High Northeast Plateau
North Eastern Thailand (Isaan, the name of the Mon-Khmer kingdom that once ruled over the region) consists of 19 provinces. The north eastern region is almost the size of one third of Thailand. The Mekong River meanders over the north, separating Laos and Thailand. The Dong Rek Mountains rises in the south separating Cambodia and Thailand.
One of most traditional areas of the country, a land based on agriculture and cottage industries. Old Thai customs remain relatively unchanged, and the population is renowned as being friendly and polite, even though it is one of the poorest. It is a region with great history, and a strong Laotian influence in its architecture, customs, and language. Evidence of prehistoric settlements can be found along the Mekong River, in cliffpaintings and at archaeological sites like Ban Chiang. The lower Northeast was part of old kingdom of Angkor, with ruins ofimpressive Khmer sanctuaries scattered across the countryside.
These Khmer prasat hin (stone castles) throughout Buri Ram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Surin and Si Sa Ket are popular tourist attractions, particularly the superbly restored sites at Phimai and Phanom Rung, both historical parks. The great temple complex at Khao Phra Viharn on the Cambodian border is also now accessible to visitors after a long period ofisolation.
Other major attractions include the prehistoric sites at Ban Chiang and Ban Prasat, the ancient revered temples at Phra That Phanom and Phra That Renu Nakhon and the wonderful silk-weaving villages in Khorat and Khon Kaen. The region is also home to some of Thailand's best loved national parks - Khao Yai, Phu Kradung and Phu Rua in Loei. To counter the region's great sized, an excellent road, rail and domestic flight network links all the major centres.
One of the main charactoristics of Isaan is that it has many area suffering from drought during parts of the year.
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![[hplImage]](/images/Provine/nophoto.gif "nophoto.gif")
Loei |
Loei province's Phu Kra Dung National Park, a crisply beautiful forested plateau between 1,000 and 1,350 metres where night-time temperatures sometimes drop to near freezing point, and the Kaeng Khut
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Phu Kradueng |
Phu Kradueng is a mesa covering over 160,000 square meters. On top, there are pine trees, plants, and waterfalls. However, the most dramatic sight is a dramatic overhang, protected
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Mukdahan |
Peaceful Mukdahan is located on the Mekong Valley. As a getaway to Indochina, it has the largest border market – lies across is Savannakhet province of Laos. Apart from a
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Nakhon Phanom |
A home to the sacred Wat Phra That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom boasts numerous historical sites and unique traditional cultures galore. The scenic Nakhon Phanom is situated on the right bank
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Nong Khai |
After the completion of Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge, Nong Khai became a convenient gateway to Indochina. If you expect civilization, Nong Khai is not the place as most people come to
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Ubon Ratchathani |
Ubon Ratchathani, 629 kilometres from Bangkok, which introduces the annual Buddhist Rains Retreat with a lovely Candle Festival, and the pre-historical rock paintings at Pha Taem in Khong Chiam district
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