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  1. #1
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    Scottish Gary's Avatar
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    Holiday in Issan Advice Needed

    Im going a bit stir crazy in Pattaya and fancy getting away for a couple of weeks. The weather is shit at the moment so that writes off the islands and im bored of Chiang Mai so how about Issan.. Apart from flying visits to Nong Khai for Laos visa runs and visits to girlfriends families and ive not seen much of the place so is it worth visiting for a break and if so where? Bar scene is a must being a semi alcoholic monger. I also fancy chilling out by the Mekong

  2. #2
    I'm a pain in the arse
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    Take a look at Dillinger's recent thread on Mukdahan.

    Alternatively, That Phanom is a great little town to chill out in, especially in a riverside hotel and eating in one of many riverside eateries.

    https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re..._Province.html

  3. #3
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    fly to ubon and hire a car

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Immigrunt
    Take a look at Dillinger's recent thread on Mukdahan.
    No don't. Don't do that at all. That was the worst trip to Isaan in the whole wide world.



    Quote Originally Posted by Scottish Gary
    Bar scene is a must being a semi alcoholic monger.
    Udon fits the bill to a tee, and it's just a few (dozen) clicks from the Mekong.

    But if you wanna do it properly, find yourself a little village in the wilds of Buriram, locate a small shop — preferably purveying moonshine — and spend the next month closely studying the nuances of true working class Thai people. This should ultimately equate to drunkenness and empty bollocks.

  5. #5
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    Udon ,Surin ,Ubon.
    Burirum might have improved since BRIC.
    I wouldnt bother with the rest of Isarn Its all downhill after those four.

  6. #6
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    The further north you go the worse it gets as far as limited civilization goes.

  7. #7
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    Here's an excellent place to chill out. Nowhere near issan, and lake not Mekong.

    https://www.travelfish.org/location/...i/sangkhlaburi

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by chassamui
    The further north you go the worse it gets as far as limited civilization goes.
    I like the uncivilised nature of the place - even more so after having spent the last few years in Southeast England. However, even though we have a house in Isaan I'm looking to the peninsula - from Petchaburi to Surat - for a place to live when we return.

  9. #9
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    I would go to Loei. There is a bar scene including some shockingly "hip" nightclubs and otherwise, its absolutely lovely there a great little town, good food, and the countryside is just gorgeous.

    I would float the Huai Krathing Reservoir every day of my life if I could. Nothing like being paddled out beer in the middle of a giant body of water by some poor sap clearing ten baht a go. Its just too fucking Thailand man.

    https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti..._Province.html

    There is also a wine vineyard or two within striking distance.

    If you want to relax in a nice small town with plenty of scenary a motorbike ride away, its tough to top Loei.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Immigrunt
    Alternatively, That Phanom is a great little town to chill out in,
    That Phanom was great 10 or 15 years ago, its odd but now its a complete shithole. Never have a seen a place in Thailand change for the worst so quickly. Some kind of shanty town set up on the road where the night market used to be, roads in town just full of holes and left totally unattended. Its like the local government that was supposed to take care of everything just left, and That Phanom is the ruins of what remains after that happens. It is truly bizarre how beautiful it was, and how awful it is now. It really is a shame.

    The temple/chedi is still my favorite in LOS (maybe the world), but everything else about the place has gone to total shit.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by redhaze View Post
    I would go to Loei. There is a bar scene including some shockingly "hip" nightclubs and otherwise, its absolutely lovely there a great little town, good food, and the countryside is just gorgeous.

    I would float the Huai Krathing Reservoir every day of my life if I could. Nothing like being paddled out beer in the middle of a giant body of water by some poor sap clearing ten baht a go. Its just too fucking Thailand man.

    https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti..._Province.html

    There is also a wine vineyard or two within striking distance.

    If you want to relax in a nice small town with plenty of scenary a motorbike ride away, its tough to top Loei.
    That sounds like todays version of Vang Vieng in Laos..

