Buffering Bangkok from the sea and the hinterlands, this fertile river plain is Thailand’s cultural heartland. It has birthed rice crops without coaxing, and cultivated a distinct Thai culture centred around the seasonal patterns of the region’s ‘mother w
Touch down in the little provincial capital of Buriram, at the heart of one of Thailand’s larger provinces, and you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Despite hanging on to half of its historic moat, the city is a hard sell as a tourist destination.
The forgettable capital of Buriram is a possible base for exploring the region’s temples, but the accommodation scene is poor and there’s very little to keep you occupied so most people bed down in Nang Rong, 54km to the south, which has a full range of s
Experience a slice of Myanmar, or just go for the sake of an instant 30-day visa, by crossing the Mae Nam Moei to Myawadi. Immigration procedures are taken care of at the Thai immigration booth (8.30am-4.30pm) at the Friendship Bridge, although if you hav
Bo Sang (also often spelt ‘Baw Sang’ or ‘Bor Sang’), 9km east of Chiang Mai on Rte 1006, is also known as the Umbrella Village because of its many umbrella manufacturers. Almost the entire village consists of craft shops selling painted umbrellas, fans, s
Beung Kan is a small dusty town on the Mekong River, 136km east of Nong Khai by Rte 212. You may want to break your journey here if you are working your way around the northeastern border from Nong Khai to Nakhon Phanom (as opposed to the easier but less
Same same, but different. It’s Thailish T-shirt philosophy that neatly sums up Bangkok, a city combining the tastes of many places into a unique and oftenspicy dish that is never, ever boring.
About 3000 years ago, a primitive agricultural/ceramic culture put down roots at Bat Prasat, near the banks of Mae Nam Than Prasat. It survived for nearly 500 years, planting rice, domesticating animals, fashioning coloured pottery, weaving cloth and, in
The self-styled ‘King Cobra Village’ of Ban Khok Sa-Nga has a thing about snakes. Locals rear hundreds of the reptiles, and most houses have some in boxes under their houses. The strange custom began when a herb farmer Phu Yai Ken Yongla began putting on
This town, 50km east of Udon, was once the hub of the ancient Ban Chiang civilisation and archaeological digs here have uncovered a treasure-trove of artefacts dating as far back as 5600 years.