Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [440]
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THE BI-COLOURED RIVER
If you’re coming from or heading to the north along Hwy 212, take a short break at Nam Song Si, 45km from Nakhon Phanom, where the greenish water of Huay Songkhram meets the muddy brown Mekong. The line between the two is very clear, especially when it’s windy or rainy. And don’t be swayed by any locals you meet along the way who tell you there’s no such place in Nakhon Phanom, that you must be thinking of Mae Nam Song Si in Ubon Ratchathani. Just turn at the sign for ‘the Bi-Coloured River.’ This northern merger may be much less famous, but it’s still pretty cool.
Pak Nam Chaiburi (no roman-script sign; 0 4257 3037; dishes 30-230B; lunch & dinner) serves fish on a shaky wooden deck right at the confluence. The best way to enjoy the bucolic setting is by stopping here for lunch. The food and the scenery are superb.
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Vietnamese Restaurant (no roman-script sign; 0 4251 2087; 165 Th Thamrong Prasit; dishes 30-120B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) With coloured lights and Ronaldinho posters, this little corner shop makes a half-hearted attempt at being fashionable, but the food stays classic. It has served the same family recipes, including nam neu·ang (assemble-it-yourself pork spring rolls) and spicy Thai salads, for over 50 years now.
Luk Tan (0 4251 1456; 83 Th Bamrung Meuang; buffet 89B; dinner) This friendly little spot oozes quirky charm, with tables made from old sewing machines, and a carefully constructed model train built into the wall. Quirkiest of all is the food: an American home-style buffet featuring mashed potatoes and a salad bar. They also serve steak and pizza.
Ban Chom Chon (no roman-script sign; 0 4252 0399; 124 Th Sunthon Wijit; dishes 59-249B; dinner) This upscale but low-priced place next to the museum and across from the river is famous for Mekong River fish cooked in a dizzying choice of styles including lah chôrn lui so·an (deep-fried striped snake-head ‘run through the garden’; served with lots of vegetables in a lemon and chilli sauce). Both the food and service are top-notch and the wooden deck invites you to say late into the night.
Getting There & Away
AIR
PB Air (in Bangkok 0 4251 6300, 0 2261 0222; www.pbair.com; 327/12 Th Fuang Nakhon; 8.30am-5.30pm Mon, Wed & Sat, 8.30am-2pm Tue, Thu, Fri & Sun) flies at least once daily to/from Bangkok (one way 3180B, 1¼ hour). You can also buy tickets at Bovorn Travel (0 4251 2494; Th Nittayo; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat & Sun), which is more conveniently located. An airport shuttle (08 1872 1215) costs 500B per carload.
BOAT
Between 8.30am and 6pm you can catch a boat (one way 60B, every half-hour) from the ferry terminal (Th Sunthon Wijit) across the Mekong to Tha Khaek in Laos. Thirty-day Lao visas (see Click here for details) are now available at the border.
BUS
Nakhon Phanom’s bus terminal (0 4251 3444; Th Fuang Nakhon) is east of the town centre. From here buses head to Nong Khai (ordinary/2nd class 175/220B, six hours, hourly from 6am to 11am); Udon Thani (2nd/1st class 165/211B, five hours, every 45 minutes until 3pm) via Sakon Nakhon (2nd/1st class 65/85B, 1½ hours); and Mukdahan (ordinary/1st class 52/92B, two hours, hourly) via That Phanom (ordinary/1st-class 27/49B, one hour, five daily). Most Bangkok (2nd /1st class 442/569B, 12 hours) buses depart from 7am to 8am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm. 999 VIP (0 4251 1403) sends a 24-seat VIP bus (885B) at 6pm.
Getting Around
Túk-túk drivers quote 30B per person from the bus station to most places in town and 200B per hour, which is about how long it takes to visit Ban Na Chok.
Nakhon Phanom’s sparse traffic makes it a good place for biking. Koo Yong Long (0 4251 1118; 363 Th Sunthon Wijit; bikes per hr 10B; 8am-6pm) has bike hire.
RENU NAKHON
Renu Nakhon is known for cotton weaving, though few people in the town proper work their looms anymore. You’ll need to visit a nearby village if you want to see the process. The Phu Thai, who compose the majority of the town’s residents, make and market their