Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [428]
Laos
Take a túk-túk to the border crossing (50B from the bus station) where you get stamped out of Thailand. From there regular minibuses ferry passengers across the bridge (15B, or 20B from 6am to 8.30am and 4pm to 9.30pm) to the hassle-free Lao immigration checkpoint, where 30-day visas (see Click here for details) are available. From there it’s 22km to Vientiane; there will be plenty of buses, túk-túk and taxis waiting for you. If you already have a visa for Laos, there are also six direct buses a day to Vientiane from Nong Khai’s bus terminal (60B, one hour).
Unless you’re travelling in a large group, there’s no good reason to use any of the visa service agencies in town.
TRAIN
Express trains leave Bangkok daily at 6.30pm and 8pm, arriving in Nong Khai at 5.05am and 8.25am respectively. Going the other way, the express train services depart from Nong Khai at 6am (arriving at 5.10pm) and 6.20pm (arriving at 6.25am). The fares range from 1317B for a 1st-class sleeper cabin to 253/388B for a 3rd-/2nd-class seat. There’s also one rapid train (213/348B 3rd /2nd class) leaving Bangkok at 6.40pm (arriving at 7.35am) and leaving for Bangkok at 7.15pm (arriving at 8am).
For information call Nong Khai Station (0 4241 1592), which is 2km west of town.
Getting Around
If your guesthouse doesn’t hire out bikes (from 30B) or motorcycles (from 150B), someone nearby will. And it pays to shop around a bit, since brakes aren’t necessarily standard equipment.
A túk-túk trip from the bus station to the Mut Mee area should be around 30B.
EAST OF NONG KHAI
Most people travelling along the Mekong rather than crossing over it into Laos head west, but there are some real rewards for bucking the trend and heading east, including one of Thailand’s best homestay programs and most interesting temples.
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Ban Ahong
Ban Ahong is a pretty riverside village at the Km115 marker on Rte 212. Wat Ahong Silawat (daylight hr) on its west side is built amidst ruddy boulders at a river bend known as Sàdeu Námkong (the Mekong River’s Navel) because of the large whirlpool that spins here from June to September. A 7m-tall copy of Phitsanulok’s Chinnarat Buddha gazes over the Mekong to the simple little bòht. This is considered a highly auspicious spot to spend the evening of wan òrk pan·sh, the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat (Buddhist Lent), because the bâng fai pá yah nâhk (naga fireballs) were first reported here (for more details on the fireballs see the boxed text, Click here). It is also presumed to be the deepest spot along the river and there are many legends about underwater caves.
The Ahong Mekong View Hotel (08 6227 0465; r/f 500/800B; ) sits along the river on the temple grounds (all profits from the hotel go to the temple) and does most of its business with tour groups, so it’s likely you’ll either find it booked out or you’ll be the only guests. Prices are a bit high, but each of the 14 large rooms is well appointed and has a balcony. The monks, wanting to promote a peaceful atmosphere, requested that the rooms have no TVs.
Another overnight option is the village’s homestay (08 7223 1544; per person incl meals 250B), though very little English is spoken. About two dozen families have guestrooms in their houses and you can partake in village life as much as you like, perhaps joining your hosts fishing on the river or out in the surrounding rubber plantations.
The buses between Nong Khai (ordinary/2nd class 80/100B, 2½ hours, hourly until 4pm) and Beung Kan pass here.
Beung Kan
Beung Kan, a quiet, dusty town on the Mekong River 136km east of Nong Khai, is small, but it’s one of the few significant centres between Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom, so some people break the journey here. It has banks, an internet cafe and most other services you might need, plus a promenade along the river.
During the dry season the Mekong River recedes far from Beung Kan and reaches its narrowest point along the border between Thailand and Laos. People picnic