From Wikitravel

Loei is a city in Northern Isaan region of Thailand.

[edit] Understand

Loei is an ecotourism city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. Its temperature is comfortably cool, with beautiful geographical surroundings, as well as unique cultures and traditions. In the cool season it can get decidedly chilly - the only part of Thailand that ever gets down to 0 degrees Celsius.

Loei is 520 kilometres from Bangkok, covering an area of 11,424 square kilometres. It is a boundary province located in the upper northeastern part of Thailand, on the bank of the Mekong River along the Phetchabun mountain range.

In the past, it was a small community in a prosperous empire during the same period as the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Later, the Lan Chang Empire became weaker, therefore, the community moved to be with Ayutthaya. During the reign of King Rama V of the Rattanakosin period, the community was upgraded to be Loei province.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By car

From Bangkok, take Highway No. 1 or Phahonyothin Road, passing Amphoe Mueang of Saraburi. Turn into Highway No. 21, passing Phetchabun. Then, take Highway No. 203, passing Amphoe Lom Sak, Lom Kao into Loei province at Amphoe Dan Sai, Amphoe Phu Ruea to Amphoe Mueang Loei. It takes approximately 7-8 hours. Otherwise, from Saraburi, take Highway No. 2, passing Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, a total distance of 536 kilometres and turn left into Highway No. 12, passing Amphoe Chum Phae and take Highway No. 201 into Loei province through Amphoe Phu Kradueng, Amphoe Wang Saphung and Amphoe Mueang, being a total distance of 540 kilometres.

[edit] By bus

[edit] From Bangkok

The Transport Co., Ltd. provides daily buses between Bangkok – Loei both normal and air-conditioned ones. The trip takes approximately 10 hours. For further information, please contact the Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2), Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Tel. 0 2936 2841-8, 0 2936 2852-66 or at www.transport.co.th. Moreover, there are other private bus companies such as Air Mueang Loei Co., Ltd.’s Bangkok Office at Tel. 0 2936 0142 or Loei Office at Tel. 0 4283 2042, Chumpae Tour Ltd., Part.’s Bangkok Office at Tel. 0 2936 3842 or Loei Office at Tel. 0 4283 2285, Phet Prasoet Co., Ltd.’s Bangkok Office at Tel. 0 2936 3230, Amphoe Phu Ruea Office at Tel. 0 4289 9386, Amphoe Dan Sai Office at Tel. 0 4289 1908.

[edit] Within Isaan

There are regular buses to Loei from Khon Kaen (buses every 30 mins) and Udon Thani (110 Baht in February 2011).

[edit] By train

There is no railway station in Loei. However, visitors can take a train from Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) to Udon Thani and take a bus to Loei. For further information, please contact the State Railway of Thailand at Tel. 1690, 0 2233 7010, 0 2223 7020 or www.railway.co.th or the Udon Thani Railway Station at Tel. 0 4222 2061.

[edit] By plane

There are 2-3 flights weekly from Bangkok on Nok Air, one of Thailand's domestic discount airlines, as of January 2012. Service has changed from time to time -- if it is not available, the next-nearest airport with commercial flights is Udon Thani with flights to/from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket using Thai Airways, Nok Air and Air Asia (Thailand). As noted above, there are frequent buses from Udon to Loei.

[edit] Get around

Songthaews can be used to reach the town from the bus station (10B). Tuk-tuks are also available to and around town. Local buses and/or songthaews serve some of the noteworthy sights mentioned below.

[edit][add listing] See

Most interesting tourist attractions are sufficiently far away they require public transport or a motorbike to reach them.

• Phitakon (ผีตาโขน) [1]. The best worst-publicised festival in Thailand. Every year in Dan Sai (ด่านซ้าย) the Phi Ta Kon festival is held. Revellers make traditional masks, which they wear in a parade down the main street of Dan Sai. Traditionally, the masks were made to frighten evil spirits away, the wearer dons the mask and drags bells behind them with the intention of clearing the surrounding area of evil spirits (generally while drinking large amounts of home brewed spirits of a different kind). Afterward, the parade begins and thousands of people head through the streets for what becomes a chaotic fertility festival, many participants in the parade carry phallic water guns and comically over-sized wooden penises with them. Dan Sai is about 2 hours west of the main city of Loei. It can be reached by bus.

• Each year there is a cotton blossom festival in early February.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Climb Phu Kradung (and camp at the top if you wish).

• Visit Phu Rua National Park.

• Visit the rock formations at Phu Luang.

• Take in the views of the Mekong at Chiang Khan, Pak Chom or Tha Li.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

There is any number of restaurants within the city, which is easy to walk around. Many ethnic Chinese provide a good variety , and all are a good price.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

There are many hotels in Loei from budget to luxury.

• Sugar Guest House (pronounced su-gar, not the English way of shu-gar), 4/1 Wisutitep Rd, Soi 2, ☎ +66 42 812-982, [2]. The only real traveller-oriented accommodation in town. Run by friendly, English-speaking Pat. The rooms are plush by backpacker standards and very good value for money. Breakfast and bike hire services available. 180-380 baht.  edit
• Phuluang Hotel, 55 Charoenrat Rd, ☎ 42811532. Rooms here are B350,B450 and B900 twin/double. The B450 room is good and aircon, but does not include breakfast.Shower water is hot, but not much pressure. In the hotel restaurant fried rice with a large bottle of beer for B135 in the evening, and a Western breakfast for B90. Has free WiFi and the internet computer is B40 per hour. There are plenty of other restaurants nearby. Little English spoken, depending who is on the counter, but you can muddle through easily enough tuk tuk from the bus station is B40,about 1 to 2 Km from the bus station on the edge of town.  edit

[edit] Contact

[edit] Get out

• Chiang Khan - Thirty minutes from Loei bus station if you time it right via the overnight bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit bus station, or 60-90 mins by songthaew, the guesthouses of Chiang Khan look across the Mekong at Laos. The wooden town, replete with wats, is backed by a mountain topped by a Thai navy lookout surrounded by tamarind trees. A teak plantation on another mountain shades the home of forest monks caring for a temple in a cave. The cafe in the main street sells coffee made with milk from a dairy hidden in the hills. Nearby cotton is teased and netted into quilts. On a beach of coloured pebbles children run into the river where they float around in tubes from old tyres. It's a place to stay and watch the river world go by.

• Phitsanulok - gateway to Sukhothai, Chiang Mai and the rest of northern Thailand.

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