Budget WorldClass Drives LOEI AND THE MIDDLE MEKONG NA NOI ·æ√à PHRAE L A O S L A O S 101 Mekong River SANG KHOM BAN KHOK 211 PHON PHISAI 2267 N PAK CHOM SI CHIANG MAI 2 DEN CHAI 2376 211 Õ.ÀπÕߧ“¬ 212 1047 10kms NONG KHAI 1268 CHIANG KHAN 2266 R 11 2020 2329 NAM PHAT 2108 Historical Park 1146 PEN 1239 BAN PHU 201 2022 Õÿµ√¥‘µ∂å THA LI 2 2195 2249 2021 UTTARADIT 2255 2115 1047 1214 National Park National Park ‡≈¬ 11 1328 NA HAEO 2352 2399 LOEI 2294 Õÿ¥√∏“π’ 2096 1268 PHU RUA 203 2138 1214 THUNG SAEN KHAN 2312 3 2263 UDON THANI 1237 2097 2263 2113 2114 NONG HAN 1246 22 ERAWAN 2314 CHATRAKAN 4 2140 210 210 DAN SAI WANG SAPHUNG PHICHAI 1296 Wildlife 2313 2013 Sanctuary ÀπÕß∫—«≈”¿Ÿ 1248 NONG BUA LAMPHU 1143 203 NONG SAENG NAKHON THAI 228 KUMPHAWAPHI 2016 2216 WAT BOT 2331 2013 SI BUN RUANG 11 National LOM KAO Park 12 National 5 12 PHU KRADUNG 2 6 National 2216 Park æ‘…≥ÿ‚≈° Park 2133 WANG THONG 21 LOM SAK National PHITSANULOK 12 National Park UBOL RATANA KRANUAN 117 National 1295 Park 20 Park KHAO KHO PHU WIANG 21 2038 11 KHON SAN CHUMPHAE 2258 115 12 ¢Õπ·°àπ 111 SAK LEK 201 1 CHIANG YUN 2187 KHON KAEN ‡æ™√∫Ÿ√≥å 2131 PHICHIT 2062 Oliver Hargreave æ‘®‘µ√ PHETCHABUN PHRA YUN Highlights of the Drive The main route is divided into six whether to begin your drive in Khon sections, each with recommended Kaen, Udon Thani or Phitsanulok, and he Friendship Highway links accommodation. This allows you to then for you to set your pace on an T Bangkok to Isan, an area which spend a full day en route and reach adventure into this beautiful, less- encompassses the north-eastern pro- comfortable lodging by nighfall in each visited part of the Kingdom. vinces of Thailand. The people of this section. region enjoy a distinctive language and For further information, please see culture, which they share with their It remains for you to choose the back page. Happy Trails! cousins across the River Mekong in Laos. Starting from Khon Kaen, a cultural ROADS IN THAILAND centre in the heart of Isan, the drive follows the Friendship Highway north All main and most minor roads are sealed. Signs and reflective markers to the commercial city of Udon Thani warn of hazards on major highways, and sodium lighting illuminates major and then to Nong Khai, a tranquil town intersections. Bilingual (English/Thai) road signs indicate destinations, high- on the banks of the Mekong. way numbers and distances before and after intersections. From Nong Khai the route follows Kilometre stones show highway number and distance along the road on the the Mekong valley upstream, before front face, and distances to destinations in the direction of travel on the side. turning south to the provincial capital The police and military set up road check-points on highways, especially at of Loei and then heading west across night, but there are no security problems. mountain ranges to Phitsanulok. Please remember to drive on the left! Located in the north central plains Emergency Assistance 1-800-BUDGET, Udon Thani Office (0) 4224 6805, of the Chao Phraya basin, Phitsanulok (0) 9841 4753 Phitsanulok Office, (0) 5525 8556, (0) 1820 8644, lies close to the historical origins of Khon Kaen Office (0) 4334 5460, (0) 1925 4228 the Kingdom of Thailand at Sukhothai. From Phitsanulok, a different route east crosses the ranges again back to Online Bookings: Khon Kaen or Udon Thani. Scenic shorter Our fastest way to rent a car www.budget.co.th drives are also possible from Phitsanulok. 1 KHON KAEN SECTION 1 : 165 kms. NONG KHAI 2267 he drive starts in Khon Kaen, a regional centre in Isan KHON KAEN to NONG KHAI PHON PHISAI Õ.‚æπæ‘ —¬ T with a vibrant night life. From Khon Kaen Highway 2 Õ.»√’‡™’¬ß„À¡à races north towards the River Mekhong along a fast divided SI CHIANG MAI Mekong River (spring rolls village) 212 highway that allows an easy journey to the major Udon ÀπÕߧ“¬ NONG KHAI Nong Khai Golf (9 holes) Thani. Side tours along the route lead to King Cobra Village 7 Sala Kaeo Ku Õ. √â“ߧա and Ban Chiang World Heritage. THA BO SANG KHOM Õ.∑à“∫àÕ 50 kms north of Udon Thani lies Nong Khai, a languid 6 Victory Park GC 2329 provincial capital on the banks of the Mekong. Though the 211 Wat Phrathat friendship bridge at Nong Khai is the main entry point for Bang Phuan Õ.