Cities to see in the Isan region (Thailand)

Hi there,

Nong Khai for its lively border-town vibe and riverside promenade, Kong Jiam for its pretty location where the Mae Nam Mun meets the Mae Nam Khong, its small size, its tranquility, and its laid-back weekend atmosphere (mostly Thai tourism), Roi Et for its lakeside buzz in the city center—perfect for breaking up a long drive between northern Isan and the southeast, Phimai for its relative calm, manageable size, historic ruins in the city center, night market, and the fact that it’s a much nicer stop than its neighbor, the horrible and noisy Khorat, if you need to stay in that area.

Thanks, Songsam—I’ll take a closer look at these cities. At first glance, Roi Et caught my eye (I’m more of a city person than a countryside one).

😉

Songsam, I’m sorry to say I loved Khorat (Nakhon Ratchasima). You just have to get away from the noisy main avenues, and you’ll find yourself in some lovely countryside scenery. Plus, there are a few really nice wats in Khorat. The Thao Suranari Memorial and the devotion of the Thais—it’s something else. I stayed in Khorat because of transport logistics, and I was really surprised because the first time I went, I hated it (back when there were American bases and girlie bars). Phimai, yes, it’s great—it’s small, and for once, a temple is right in the center.

I agree with the rest: Khong Chiam is stunning, Nong Khai left me with great memories—the walk along the Mekong and Sala Keo Ku Park (there’s a similar one in Laos). Don’t forget the other important temples like Phanom Rung, Prasat Muang Tam, and the national parks in Isan that are worth the trip. For the first time, I saw prehistoric paintings in Thailand! !

Hi Horizont, Glad I’m not the only one who shared my thoughts anymore.

That said, about this part of your reply:

we end up in rural landscapes. (...) Don’t forget the other very important temples like Phanom Rung, Prasat Muang Tam, and the few national parks in Isan that are worth it.

Sure, those places are great, but Momo2 doesn’t seem interested in the countryside.

Momo2 doesn't seem interested in the countryside.

Well, I’m basically a city girl—Parisian, at that—so I’m not particularly drawn to "the countryside"... But I *do* love Culture and History. When I mentioned "rustic" in Khorat, I was thinking of my visit to Wat Sala Loi, just north of the canal (you can get there by songthaew or on foot), where you’re immersed in the daily life of Thais. A place I absolutely loved.

Isan—and I did a big loop there, even if I didn’t stop everywhere, of course—was one of my most beautiful trips in Thailand. The challenge? Transportation, and the lack of English as soon as you step off the "tourist routes." But I managed with my limited Thai. The thing is, I was lucky—I traveled with a teammate who was an experienced motorbike rider. If I’d been solo, like I usually am (and since I don’t drive anything myself), I wouldn’t have seen much without him because I can’t afford to pay for taxis all day on my own.

My route was: Bangkok / Nang Rong / Phimai / Udon Thani / Chiang Khan / Sangkhom / Nong Khai / Bueng Kan / That Phanom / Mukdahan / Khong Chiam / Si Saket / Nakhon Ratchasima / Bangkok. I’m not saying it was perfect—you often run into transportation surprises compared to what you’d hoped to do, so you have to improvise. On top of what I already mentioned, That Phanom has an impressive chedi that’s very popular with Thais, and Mukdahan is a big city with a Mekong riverside promenade, an Indochinese market, and, of course, its surroundings (by motorbike).

I didn’t like the southern part of the return trip after Khong Chiam. Ubon—I didn’t want to stop there (just the bus station). Bueng Kan, Si Saket, and Surin were just "passing-through" towns for me. All I could think about was finding my way back to Bangkok. Until I got to Khorat... which was supposed to be just a transport stop, but I could’ve stayed an extra day if I’d had the chance.

My route was: Bangkok / Nang Rong / Phimai / Udon Thani / Chiang Khan / Sangkhom / Nong Khai / Bueng Kan / That Phanom / Mukdahan / Khong Chiam / Si Saket / Nakhon Ratchasima / Bangkok.

All that by motorbike? How long did it take?

No, not all of that by motorbike! We took buses, minivans, songthaews, and rented a motorbike for a day in cities when it was necessary to visit sites that weren’t reachable by public transport. The loop from Bangkok back to Bangkok, three weeks. However, we had two failures—cities where we couldn’t find a motorbike rental: in Bueng Kan to go to Wat Phu Tok and in Si Saket to see the Khmer temples and the temple made of a million bottles. We were told there were only taxis, but we still looked around town and didn’t find any rentals. These temples seemed closer in kilometers to Si Saket than to Ubon Ratchathani, which is why we stopped there, but it was a mistake. The motorbike should’ve been rented in Ubon, I think, even if it meant more kilometers.

Bangkok loop to Bangkok, three weeks.

Oh wow, three weeks to do all that—you don’t mess around when you travel! 😉 I’m the opposite—I’d have taken three months to do the same route. I like taking my time. From your itinerary, I haven’t been to Beung Kan*, That Phanom, Mukdahan, or Sisaket, but I’ve stopped everywhere else (and in other places too) during about ten trips to Isan. For example, I’ve taken the Nong Khai-Chiang Khan road twice (once in each direction, never in less than two weeks).

