CHIANG KHAN
This single statement tells you a lot Chiang Khan: NOBODY LOCKS THEIR BICYCLES!!! Yes, it is a very safe place. Many foreigners don't even know this place exists, but it is popular to local Thai tourists (and Koreans, I was told). The main draw of Chiang Khan is the kilometer-long walking street and the promenade along the scenic Mekong River. The street is lined-up with hotels, boutiques, vendors, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. The promenade is particularly charming to stroll about in time for the sunset.
Chiang Khan Blogs by TheLoneRider
(Jun 21, 2020) Alms-giving to the monks in the early morning is a long-standing tradition in Thailand. People line-up the streets around 6am with their gifts (mostly food) and offer them to the passing monks. The monks in return betow their blessings. It's an interactive cycle that weaves spirituality to day-to-day life. Buddhism is a steeply integrated part of Thai life.....more »»
(Jun 20, 2020) Legend has it that a Lao hunter, frustrated that the white buffalo he wanted to shoot with his bow and arrow across the Mekong River into Thailand, got away because a passing boat startled it, threw rocks and boulders into the river to prevent boats from passing by again. Those same rocks are now form the layout causing rapids in this section of the river when water level is low.....more »»
(Jun 20, 2020) A popular attraction in Chiang Khan is viewing the sunrise from the top of Phu Thok Hill. A thick blanket of clouds mantle the view with mountain peaks piercing through the clouds. And then the sun peaks through the mountain horizon.....more »»
(Jun 19, 2020) Before the sun sets, the best place in Chiang Khan is to walk along the promenade and wait for the setting sun. On one side of the promenade is the tranquil Mekong River and on the other side are the fancy hotels overlooking the river.....more »»
(Jun 19, 2020) The main draw of Chiang Khan would be 2 things: the Walking Street and the Promenade. For animation much like the typical night markets of Thailand, but in a more manicured setting, a night of rummaging through Chiang Khan's boutiques, food stalls, cafes, bars and buskers make it a popular destination.....more »»
(Jun 18, 2020) Frustrated from the unavailability of bus service from Nong Khai to Chiang Mai, I just decided to take the bus for a place I just heard about in a conversation - Chiang Khan. It's a river town along the Mekong, 5 hours northeast from Nong Khai. What's there? I don't know. I don't care. I just needed to be out of Nong Khai.....more »»
(June 18, 2020) Why was I staying too long in Nong Khai? Was it really the unavailability of a bus for Chiang Mai? I wondered if I was being afraid of leaving my safety net in Nong Khai where I was enjoying a good hostel deal and other perks. That realization was a slap-in-the-face I needed to pack-up and leave.....more »»
About Chiang Khan
This single statement tells you a lot Chiang Khan: NOBODY LOCKS THEIR BICYCLES!!! Yes, it is a very safe place. Many foreigners don't even know this place exists, but it is popular to local Thai tourists (and Koreans, I was told). The main draw of Chiang Khan is the kilometer-long walking street and the promenade along the scenic Mekong River. The street is lined-up with hotels, boutiques, vendors, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. The promenade is particularly charming to stroll about in time for the sunset.
Direct Bus from Nong Khai to Chiang Khan along the Mekong River
Before, there was no direct travel route. You either:
- take a bus to Udon Thani, another bus to Loei, and another bus to Chiang Khan
- or take the slow, dilapidated, and uncomfortable green bus along the winding Mekong route, get off at Pak Chom, take another bus towards Loei but get off at Ban That (village), and then take another bus to Chiang Khan. No wonder people don't go to Chiang Khan from Nong Khai!
As of June 18, 2020 (the trip I took), when things were beginning to normalize from the COVID pandemic, there seems to be a few changes.
- the 3 trips/day by the green bus (7:30am, 11:00am and 3:00pm) have been reduced to 1 trip at 12 noon
- BEST, the bus goes all the way to Chiang Khan. You don't have to get off at Pak Chom.
- Trip Details from the Nong Khai bus terminal
departure time: 12 noon (only one trip)
duration: 5 hours
fare: B250
stops:
Nong Khai (left 12 noon)
Tha Bo (arrived 12:55 pm)
Si Chiang Mai (arrived 1:25 pm)
Sangkhom (arrived 2:35 pm)
Pak Chom (arrived 4:05 pm)
Chiang Khan (arrived 5:05 pm)
Chiang Khan Attractions
- Walking Steet - animated street line with shops, hotels, restos, bars, cafe and buskers
- Promenade - planked walkway extending for kilometers with the Mekong River on one side and fancy hotels and restaurants on the other side
- Phu Thok view point - 7.5 kilometers from the town center towards the mountain, it reaches 480 meters and offers stunning view of the sunrise and mountain tops piercing through the low-lying clouds
- Kaeng Khut Khu - 5.5kms downstream on the Mekong from town center, the manicured park has life-like statues of masked characters celebrated during their Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival. It also has a 2-storie statue of the Jueng Khueng Dangdaeng, a Laos giant hunter who, as legend would have it, became part of the rocks sprinkled on the Mekong between Laos and Thailand
Chiang Khan to Loei by Bus
At the Loei Bus Terminal (see map), there are numerous daily trips to Loei (en route to Nakhon Ratchasima): 6:30 am, xxxx am, . xxx hours, B38.
General Travel Tips
- arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
- put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
- avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
- power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!
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