  12. #12
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    Do the lot as I did when I first came to TL.

    Look at Google maps and work out the best way to get from town to town, presume you would drive I went by bus back then, stay a few nights at each place if you like it stay longer if not less, do all the bars you can find if you are that way inclined and, or the tourist bits.

    Possibly the wrong time of the year as it is likely to piss down for the next couple or 3 months.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by somtamslap View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by chassamui
    The further north you go the worse it gets as far as limited civilization goes.
    I like the uncivilised nature of the place - even more so after having spent the last few years in Southeast England. However, even though we have a house in Isaan I'm looking to the peninsula - from Petchaburi to Surat - for a place to live when we return.
    Nothing wrong with going uncivilised but you dont want to be stuck in the middle of shitsville with nothing to do. The novelty would soon wear off

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by baldrick View Post
    fly to ubon and hire a car
    What concerns me about hiring a car is that a lot of the time you will be driving in the middle of nowhere and if the things breaks down you are fucked.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by birding View Post
    Do the lot as I did when I first came to TL.

    Look at Google maps and work out the best way to get from town to town, presume you would drive I went by bus back then, stay a few nights at each place if you like it stay longer if not less, do all the bars you can find if you are that way inclined and, or the tourist bits.

    Possibly the wrong time of the year as it is likely to piss down for the next couple or 3 months.
    I live in Pattaya and have tourists coming out my fucking ears. In saying that the place is dead at the moment so its slightly more bearable...I want to get off the beaten track but at the same time i dont want stranded in the middle of shitsville bored out my mind. The weather is brutal so that's why im heading up to Issan as opposed to a beach where i usually retreat too.

  16. #16
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by somtamslap
    Udon fits the bill to a tee
    Agree if you want to go to a place near the Mekong. Plenty to do there. Khonkean is ok but no river. Loei also ok.

  18. #18
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scottish Gary
    What concerns me about hiring a car is that a lot of the time you will be driving in the middle of nowhere and if the things breaks down you are fucked.
    get a yaris from budget or avis - tweery did that a while back - pick it up in one city and deliver it to another - drive ubon to udon and stop where ever

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by somtamslap
    Udon fits the bill to a tee
    Agree if you want to go to a place near the Mekong. Plenty to do there. Khonkean is ok but no river. Loei also ok.
    Im definatly doing Loei. Sounds perfect and with in easy reach of Udon

  20. #20
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scottish Gary
    Im definatly doing Loei. Sounds perfect and with in easy reach of Udon
    Good choice. Few days in Udon. Couple in Loei. Rent a car. Only 150km from Udon to Loei. Nice drive. Some great mountian resorts near Loei. Google is your friend.

    Expect to get wet.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scottish Gary View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by somtamslap
    Udon fits the bill to a tee
    Agree if you want to go to a place near the Mekong. Plenty to do there. Khonkean is ok but no river. Loei also ok.
    Im definatly doing Loei. Sounds perfect and with in easy reach of Udon
    Yes, those two offer the best of the NE. I have lived in Udon for 11 years now and have seen it grow for the better. When I want to go somewhere close, I drive to Loei and then come back through Nong Kahi. Plenty of variety in scenery and the prices are not bad for hotels and food. If you get ambitious, you can follow the Mekong down to the Cambodian border.

  22. #22
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    https://teakdoor.com/thailands-travel...the-north.html

    It's rather nice along the Mekong up north..

  23. #23
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CSFFan
    It's rather nice along the Mekong up north..
    Very nice but might be a bit slow for Gary.

  24. #24
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    im off to sisaket tomorrow to watch Thai Port, sisakets a bit quiet but ubon is good. go see a buriram home match that is good fun and an enjoyable stop off. Khon Kean is fun too

  25. #25
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Gary, Air Asia has daily direct flight Pattaya to Udon. Keeps it simple.

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