I mostly travel by public transport** because the only personal vehicle I can "drive" is a bike. I often manage to find bikes in the villages where I stop to explore the surrounding countryside—that’s my thing.

* Actually, I *did* stop in Beung Kan, but I only stayed for three minutes, clock in hand. ** I’ve also hitchhiked a few times when I had no other choice and it was unplanned.

I travel almost exclusively by public transport** because, as for personal vehicles, the only thing I know how to "drive" is bikes—bikes that I often manage to find in the villages where I stop to explore the surrounding countryside, my passion.

Hats off to you. If you're a fan of local life, you must be loving it.

I can only "ride" bikes, bikes that I often manage to find in the villages where I stop to explore the surrounding countryside—my thing.

I can’t even ride a bike. I only get around by local transport. In my case, as I mentioned, I was lucky to have a teammate who rode a motorbike, and before leaving, we hadn’t even touched on the subject. We had no idea before setting off that a motorbike (or car) was essential in this region. If I’d been alone, I would’ve only seen a few places—the cities! Before leaving, I was in touch with a girl who had visited Isan alone using public transport, and I drew inspiration from her story to plan part of my itinerary. She didn’t see half of what I saw.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions (it’s clear there are some real experts here😉)! Just to clarify my request a bit: My question is, which is the most interesting CITY (I’m a hardcore city-dweller—countryside or islands bore me after 48 hours max😏) in Isan (within city limits)? I’m not talking about the surrounding areas (though that could be a bonus), but a pleasant, walkable city where you can stay a few days, with some things to do in the evening (not a sleepy town). Basically, the Chiang Mai of Isan, if you will😎

For the first time, I saw prehistoric paintings in Thailand!

Same here—it was a huge culture shock seeing those handprints painted on the rock!

Do you remember the name of the park where they’re on the cliff face outside?

Hello

It's hard to say because I didn't stay more than two nights in each city, so I don't know if I could have stayed several days or weeks in any of them. Plus, there's a difference between staying a long time in a place when you're with someone and when you're alone.

After thinking about it, I agree with Songsam’s suggestion for Nong Khai. It's a large city with a pretty location by the Mekong River, "walkable" as you say—at least the part near the Mekong where I stayed. There’s a beautiful, long promenade along the Mekong with restaurants setting up their tables in the evening, where you can eat *hot pot*, the Asian fondue. I was there in December, though, and it got cold in the evenings.

At my guesthouse, I met an Englishman who was over 80 years old and had been spending 3 months here for years. He told me he’d traveled a lot and seen everything in the world...

We didn’t take a single *songteo*; we walked everywhere, except we hired a tuk-tuk to visit Sala Keo Ku Park, which is 5 km from Nong Khai, and bring us back.

There’s the Indochinese market with the excellent Vietnamese restaurant Daeng near the pier, and you can also find baguettes—no surprise, since Nong Khai was under French control until 1932. There are also currency exchange offices, which you don’t find everywhere in the provinces.

The only important temple to see is Wat Pho Chai, but I didn’t find it extraordinary. There’s also a big Buddha along the alley by the Mekong, and if you climb to the top, you get a magnificent view of the Mekong and the promenade.

Yes, there are little things to do there. We probably rushed our visits, but we mismanaged the time needed to explore Isan since we had to leave Thailand after our first 30 days.

Same here: a huge culture shock seeing those painted hands on the rock! Do you remember the name of the park where they’re on the cliff face outside?

The rock paintings I saw were at Pha Taem National Park. We rented a motorbike in Khong Chiam where we were staying. It’s not just hands—some of it’s faded, but I saw animals and figures too. The visitor path along the cliff is really well signposted. The park also has some gorgeous landscapes. We also visited Sao Chaliang and Soi Sawan that same day.

Hi,

We stayed for a week in Nakhon Phanom by the Mekong River, with Laos just across the way. The view is stunning with the mountains, the town is beautiful, and the riverbank is well-developed. We loved this spot, which is mostly frequented by Thai tourists. There’s also a huge night market every weekend—it’s really lively. We’re planning to go back in 2025. Overnight buses leave from Mo Chit Bus Terminal for a reasonable price, or you can take a flight from BKK Don Mueang Airport.

I think I'll give Nakhon or Nong Khai a try. Thanks a lot, friends, for your help! 🙂

You’d be making a big mistake if you decided to go to Nong Khai. A small transit town that no longer attracts Laotians. The Indochinese market, even on Sundays, is less busy, and 80% of the shops are closed that same day. It’s good to spend two or three days there, no more. If you didn’t like Udon Thani and you’re looking for a "Cmai of Issan," head to Khon Kaen. It’s bigger than Udon, a university town, and definitely has more things to do. There’s a large French community there. In KK, there’s an association that brings together some of the French people living in Isan who can guide you in choosing your visits, and another one in Kalasin (70 km from KK) that focuses on cultural exchange with local schools. If you decide to rent a vehicle (car or big scooter), you can take the following trip: KK-Kalasin-Mukdahan-Nakhon Phanom, then return via Sakon Nakhon, which is a large city with its basilica and its UFO-shaped church. There are also two Khmer temples on the outskirts of SN...

I wonder if what Momo’s looking for only exists in Isan. He’ll probably tell us when he gets back.

It's the historical park of Phu Phra Bat-district of Ban Phue-Udon Thani Province