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Home > Thailand Info > Northeastern Region
Northeastern
Region
With
19 provinces, the huge northeastern plateau occupies almost
one third of Thailand. It is bordered to the north by
the Mekong River, separating Thailand from Laos, and to
the south by the Dong Rek Mountains along the boundary
with Cambodia.
Known as Isan, the name of the Mon-Khmer kingdom that
once flourished here, the Northeast is one of most traditional
areas of the country, a land based on agriculture and
cottage industries. Old Thai customs remain relatively
unchanged, and the population is renowned as being friendly
and polite, even though it i one of the poorest. It
is a region with great history, and a strong Laotian
influence in its architecture, customs, and language.
Evidence
of prehistoric settlements can be found along the
Mekong River, in cliff paintings and at archaeological
sites like Ban Chiang. The lower Northeast was part
of old kingdom of Angkor, with ruins of impressive
Khmer sanctuaries scattered across the countryside.
These
Khmer prasat hin (stone castles) throughout Buri Ram,
Nakhon Ratchasima, Surin and Si Sa Ket are popular
tourist attractions, particularly the superbly restored
sites at Phimai and Phanom Rung, both historical
parks. The great temple complex at Khao Phra
Viharn on the Cambodian border is also now accessible
to visitors after a long period of isolation.
Other
major attractions include the prehistoric sites at Ban
Chiang and Ban Prasat, the ancient revered temples
at Phra That Phanom and Phra That Renu Nakhon and the
wonderful silk-weaving villages in Khorat and Khon Kaen.
The region is also home to some of Thailand's
best loved national parks - Khao Yai, Phu Kradung and
Phu Rua in Loei. To counter the region's great sized,
an excellent road, rail and domestic flight network
links all the major centres.
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AMNAT
CHAROEN
 Split
from Ubon Ratchathani in 1993, Amnat Charoen is a tranquil
province known as the Land of Dharma". As
such, temples are its main attractions. Just outside
town, Phra Mongkhon Ming Muang is a sanctuary
with a giant Buddha set amidst the scenic
Buddha Uttayan park. Wat Chaiyatikaramit houses a bronze
Buddha fashioned in the Vientiane style.
Wat
Tham Saeng Phetch is a spacious meditation temple of
the late Phra Acharn Cha, housing a Buddha image
inside a cave.
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his
populous province was an integral part of
the kingdom of Angkor and there are Khmer
ruins in abundance. Over 140 sites in various
stages of decay have been counted, and the
Fine Arts Department has restored over a dozen.
The most famous of the Khmer monuments, also
the largest and most stunning, is Prasat Hin
(stone |
castle)
Phanom Rung, perched on top of an extinct volcano
nearly 400 metres above sea level. Built between
the 10th and 13th centuries, the templehas
a spectacular promenade leading up to it,
evoking images of Angkor itself. Among the intricately
carved masonry, the Narai lintel above the
eastern entrance stonework and four
ponds in the compound. has a fascinating
history. A popular festival is held here
every April. Not far away, Muang Tam is
a walled-in Khmer sanctuary that pre-dates
Phanom Rung, with good
Dong
Yai Forest gained renown when a monk tried
to protect it from loggers by ordaining
trees with monastic robes and sacred threads
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This is
approximately the centre of Thailand, a hilly province
that is famous for its silk villages. Ban
Khwao is renowned for its production of raw silk,
with travellers heading for the silk farms
to watch the whole production process from feeding
the silk worms with mulberry leaves right
through to the dyeing and weaving of thread.
Chaiyaphum
also has some good elephant training schools, with
most graduates now used for trekking journeys
into the mountains. And it has revived its elephant
round-up (rivalling Surin) every January. Phrang Ku,
an ancient Khmer shrine housing a revered Buddha,
is popular with residents as a "healing station".
Tat
Ton National Park centres around scenic waterfalls
and has very unusual forests. While Pa Hin Ngam
National Park is renowned as much for its huge fascinating
rock formations as it is for its pink krachiew flowers
that bloom in May to July.
Kalasin
is a small, busy agricultural province with
some interes ing attractions. Wat Klang
houses a very rare black Buddha image inscribed
with ancient Thai letters. There is also
a replica footprint made in sandstone.
Muang
Fa Daet Song Yang is an ancient town dating
many centuries back. Attractions include
Phra That Ya Khu, a large stupa decorated with
stucco reliefs, and carved sandstone boundary
markers depicting the life of Lord Buddha.
Beside
Lam Pao Dam is a large open zoo, which is becoming
a major draw for visitors. Also popular
are the dinosaur remains found at Wat Sakkawan.
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Khon
Kaen is the commercial, administrative
and educational centre of the Northeast,
which is often used by travellers as a
base for visiting many parts of upper
Isan. Khon Kaen National Museum houses
objects from the Dvaravati |
Lperiod
and bronze sculptures from Ban Chiang.Kaen Nakhon
Lake in the centre of town is a
popular spot for picnics and dining, while Wat
That on its bank features typical
Isan spires.
Khon
Kaen is the centre of the northeastern silk
industry with numerous villages producing
their own mudmee designs. Chonnabot is noted
for its quality silks. Every December
the city hosts a Silk Fair, when all the best
materials are on sale.
Unusual
animals are popular in the province, with the
cobra and the turtle villages high on tourist
programmes. In both villages, the residents live
with their proteges, training them and putting
on fascinating shows. A dinosaur is the provincial
symbol ever since remains of these great beasts
were unearthed in Phu Wiang National Park,
an area also famous for its flora, fauna and waterfalls.
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