Who stays around Nakhon Phanom

[drskosha]

A couple of Karaokes, a disco and a water front. As mentioned before totally unfreindly. They do have a new flight school, best to get on one and get out of there...mukdahan down the rao--oad is a little more friendly. just.

[ralphinlaos]

I didn't think Sjeng was looking for karaoke bars and discos. If he is, there are many better places to live than in Nakhon Phanom. But if he's looking for a quiet, family-friendly town, Nakhon is that. So is Mukadahon.

It's not the towns that are friendly or unfriendly, it's the people in them. I find that if I am outgoing and friendly, most people give back the same. I'm not talking about Pattaya or Patong - that's a whole different breed.

I'm off to Sakhon Phanom (the dog meat capital of the world) tomorrow - more and bigger stores there - and some really friendly people.

[pai nai ma]

Kudos, Ralph.

[Aquaman]

I'm off to Sakhon Phanom (the dog meat capital of the world) tomorrow - more and bigger stores there - and some really friendly people.

Where is that?
I thought that Ban Tharae was the dog eating capitol.

[Aquaman]

[Aquaman]

Sakon Nakon?

[Aquaman]

[Gallowspole]

Ma dat deo. Sep elee lie der!

[Norton]

Sakon Nakon?

Great beef there also. Just down the road to Muk. It's a Thai/French joint venture ranch. Charolais breed.

[drskosha]

Ce dam eroi na. ped ped

[Aquaman]

[sjeng]

I agree with ralph,
I dont need a bar or caraoke yust stay with my family and relax.
Before we stay several holidays with mother in law near nakei ? and now sakon nakhon very wel, but we got a very good offer from the TMB and buy about 25 rai of land near nakhon phanom airport and got the home free.
last spring we kame over for a holiday and made some repairs on the home so now it is livable for a farang (toilet, kitchen, bedroom aso)
also build a perimeter wall so junior can play around without bodygard (me).

next year we start building a new home on the back of the same plot with a splendid vieuw over the pond and the mango trees.

Life is wat you make of it

[Aquaman]

near nakei ?

Thats where i use to hang my hat. still have a house there. love it!

[drskosha]

I was not presuming that you did like to jig in the girly bars., I was making a point that it is a rather laidback town, slow as one might say. good for the Twilight years etc.

[dave humphreys]

hi ralph ,
i visit nakon panom often ,
next time , i will visit thakhek,, sure.
please could you advise me of a decent place to stay .
i intend onward travel to vientianne , and luang prabang .
can i obtain a visa , for my visit at thak hek .
or is it only possible to visit thakhek , for two nights .

thanks for any information. hope we can meet up.

dave

[ralphinlaos]

Hi Dave -

Yes, you can get a visa on-arrival at Thakhek; it's for 14 days and costs US$35 (at the moment - $1 more if you arrive on Saturday or Sunday). No problem at all - you'll need a couple of pictures.

There are lots of hotels or guest houses to stay - some nice, some not so nice. When you get off the boat, you will see a bunch of tuk-tuks waiting. You really won't need one; just walk up the road past the tuk-tuks, past the big new Rivirea Hotel (too expensive) and check out the Mekong Hotel - it's easy to see, a nice, big hotel - rooms are US$12 (or US$30 if you want a huge suite). My friends have stayed there - its quite nice and right on the Mekong.

I just noticed today that someone (a farang, I think) has opened a guest house with a restaurant and bar near where I am opening my place in September. It looks very nice, but I don't know the rates or anything about it - it's only been open since the 8th of this month.

There are lots of guest houses around, but just the two hotels that I know of.

How are you going to Vientiane? There are hourly buses to Vientiane (65,000 kip - that's US$6) or a VIP bus a couple of times a day at 85,000 kip. And nice, comfortable air-conditioned buses out of Vientiane to Luang Prabang.

If you want any more specifics, I'll be glad to check out anything for you.