‡æÁ≠ PHEN vehicles into Laos, Budget vehicles may not cross at present. 5 Nevertheless, with the border market, the extraordinary sculp- 2022 tures of Sala Kaeo Ku and the variety of restaurants along 2 °‘Ëß Õ.æ‘∫Ÿ≈¬å√—°…å the river, Nong Khai is a pleasant town for a stopover (see 2021 2255 PHIBUNRAK to Phu Phrabat map, section 2). Historical Park Ban Na Kha (silk) 4 Õ.∑ÿàßΩπ South from Khon Kaen THUNG FON 2096 Sights south of Khon Kaen include the silk weaving Õ.°ÿ¥®—∫ Õÿ¥√∏“π’ 2312 Ban Chiang KUT CHAP UDON THANI 3 village of Channabot (KM11 on H229 to Mancha Khiri — 2263 Õ.ÀπÕßÀ“√ World Heritage Site NONG HAN 66kms), the ‘Tortoise Village’ (KM40 on H2062 to Mancha 22 Khiri — 54 kms) and the Khmer ruins at Phimai (H2 and Sri Thani Golf (9 holes) H206 —151kms). Contact the TAT office in Khon Kaen for (West turn from H2 210 at Don Kheng more information about places near Khon Kaen. km109-110 Wat Pa Ban That (0) 1954 3188 2350 1 2313 POINTER ONE Wat Tham Khlong Pen Udon Thani H12 & H2 intersection, Khon Kaen. Turn Õ.ÀπÕß«—«´Õ 2 2239 Budget NONG WUA SO 12 Khon Kaen north for Udon Thani (116 kms). Phimai 2 Airport Kalasin Õ.°ÿ¡¿«“ªï Lom Sak 667m 2023 NONG SAENG KUMPHAWAPHI (151 kms) & Nakhon Ratchasima (189 Nakhon Õ.ÀπÕß· ß Ratchasima kms) are south. 2025 »√’∏“µÿ KM35 U-turn and east turn onto H2039 to Kranuan for SI THAT Ban Kok Sanga, ‘King Cobra Village’. Drive on H2039 to 2146 KM14 and then take a side road south for 2kms. Villagers 2231 THA KHANTO 2009 will show you cobras, but shows may only be put on for Õ.∑à“§—π‚∑ Õ.‚ππ –Õ“¥ groups. NONG SA-AT Õ.‚ππ —ß 2298 2152 NONG SANG 2 KM26-7 H2109 leads Ubon Rattana Dam (26kms) and Õ.Õÿ∫≈√—µπå H2146 to Nong Bua Lamphu (89 kms) UBOL RATANA Õ.°√–π«π Õ.πÈ”æÕß KRANUAN 2 POINTER TWO NAM PHONG 2039 2 2109 King Cobra Village Kumphawaphi KM81-2 H2023 to Kumphawaphi inter- 2023 2183 sects with H2. Turn right here for alter- native route to Ban Chiang World Heri- Prathat Kham Kaen 2110 Khon Kaen tage (see sidebar) Ban Nong Chum 2268 2152 3 to Chumphae Nong Khai POINTER THREE ¢Õπ·°àπ 2 12 Ban Thum KHON KAEN Fountain circle in Udon Thani. Unless it 209 Õ.‡™’¬ß¬◊π 1 Ban Chiang CHIANG YUN to Kalasin City is rush hour, take H2 through Udon 2131 230 209 Thani. H22 east is the direct route from Õ.æ√–¬◊π 2062 N Khon Kaen Udon Thani to Ban Chiang. PHRA YUN Ban Tha Phra 10kms 208 Õ.‚° ÿ¡æ‘ —¬ 4 POINTER FOUR KOSUM PHISAI R Ban Phu H2 KM130 H2021 goes to Ban Phu and Oliver Hargreave to Maha Sarakham 2021 Phu Phrabat Historical Park (56 kms). 130 This site can also be visited from Nong Khai (see sidebar, section 2) 2 www.budget.co.th to Udon Thani 2 KHON KAEN 5 POINTER FIVE 2km. to Udon Thani R N ‰ª Õÿ¥√∏“π’ H2 KM 146/7 junction of H2022 to Khon Kaen (0) 4334 5460 University Mobile (0) 1925 4228 0 500m 2022 Phen and Nong Han districts — Convention Centre alternative rural route to/from 12 R km 6 to Kalasin Lang Sun Rachakan Rd. to Chumphae 209 Ban Chiang A km 4 2131 to Phra Yun 230 Ban Chiang, World Heritage Site. Thepharak Rd. B Sun Rachakan Rd. Kasikonthungsang Rd. The Lao Phuan village of Ban Chiang is a site of to Nakhon Ratchasima major interest 50 kms east of Udon Thani. A Na- 2 Phimai Na Sun Rachakan Rd.C tional Museum (open daily 09:00-17:00) and an to Airport 12 Maliwan Rd. Chumphae 1 Oliver Hargreave Prachasamoson Rd. excavation site exhibit at Wat Phu Si Nai detail life D in the area 2000-4000 years ago. PLACES M 6 A. Khon Kaen Museum 1 G B. Communications Authority of 209 From Khon Kaen (total 146 kms), you may avoid Thailand (overseas telephone) 5 to Kalasin C. Provincial Hall Udon Thani by taking H2023 (pointer 2) to D. Thai Airways Office ‰ª °“à ‘π∏ÿå 2 Lang Muang Rd. Shopping Mitraphap Rd. Kumphawapi (8kms) and then H2350 to Nong Han E. Oasis Shopping Mall 4 F. Fairy Plaza 7 M (31 kms). This joins H22 at KM34, where the high- Sri Chan Rd. Night Entertainment 3 way bypasses south of Nong Han district town. Turn G. Nate Night Bazar H E H. Times Square 1 right (east) and drive either to KM42 and follow a 8 Tourism Authority of Thailand 2 3 9 Sithakhon Rd. sealed highway NE (Ban Chiang 8 kms), or con- Tel: (0) 4324 4498-9 Long distance (air-con) tinue to KM50 and turn north on H2225 (Ban Chiang bus station Chuancheun Rd.