaches people to not be bothered by gossip). The tallest sculpture, a Buddha seated on a coiled naga (serpent deity) with a spectacular seven-headed hood, is 25m high. Also not to be missed is the Wheel of Life, which you enter through a giant 'mouth'. An explanation is available on the back side of the handy map of the sculpture park provided by Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse. All buses headed east of Nong Khai pass the road leading to Sala Kaew Ku (10B). It's about a five-minute walk from the highway. Chartered túk-túk will probably cost 250B return with a one-hour wait. You can reach it by bike in about 30 minutes; the Mut Mee map shows the scenic route.
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Wat Phra That Phanom
This temple is a potent and beautiful place – even if you're feeling templed out, you'll likely be impressed. At its hub is a stupa (tâht), more impressive than any in present-day Laos and highly revered by Buddhists from both countries. It's 53.6m high, and a 16kg real-gold umbrella laden with precious gems adds 4m more to the top. The stupa is lit up spectacularly at night, and a visit in the evening is extra-special, with prayer chants and gongs reverberating around the complex. The local legend tells that the Lord Buddha travelled to Thailand and directed that one of his breast-bone relics be enshrined in a chedi to be built on this very site; and so it was in 535 BC, eight years after his death. Historians, on the other hand, assume the first construction was around the 9th century AD, and modifications have been routine since then. In 1690 it was raised to 47m and the current design went up in 1941, but it toppled during heavy rains in 1975 and was rebuilt in 1978. There's a replica of how the original, short stupa may have looked in a pond in front of the temple. And you'll find replicas of both the present and the previous designs all over Isan. Behind the surrounding cloister is a shady little park with more statuary and a museum. To the north is what was once the largest gong in Thailand, and to the south is a market with food and handicrafts for all the Thai tourists visiting.
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Prasat Muang Tam
In the little village of Khok Meuang, the restored Khmer temple of Prasat Muang Tam is an ideal bolt-on to any visit to Phanom Rung, which is only 8km to the northwest. Dating back to the late 10th or early 11th century, this is generally considered Isan’s third most interesting temple complex in terms of size, atmosphere and the quality of restoration work, but because so few people visit (you might have it all to yourself) it is some people's favourite. The whole complex, built as a shrine to Shiva, has an unusual layout. Most significantly, the five towers (the main one could not be rebuilt) are grouped three in front and two in back rather than the expected quincunx cross shape. Also, Muang Tam is the only Khmer temple to have four L-shaped ponds at each corner. Begin your visit across the road in the small information centre, next to Baray Muang Tam (a 510m-by-1090m Khmer-era reservoir), which has good displays about the site. Motorcycle/car taxis will add Muang Tam onto a trip to Phanom Rung for another 100/200B.
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Red Lotus Sea
You'll see pictures of the Red Lotus Sea (really, it's a pink water-lily lake) all over Udon as it's now one of Isan's top attractions, but few Westerners make it here. You need to hire a boat (300B to 500B for up to 10 people) to go out into the middle of the lake to see the bloom, and the earlier the better as the flowers start to close up around 10.30am and are completely shut by noon. The season depends on Mother Nature, but it generally starts in late October and lasts to the end of February; January is often, but not always, the peak time. The main access point to Nong Han, the lake's actual name, is 40km southeast of Udon city in Ban Dieam; there are so many road signs for it that it's impossible for drivers not to find it. There's no public transport, but half-day trips (499B per person) depart from McDonald's at UD Town at 6.30am. Confirm details at your hotel or call the local TAT office for information as details change year to year.
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Suan Sawan
A more adventurous destination than the famous Suan Hin Pha Ngam, the walking path through 'Heavenly Garden' requires a little climbing over rocks and through some caves and it crosses several metal walkways. At the end there's a great scenic viewpoint and a forest where monkeys are sometimes seen. The guided trip takes about 90 minutes and you should bring a torch, though you can get through without one. It's always open, but sometimes the guides step out of the office; so if no one is around when you arrive, ask someone in the village to call a guide. The trail is not appropriate for small children, though shorter, easier walks can be done.
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Pha Taem
These ancient rock paintings, which are at least 1000 years old but probably much older, sit on a cliff face down below the visitors centre. A fantastic, tree-shaded walking trail (4km, approximately two hours) cut into the cliff face runs past four groups of paintings before looping back to the visitors centre. Painted subjects include þlah bèuk (giant Mekong catfish), elephants, human hands, geometric designs and fish traps that look much like the huge ones still used today. The second viewing platform fronts the most impressive batch, but don't miss seeing Group 4, further up the cliff face and only accessible via a highly precarious pathway (take extreme care!).