Sala Keoku or Wat Khaek, near to the Thai-Lao border and the Mekong river, in 2013, North East Thailand or Issan, Nong Khai Province, Thailand.
Nong Khai is the northernmost of the north - eastern or Issan part of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Udon Thani and Loei. To the north it borders Vientiane Province, Vientiane Prefecture and Bolikhamxai of Laos. The province is located in the valley of the Mae Nam Kong ( Mekong river ), which also forms the border with Laos. There are highlands to the south. The Laotian capital Vientiane is only 25 kilometres away from the provincial capital of Nong Khai. The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which connects the two countries, was built jointly by the governments of Thailand, Laos and Australia, and was opened in 1994. Over the centuries the control of the province swung between the Thai Kingdom Ayutthaya, and the Laotian kingdom Lan Xang, as their respective powers ebbed and flowed in the region. Most locals speak both Thai and the local dialect called Isaan, which is closely related to both the Thai and Lao languages. Many locals speak a little bit of English, mostly tourism-related words, and are generally very friendly and helpful if you smile and are polite.
Getting to Nong Khai By Plane The nearest airport ( on the Thai side ) is in Udon Thani, 56 km away. There are direct shuttle buses four times a day between the airport and the Friendship Bridge ( 2 km outside Nong Khai ), plus taxis and minibuses that will take you into Nong Khai proper. Thai Airways and Air Asia operate flights between Bangkok ( Suvarnabhumi ) and Udon Thani. Nok Air operates a service between Bangkok (Don Muang) and Udon.
By Train Nong Khai is the terminus of the North~eastern railway line from Bangkok via Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. The trip takes 10-12 hours and a first class sleeper ticket from Bangkok to Nong Khai or vice versa is about 1200 Baht, and a second class sleeper ticket ( not bad for the price ) is 748 Baht. Sleepers often sell out at peak times so you may need to book in advance. Shuttle services now operate onward from Nong Khai to Tha Nalaeng, Laos ( near Vientiane ) four times a day, synced to the arrivals and departures of the Bangkok trains. You can only buy tickets at Nong Khai station, and you need to pass through immigration as well. (If coming in on train #69 from Bangkok, there's a 90-minute window to do this.) Once the formalities are done, the trip itself across the Friendship Bridge only takes 15 minutes. Visa on arrival is now available on the Lao side
By Bus There are departures to Udon Thani at least once per hour from the BKS station on the main drag, Prajak road. The hour-long ride costs 20 Baht in 3rd class ( non-air con ) 40 Baht in 2nd class (air con). There are several departures daily from Bangkok ( about 9 hours ), Khon Kaen ( 110 Baht, class 2, with stoppage at Udon Thani ) and across the border direct from Vientiane ( 55 Baht, 17000 kip, two hours ) via the Friendship Bridge. A 1st class bus service connects Nong Khai directly with Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Getting around when there ~ The only mode of public transport in the city is by tuk-tuk. Although the price has gone up recently due to the increased cost of gasoline, they remain inexpensive at 20-30 Baht / person to anywhere around the city centre. Some tuk-tuk drivers will ask for much more than 20 / 30 Baht/ per person, but you can generally bargain with them to reach a reasonable price. When bargaining, smile and be patient and polite ( or just walk down the street until you see a roaming tuk-tuk, which will probably be cheaper - and walking a short distance is sometimes the only way to get a reasonable price when arriving at the Friendship Bridge from Laos ). A trip to or from the Friendship Bridge can cost upwards of 70 Baht for tourists if only one passenger is on board, although the normal price is 40-50 Baht.
Sala Keoku or Wat Khaek is a park featuring giant fantastic concrete sculptures inspired by Buddhism. It is located near Nong Khai, Thailand in immediate proximity of the Thai-Lao border and the Mekong river. The park has been built by, and reflects the personal vision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and his followers ( the construction started in 1978 ). It shares the style of Sulilat's earlier creation, Buddha Park on the Lao side of Mekong, but is marked by even more extravagant fantasy and greater proportions. Some of the Sala Keoku sculptures tower up to 25 mtrs. in the sky. Those include a monumental depiction of Buddha meditating under the protection of a seven-headed Naga snake. While the subject (based on a Buddhist legend) is one of the recurrent themes in the religious art of the region, Sulilat's approach is highly unusual, with its naturalistic representation of the snakes, whose giant protruding tongues beautifully compliment the awe-inspiring composition. The Sala Keoku pavilion is a large three-story concrete building, whose domes bear the surprising resemblance to a mosque. It was constructed following Sulilat's plans after his death. The 3rd floor hosts many Sulilat-related artefacts, as well as his mummified body. Perhaps the most enigmatic part of the park is the Wheel of Life, a circular multi-part group of sculptures representing the karmic cycle of birth and death through a progression of tarot-like characters. The composition culminates with a young man taking a step across the fence surrounding the entire installation to become a Buddha statue on the other side.
Nong Khai is a charming city to wander around on foot or rented bicycle (30 Baht/day) and meet the friendly and helpful locals. It's also a good place from which soak up the Isaan culture of the neighbouring towns, which can easily be reached by bus from the main BKS bus station in the city centre, on Prajak road. If you expect the usual tourist traps of Bangkok and Phuket, you will be disappointed. There are no super clubs, go-go bars and mega malls to fill your hours. This is a place to chill by the Mekong river watching passenger and cargo boats transit between Thailand and Laos, or to finish that paperback that has been sitting in your luggage for weeks. You may also consider stocking up on travel necessities before trudging onto Laos. Many who have planned an overnight stay for transit means have ended staying for weeks.
