Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [432]
Sights
The little Loei Cultural Centre (0 4283 5224; Rte 201; admission free; 8.30am-4pm), found 5km north of town at Rajabhat University, is hardly worth the trip; but if you won’t be stopping in Dan Sai, there are Phi Ta Khon festival masks and photos to see. Ask in the office down below and someone will open the door for you.
Festivals
Though Loei’s farmers are fast switching to other crops, Loei Province is still Thailand’s second biggest producer of cotton, so it’s fitting that the city kicks off its Blooming Cotton Flower and Sweet Tamarind Festival (1–9 February) with cotton-decorated floats.
Sleeping
Sugar Guesthouse (0 4281 2982; www.sugarguesthouse.blog.com; 4/1 Th Wisut Titep/Soi 2; r 180-380B; ) The cheapest place in town (the fan rooms share a hot-water bathroom) is also the friendliest. The English-speaking owner arranges trips around the province at reasonable prices, or, if you’d rather get there yourself, hires bikes (50B) and motorcycles (250B). A túk-túk from the bus station will probably cost 60B.
Thuang Sap Guesthouse (0 4281 5576; 22 Th Sathon Chiang Khan; r 350B; ) Hidden away in the centre of the block, rooms at this quiet, good-value place feature a fridge and quality mattresses. They also have little balconies, but there’s nothing to see from them. Shining surfaces bear testament to a clutch of hard-working, behind-the-scenes cleaners.
King Hotel (0 4281 1701; 11/8-12 Th Chumsai; r 500-1000B; ) Fit for a king? No, though a major overhaul has given the rooms a simple but attractive style, making it a pleasant place to stay for those who don’t need the leisure activities available at the big hotels. They tell us an upgrade of the courtyard is coming next.
Loei Palace Hotel (0 4281 5668; 167/4 Th Charoenrat; r 1000-3000B, ste 5000B; ) Loei’s flagship hotel sports some wedding-cake architecture, helpful staff, plenty of mod cons and usually a high vacancy rate, which is why you can get such big rooms for such small prices. Wi-fi covers the first two floors only. Check out the flood marker and photos next to the reception desk to see what the city suffered in September 2002.
Eating
Loei’s main night market (4-10pm) is small, but pretty good.
Gwan Yin Jai (0 4281 4863; 34/25-26 Soi PR House; dishes 30-35B; breakfast & lunch Sun-Fri) This friendly vegetarian restaurant serves mock-meat versions of Thai fast-food standards, like kôw man gài (rice with steamed chicken). They have an English menu, but can’t always find it because it gets used so rarely.
Krua Nid (no roman-script sign; 0 4281 3013; 58 Th Charoenrat; dishes 20-45B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Fronted by a big glass buffet case, this no-frills eatery serves hòr mòk (soufflé-like curry steamed in banana leaves) and other central-Thai dishes. Look for the red-and-white awning.
Baan Yai (no roman-script sign; 0 4283 3361; Th Sert-Si; dishes 20-150B; lunch & dinner) This big, leafy place with a funky variety of wooden tables and chairs is a genuine Isan restaurant where the menu (no English) has entire sections for insects, ant eggs and frogs. They also serve dtòhng mo (pork in a sour and spicy sauce), a Loei speciality you’ll probably never find anywhere else in Thailand. At night there’s live music or movies and football to watch, so many people just come here to drink.
Ban Thai (0 4283 3472; 22/58-60 Th Chumsai; dishes 50-350B; lunch & dinner) The first choice for a fix of fa·ràng food is a fairly attractive spot with German and Italian dishes dominating the mixed menu, but the Thai food is pretty good too.
Getting There & Away
There are no longer flights to Loei, but they may resume.
BUS
The most frequent service from Loei’s bus terminal (0 4283 3586) is to Udon Thani (ordinary/1st class 70/113B, three hours, every half-hour). There are also buses to Khon Kaen (2nd/1st class 141/160B, 2½ hours, every half-hour), Khorat (2nd/1st class 260/321B, six hours, hourly), Phitsanulok (2nd/1st class 139/178B, four hours, hourly) and Chiang Mai