Ralph

[dave humphreys]

great info ralph . 14 days visa will be great .
i will be bringing my thai lady along ..
she does not have a thai passport .
will she need a passport , for a 14 day visit ??
i understand the nearest passport office , is in khon kaen.

and if so . i will come alone .. ha ha ..

no, i will bring darling ,, keep me safe ,
from to much beer , and ladies....

farang bar in nakon ..?? walk past 7- 11 ,
towards the night market ,, and theres a bar , on the left h. side.
just before you approach the junction ..
peter and ian normally drink here ..very friendly and informed guys.
say the welshman will buy them a beer in october..

[drskosha]

Hi Dave,

Thais can cross the border to Loas with there Thai I.D card for a cost of 30thb. However if you hold a Thai passport it is free.

Best to get one in the long term I did anyways for the Missus.

great info ralph . 14 days visa will be great .
i will be bringing my thai lady along ..
she does not have a thai passport .
will she need a passport , for a 14 day visit ??
i understand the nearest passport office , is in khon kaen.

and if so . i will come alone .. ha ha ..

no, i will bring darling ,, keep me safe ,
from to much beer , and ladies....

farang bar in nakon ..?? walk past 7- 11 ,
towards the night market ,, and theres a bar , on the left h. side.
just before you approach the junction ..
peter and ian normally drink here ..very friendly and informed guys.
say the welshman will buy them a beer in october..

[ralphinlaos]

He's right, Dave. Your Thai lady can get a permit to enter Laos with only her Thai I.D. card and two pictures. But, it is only good for two nights, and she is supposed to stay in Thakhek. If she wants to travel around Laos, that's up to her (lots of people do this at their own risk), but when she leaves she will have to exit from Thakhek and pay 30 baht per day for every day she stays over her original permit. It seems to me she would have a much easier time if she just got her Thai passport - then she could come and go from any entry/exit point she wants. For example, you (with whatever passport you have) can enter at Thakhek and exit at Nongkhai, Savannakhet, or anywhere you happen to be.

Good luck - see you in Thakhek one of these days.

Ralph

[bobbysan124]

In september we (me 57, wife 30) go stay in nakhom phanom city,
is there someone staying in the neighbourhood, who can give us some support we have a home yust 4 km from the airport.
we need some information about, reliable shops, car sale, building company aso
I hope( I am sure) I am not the only farang around there.

I have a lady in the Pla Pak District of Nakhon Phanom and we stayed at the Riverview Hotel. I wish I could remember his name, but there was a maintenance guy who worked there who had lived in the U.S. for a few years and spoke very good English. I'm sure he could be of assistance. If I or my lady can remember his name, I'll post. Overall, though, I thought Nakhon Phanom was a nice city and I found the people to be friendly and helpful. And as has been said, easy access to be had to Laos also. Good luck.

[keda]

Never been to Nakon Phanom but after a rather hectic few months offline have woken up in Sakon Nakon...well not quite, about 50km in the sticks direction (amphur Phana Nikom) where the most exciting event of the past two months was when a car clipped someone's cow sustaining no damage to either but resulting in a protest moo and an exchange of pleasantries.

Nice to know there are farangs and facilities close by (sod all in Sakon) and will divert to NPhanom on one of our weekly provision trips.

[sabang]

^ Wondered what happened to you keda.
So you've moved on from Jomtien? Welcome back, anyway.

[drskosha]

typo sorry

[ralphinlaos]

Sakhon Nakhon has a very nice cinema and bowling alley, both just outside the Big "C" complex, next to The Pizza Company.

[drskosha]

Sakhon Nakhon has a very nice cinema and bowling alley, both just outside the Big "C" complex, next to The Pizza Company.

Thats why I put typo as I never use them! However as stated it doe shave Tesco Lotus, Big C, Macro and a number of farang bars...Neds, Eddies etc...

I like the sleepy buffalo town and Golden Pond is a weekly attraction.....