Northern Thailand – Plenty to See

When thinking of Thailand we often think of Bangkok- shopping, clubbing and maybe some more shopping. Or maybe Phuket and its lovely beaches and many beachside resorts. Yet as anymore who’s spent some time in Thailand knows, there’s much more to the country. 

The northeast of Thailand is a seat of ancient culture and tradition, yet even after so many years of tourism – the area is relatively unknown. 

After a two hour flight aboard Thai Airways to Bangkok we disembarked for flight to Nongkhai, a border town between Thailand and Laos on the banks of the Mekong river. A ‘friendship’ bridge links the two nations and the province is a gateway to Laos’ capital, the beautiful and placid Vientinane. 

Inhabitation in Nongkhai dats back over 200 years, with small towns dotting the riverbank. Many ancient relics have been found in temples on the river on the Tha Bo – Si Chiang Mai route. 

Nongkhai is 615 kilometres from the noise and gorgeous chos of Bangkok and covers a large area of 7,332 square kilometres, with the largest length of the Mekong contained within its large borders – 320 kilometres. 

We soon progressed through to Laos, over the friendship bridge, and thence headed on to Vientiane. 

The modern-day capital of Vientiane, which replaced ancient capital Luang Prabang – now one of Laos’ most popular tourist destinations – many years ago is a restful alternative to the frenetic pace of most Southeast Asian capitals. Far smaller than other capitals (Laos’ entire population is only 5 million people), Vientiane’s wide, open streets and blend of French colonial and traditional Asian architecture give the city a quite, quaint charm. Attractions for visitors include. That Luang and the nation’s cost scared shrine, Ho Phra Keo, who once had the image of the Emerald Buddha, Which is now enshrined in neighbouring Thailand 

Phra Keo was buildt in 1565 by King Setthathirat and was constructed house the Emerald Buddha, which the king in fact took from Thailand. Though the Thais took it back in 1779 and today there are no monks in residence, the original building lives on is now a museum of religious art and includes within its collection a Khmer stone Buddha, a wooden copy of the famous Luang Prabang and a transplanted jar from the interesting and elusive Plain of Jars in northerly Laos, which comprises thousands of huge stone jars. 

After a satisfying lunch of regional specialties we prepared ourselves for the trip back to Bangkok and after that, home.

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Author: Thanh Bui
Article Source: EzineArticles.com