Isaan

Isaan (อีสาน; also Isan, Issan, Isarn and even Esarn), Thailand's north-east region, is an often overlooked part of the country. There's no coastline, so there are no beaches to draw those seeking sand and sea. Isaan, however, is a multicultural area where Laos, Cambodia and Thailand meet, and has a rich history. Isaan is mainly an agricultural region.

Regions

Regions of Isaan

Northern Isaan The great Mekong Valley, the national parks of Loei, Ban Chiang, Nong Khai, Wat Phra That Phanom, etc.

Central Isaan Also known as the Chi River Basin, the highway from Bangkok ends here in Khon Kaen.

Southern Isaan Centred around the chaotic Nakhon Ratchasima, the Mun River Basin is home to Khao Yai National Park and the beautiful Khmer architecture of Phanom Rung and Phimai.

Cities

• Khon Kaen — Mittraphap Road (Rt 2) passes the edge of the town centre
• Loei — known for its numerous high hills, mountains and is one of Thailand's vineyards
• Nakhon Phanom — border town with Laos along the Mekong
• Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) — the chaotic main city of Isaan
• Nong Khai — gateway to Vientiane and beautiful Mekong Valley surroundings
• Roi Et — home to the tallest standing Buddha image of the world, Phra Phuttha Rattana Mongkhon
• Surin — known for its annual elephant parade and Khmer temples
• Ubon Ratchathani — almost always shortened to simply "Ubon"
• Udon Thani — best known for the archaeological site Ban Chiang

Other destinations

• Khao Yai National Park — Thailand's first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Phanom Rung Historical Park — beautiful Khmer temples and one of the top attractions in Isaan
• Phimai Historical Park — one of the most important Khmer architecture in Thailand

Understand

Isaan is a wonderful part of Thailand to visit if you become tired of Khao San Road, one temple after another, or lounging on a beach. The relative isolation and underdevelopment of the area means that Isaan is a good place to get off the beaten track and discover Thailand's agricultural roots and natural scenery.

Talk

While the national language Thai is used in schools and thus well-understood, the local Isaan language, which is a dialect of Lao, is predominant. Khmer is also widely spoken in areas near the Cambodian border. Although the person you meet in the market might speak little or no English, it's more likely than not that they are already bilingual or multilingual.

Get in

By plane

The cities of Khon Kaen, Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani can be reached by plane from Bangkok on both Thai Airways and Air Asia. Recently (as of 2010,) a new airline, Happy Air, reopened Nakhon Ratchasima airprt for daily flights around Thailand including Suvarnabhumi airport.

By bus

Frequent bus services go everywhere.

By train

Regular train services connect Bangkok with Ubon Ratchathani (via Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Surin, Si Saket and other stations along the way) and Nong Khai (via Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, etc).

Get around

Depending on where you're coming from and where you want to get to, buses, minibuses, songthaews, motorbikes and bicycles are all good ways to get around.

The train system is also a good way to get around, however the number of locations served is limited.

See

Sala Kaew Ku, Nong Khai

There are many attractions in Isaan:

• The surreal statues of Sala Kaew Ku, Nong Khai
• The temple inside the mountain at Chiang Khan
• The temple of beer bottles in Si Saket
• The beautiful Khmer temples in the Phanom Rung Historical Park
• Phimai Historical Park has even more Khmer architecture
• Flora, fauna and waterfalls in the Khao Yai National Park

Eat

Clockwise from top right: Sticky rice, minced pork larb, som tam and raw vegetables on the side

Isaan cuisine borrows heavily from Lao cuisine and is distinctly different from central Thai cooking, although there has been a considerable amount of cross-pollination. Perhaps the best-known Isaan dish is som tam (or tam mak hung in Lao/Isaan), a spicy salad prepared from unripe papayas. While Thais prepare this with dried shrimp, in Isaan the preferred style is with preserved crab (puu) or mudfish, an acquired taste. Other characteristic dishes include roast chicken (kai yaang), sticky rice (khao niaw) and a wide variety of cold meat, mint and lemon juice "salads" known as larb.

A word of warning: Isaan food is known even among Thais for being fiery hot!

Drink

The main drink in Isaan is a wonderful spirit which combines orange juice with chilli peppers and rum. It is a must for all visitors. The drink is called kaw nam lac.

Stay safe

Parts of the Cambodian border, mainly near Preah Vihear, are occasionally violent as Thai and Khmer soldiers shoot each other and accidentally kill the odd tourist.

Get out

• Phitsanulok - the gateway to Northern Thailand
• Preah Vihear - magnificent Khmer temple in Cambodia, easy to reach from Isaan and no visa required
• Vientiane - the once sleepy capital of Laos, becoming more and more discovered

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