| Nong Khai, Thailand --- 17 December 2005 |
We found Nong Khai to be a surprisingly pleasant town with a population of about 60,000.
Everything seemed to be up the economic ladder from what we had seen in Laos: the streets were
well-paved, the shops more classy, more upscale hotels and guesthouses, larger and fancier
restaurants, and other signs of relative prosperity. In 2002 we had taken an overnight sleeper train
from Bangkok to Nong Khai but had not really seen the town, as on that trip we had gone from the
railway station immediately over the Friendship Bridge into Laos and on to nearby Vientiane.
Everything seemed to be up the economic ladder from what we had seen in Laos: the streets were
well-paved, the shops more classy, more upscale hotels and guesthouses, larger and fancier
restaurants, and other signs of relative prosperity. In 2002 we had taken an overnight sleeper train
from Bangkok to Nong Khai but had not really seen the town, as on that trip we had gone from the
railway station immediately over the Friendship Bridge into Laos and on to nearby Vientiane.
We took a tuk-tuk to the Sala Kaew Ku Sculpture Park, Nong Khai's main tourist attraction. The
sculpture park was created during the past thirty years by a very imaginative religious leader, Luang
Poo, and his disciples. They have combined Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions with Luang Poo's
own religious visions and built dozens of unique religious sculptures, most of gigantic in size. What
an imagination! So unusual!
sculpture park was created during the past thirty years by a very imaginative religious leader, Luang
Poo, and his disciples. They have combined Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions with Luang Poo's
own religious visions and built dozens of unique religious sculptures, most of gigantic in size. What
an imagination! So unusual!
Partial view of the Sala Kaew Ku Sculpture Park, Nong Khai, Thailand
Sculpture of Buddha protected by seven dragons, Sala
Kaew Ku Sculpture Park, Nong Khai, Thailand
Kaew Ku Sculpture Park, Nong Khai, Thailand
An enormous Buddha sculpture under construction.
Most of the sculpture is made or steel-reinforced
concrete and bricks and then given a concrete coat.
Most of the sculpture is made or steel-reinforced
concrete and bricks and then given a concrete coat.
Sculpture of dozens of dogs under and around an elephant
In Nong Khai we visited several typical Thai Buddhist temples but also stumbled onto an interesting
Chinese temple complex.
Chinese temple complex.
Outdoor Shrine at Chinese Temple, Nong Khai, Thailand
Chinese Buddhist Temple, Nong Khai, Thailand
Another highlight of our visit to Nong Khai was lunch a large riverfront restaurant called Deang
Namnua Ng, a short way down the street from our Ruan Thai Guest House. The seating was at large
banquet-sized tables overlooking the Mekong. The food you get at this restaurant consists of a
huge assortment of delicious items from which each guest makes his selections and combines to create
his own unique salad concoction. The menu lists in Thai (no English menu) several "salad kits" and the
patron selects the "kit" consisting of the components he wants; we simply asked for the most popular
"kit" and the other people at our table made suggestions as to what we should do with the components.
A delicious meal and a wonderful dining experience. The entire great meal for us two came to a total
of 175 baht (US$4.50). The restaurant is very popular and we were told that it attracts patrons
from a large area. It is easy to see why.
Namnua Ng, a short way down the street from our Ruan Thai Guest House. The seating was at large
banquet-sized tables overlooking the Mekong. The food you get at this restaurant consists of a
huge assortment of delicious items from which each guest makes his selections and combines to create
his own unique salad concoction. The menu lists in Thai (no English menu) several "salad kits" and the
patron selects the "kit" consisting of the components he wants; we simply asked for the most popular
"kit" and the other people at our table made suggestions as to what we should do with the components.
A delicious meal and a wonderful dining experience. The entire great meal for us two came to a total
of 175 baht (US$4.50). The restaurant is very popular and we were told that it attracts patrons
from a large area. It is easy to see why.
During our second night at the Ruan Thai Guesthouse we unfortunately had neighbors in the next room
whose loud TV stayed on past midnight. After we knocked on the wall they lowered the sound. Few of
the guesthouses in which we stayed in Thailand and Laos offered rooms with TV, to our benefit.
whose loud TV stayed on past midnight. After we knocked on the wall they lowered the sound. Few of
the guesthouses in which we stayed in Thailand and Laos offered rooms with TV, to our benefit.