Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [421]
Before leaving, take a peek at Wat Na Ka Taewee (daylight hr), which was founded before the village by a wandering monk who found a hole from which bellowed the sound and smoke of a naga. He plugged the hole with a rock and built the small bòht over it. An open-air hall displays pottery, gold Buddhas and human skeletons unearthed during various construction projects at the temple.
Udon’s White bus runs to the village; catch it anywhere along Hwy 2.
Wat Pa Ban Tad
Luang Ta Maha Bua, a former disciple of Luang Pu Man now in his 90s, is one of Thailand’s most revered monks. Though he earned his reverence as a meditation master, he gained universal celebrity after the 1997 economic crisis by collecting over 10,000kg of gold (people turned in jewellery to be melted down) and US$10 million in baht to help pay the country’s international debts. He’s heavily involved in other charity work and in 2005 made unprecedented criticisms of Thaksin, the now-fugitive prime minister. Over 250 monks and mâa chee (nuns), all taking ascetic vows in addition to the regular 227 precepts, live and meditate at Wat Pa Ban Tad (daylight hr), a humble forest wát 16km south of Udon, including about a dozen Westerners.
Hundreds come every morning to hear Luang Ta Maha Bua’s simple, direct talks on Buddhism, and thousands more listen via a nationally broadcast radio program (103.25FM in Udon) or at www.luangta.com.
NONG KHAI PROVINCE
Occupying a narrow, 320km-long sweep along the banks of the Mekong, Nong Khai Province is a beautiful, intriguing region. The capital, Nong Khai, is where the Friendship Bridge (only the second bridge to span the Mekong; the first was in China) crosses into Laos, and this has made the town one of northeastern Thailand’s most popular destinations. But long before the river was spanned, the surreal Sala Kaew Ku Sculpture Park was a must-see on any jaunt through the region.
Branching out from the capital along the Mekong are intriguing temples and riverfront towns. Those who take the time to reach them will have little choice but to dive into genuine Isan culture.
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NONG KHAI
pop 61,500
Lady Luck certainly smiles on the location, spread out along the edge of the Mekong River. As a major staging post on the tourist trail north, Nong Khai hosts a steady stream of travellers. A clutch of excellent places to sleep and eat have sprung up to accommodate them, making this the only Isan town with a full-fledged backpacker scene – albeit a modest one. But Nong Khai’s popularity is about more than just its proximity to Laos and bounty of banana pancakes. Seduced by its dreamy pink sunsets, sluggish pace of life and surrounding attractions, many who mean to stay a day end up bedding down for many more.
Developers have stuck their concrete boots into the city’s historic districts but, compared to most other provincial capitals, Nong Khai has managed to keep at least one foot firmly rooted in the past. Cut through with a sprinkling of French colonial villas and a starburst of wáts, time appears to flow a little more slowly here.
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History
Crammed between nations, Nong Khai is both a historic and physical bridgehead between Thailand and Laos. Nong Khai once fell within the boundaries of the Vientiane (Wiang Chan) kingdom, which itself vacillated between independence and tribute to either Lan Xang (1353–1694) or Siam (late 18th century until 1893). In 1827 Rama III gave a Thai lord, Thao Suwothamma, the rights to establish Meuang Nong Khai at the present city site, which he chose because the surrounding