Sala Keoku or Wat Khaek, near to the Thai-Lao border and the Mekong river, in 2013, North East Thailand or Issan, Nong Khai Province, Thailand.
Nong Khai is the northernmost of the north - eastern or Issan part of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Udon Thani and Loei. To the north it borders Vientiane Province, Vientiane Prefecture and Bolikhamxai of Laos. The province is located in the valley of the Mae Nam Kong ( Mekong river ), which also forms the border with Laos. There are highlands to the south. The Laotian capital Vientiane is only 25 kilometres away from the provincial capital of Nong Khai. The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which connects the two countries, was built jointly by the governments of Thailand, Laos and Australia, and was opened in 1994. Over the centuries the control of the province swung between the Thai Kingdom Ayutthaya, and the Laotian kingdom Lan Xang, as their respective powers ebbed and flowed in the region. Most locals speak both Thai and the local dialect called Isaan, which is closely related to both the Thai and Lao languages. Many locals speak a little bit of English, mostly tourism-related words, and are generally very friendly and helpful if you smile and are polite.
Getting to Nong Khai By Plane The nearest airport ( on the Thai side ) is in Udon Thani, 56 km away. There are direct shuttle buses four times a day between the airport and the Friendship Bridge ( 2 km outside Nong Khai ), plus taxis and minibuses that will take you into Nong Khai proper. Thai Airways and Air Asia operate flights between Bangkok ( Suvarnabhumi ) and Udon Thani. Nok Air operates a service between Bangkok (Don Muang) and Udon.
By Train Nong Khai is the terminus of the North~eastern railway line from Bangkok via Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. The trip takes 10-12 hours and a first class sleeper ticket from Bangkok to Nong Khai or vice versa is about 1200 Baht, and a second class sleeper ticket ( not bad for the price ) is 748 Baht. Sleepers often sell out at peak times so you may need to book in advance. Shuttle services now operate onward from Nong Khai to Tha Nalaeng, Laos ( near Vientiane ) four times a day, synced to the arrivals and departures of the Bangkok trains. You can only buy tickets at Nong Khai station, and you need to pass through immigration as well. (If coming in on train #69 from Bangkok, there's a 90-minute window to do this.) Once the formalities are done, the trip itself across the Friendship Bridge only takes 15 minutes. Visa on arrival is now available on the Lao side
By Bus There are departures to Udon Thani at least once per hour from the BKS station on the main drag, Prajak road. The hour-long ride costs 20 Baht in 3rd class ( non-air con ) 40 Baht in 2nd class (air con). There are several departures daily from Bangkok ( about 9 hours ), Khon Kaen ( 110 Baht, class 2, with stoppage at Udon Thani ) and across the border direct from Vientiane ( 55 Baht, 17000 kip, two hours ) via the Friendship Bridge. A 1st class bus service connects Nong Khai directly with Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Getting around when there ~ The only mode of public transport in the city is by tuk-tuk. Although the price has gone up recently due to the increased cost of gasoline, they remain inexpensive at 20-30 Baht / person to anywhere around the city centre. Some tuk-tuk drivers will ask for much more than 20 / 30 Baht/ per person, but you can generally bargain with them to reach a reasonable price. When bargaining, smile and be patient and polite ( or just walk down the street until you see a roaming tuk-tuk, which will probably be cheaper - and walking a short distance is sometimes the only way to get a reasonable price when arriving at the Friendship Bridge from Laos ). A trip to or from the Friendship Bridge can cost upwards of 70 Baht for tourists if only one passenger is on board, although the normal price is 40-50 Baht.
Sala Keoku or Wat Khaek is a park featuring giant fantastic concrete sculptures inspired by Buddhism. It is located near Nong Khai, Thailand in immediate proximity of the Thai-Lao border and the Mekong river. The park has been built by, and reflects the personal vision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and his followers ( the construction started in 1978 ). It shares the style of Sulilat's earlier creation, Buddha Park on the Lao side of Mekong, but is marked by even more extravagant fantasy and greater proportions. Some of the Sala Keoku sculptures tower up to 25 mtrs. in the sky. Those include a monumental depiction of Buddha meditating under the protection of a seven-headed Naga snake. While the subject (based on a Buddhist legend) is one of the recurrent themes in the religious art of the region, Sulilat's approach is highly unusual, with its naturalistic representation of the snakes, whose giant protruding tongues beautifully compliment the awe-inspiring composition. The Sala Keoku pavilion is a large three-story concrete building, whose domes bear the surprising resemblance to a mosque. It was constructed following Sulilat's plans after his death. The 3rd floor hosts many Sulilat-related artefacts, as well as his mummified body. Perhaps the most enigmatic part of the park is the Wheel of Life, a circular multi-part group of sculptures representing the karmic cycle of birth and death through a progression of tarot-like characters. The composition culminates with a young man taking a step across the fence surrounding the entire installation to become a Buddha statue on the other side.
Nong Khai is a charming city to wander around on foot or rented bicycle (30 Baht/day) and meet the friendly and helpful locals. It's also a good place from which soak up the Isaan culture of the neighbouring towns, which can easily be reached by bus from the main BKS bus station in the city centre, on Prajak road. If you expect the usual tourist traps of Bangkok and Phuket, you will be disappointed. There are no super clubs, go-go bars and mega malls to fill your hours. This is a place to chill by the Mekong river watching passenger and cargo boats transit between Thailand and Laos, or to finish that paperback that has been sitting in your luggage for weeks. You may also consider stocking up on travel necessities before trudging onto Laos. Many who have planned an overnight stay for transit means have ended staying for weeks.