The Northeast of Thailand is a seat of ancient culture and tradition, yet even after so many years of tourism - Thailand has been a popular destination since the 1960s - the area is relatively unknown.

After a two hour flight aboard Thai Airways to Bangkok we disembarked for a flight to Nongkhai, a border town between Thailand and Laos on the banks of the Mekong River . A ‘friendship’ bridge links the two nations and the province is a gateway to Laos ’ capital, the beautiful and placid Vientiane.

Inhabitation in Nongkhai dates back over 200 years, with small towns dotting the riverbank. Many ancient relics have been found in temples on the river on the Tha Bo - Si Chiang Mai route.

Nongkhai is 615 kilometres from the noise and gorgeous chaos of Bangkok and covers a large area of 7, 332 square kilometres, with the largest length of the Mekong contained within its large borders - 320 kilometres.

We soon progressed through to Laos , over the friendship bridge, and thence headed on to Vientiane.

The modern-day capital of Vientiane , which replaced ancient capital Luang Prabang - now one of Laos’ most popular tourist destinations - many years ago, is a restful alternative to the frenetic pace of most Southeast Asian capitals. Far smaller than other capitals (Laos’ entire population is only 5 million people), Vientiane’s wide, open streets and blend of French colonial and traditional Asian architecture give the city a quiet, quaint charm. Attractions for visitors include That Luang and the nation’s most sacred shrine, Ho Phra Keo, who once had the image of the Emerald Buddha, which is now enshrined in neighbouring Thailand.

Phra Keo was built in 1565 by King Setthathirat and was constructed house the Emerald Buddha, which the king in fact took from Thailand. Though the Thais took it back in 1779 and today there are no monks in residence, the original building lives on is now a museum of religious art and includes within its collection a Khmer stone Buddha, a wooden copy of the famous Luang Prabang and a transplanted jar from the interesting and elusive Plain of Jars in northerly Laos, which comprises thousands of huge stone jars.

Wa Si Saket sits opposite Ho Phra Keo and is Vientiane ’s oldest surviving temple, still in its original, 19th-century form, with a peaceful courtyard overlooked by tall palm trees and filled with memorial pillars, stone stupas (traditional Buddhist monuments) and butterflies. The surrounding cloister, with its terracotta-tiled roof, contains countless niches displaying thousands of tiny Buddhas, plus larger ones painted gold.

Along the edge of the cloister are potted plants bursting with flowers. Everywhere there is the sound of bats roosting in the eaves of the sanctuary, whose interior walls are painted with fading but minutely detailed murals that show tales of battle and devotion.

The next day we headed back over the friendship bridge and into Thailand again, stopping at the famous Phrathat Phanom, a sacred stupa built between 600 - 800 AD. According to legend the chest bone of Lord Buddha himself was housed within and Venerable Mahakasapa joined in the building, along with 500 others. Those who visit the stupa seven times are considered ‘children of the stupa’ and can, apparently, expect prosperity. It was rebuilt, finally, in 1979.

Travel the next day took in the Ubon Ratchathani National Museum, which was built in 1918 and was once the city hall before being devoted to the fine arts, in the hands of the Fine Arts Department. Devoted to local art, the museum gives good cultural insight into the region.

After a satisfying lunch of regional specialties we prepared ourselves for the trip back to Bangkok and after that, home.

Tourism Authority of Thailand
1600 New Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Thailand.
Tel: 66 2250 5500
Fax: 66 2250 5511.
Website: www.tourismthailand.org .
Email: center@tat.or.th