Udon Thani (Thai: อุดรธานี) is one of the north-eastern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Udon Thani is located in the heart of the Khorat Plateau between the provinces of Khon Kaen to its south, and Nong Khai to its north.

The city of Udon Thani is served by the railway line that goes northeast from Saraburi through Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) and Khon Kaen to the border of Laos on the outskirts of Nong Khai city. Regular direct trains including night sleepers connect the city with Bangkok. The provincial capital, Udon, often referred to as just ("Ooh-dorn") is Thailand's fifth-largest MSA. In Roman script it is also often spellt Udorn.

Strategically important for the Isan region's infrastructure, Udon Thani's airport was raised to international standard in 2006 with the opening of a new terminal to compliment its existing domestic arrival and departure building. At peak times of the year there may be as many as 20 scheduled flights per day operating in and out of Udon Thani thus making it one of the country's busiest domestic airports. Currently, two buget airlines and the national carrier operate scheduled daily morning, midday and evening flights and aircraft, some of them wide-bodied jets, are full. Direct international services are expected to start in 2007.

The city is bisected by the Mithraphap Highway, the road linking Bangkok with the Northeast and Laos. A modern, multi-lane ringroad system enables through traffic to bypass the city centre to the west or the east and connects to the airport and to the main roads to Nong Bua Lamphu province in the west and Sakhon Nakhon in the east.

The province is most famous for the archeological site Ban Chiang with its remains of the Bronze age, located in what is now a hamlet about 85 miles east of Udon. Udon is one of the more bustling markets for agricultural goods in the relatively dry northeast of Thailand, and received its biggest economic boost in the 1960s when the US built the Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base as a joint-force military base during the Vietnam War (the Mel Gibson film Air America refers to Udon and includes shots from the Udon military base).

The U.S. turned the base over to the Thai military in 1976, but there were three significant after effects of the base's US presence. First, a number of the natives in the area were paid well and learned English, which helped them become more marketable to the outside world (a significant percentage of the more educated group now work in the Middle East oilfields). Second, the base created ties, including a US Consulate in Udon which was closed in 1995, and a VFW (veterans of foreign wars) Post. Finally, the base and the consulate caused the city to be viewed as a regional hub, and this impression has continued.

In recent years the province has received international attention due to the discovery of a large potash deposit in the area and some anticipate that the region will become a major exporter of the mineral. Beginning the mining process of gaining licensure has been substantially delayed due to public opposition to the mine. Many of the villagers who live directly above the proposed mine site have expressed concern that the company and its Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) have not adequately addressed concerns of salinization of groundwater and soil or land subsidence. Both would threaten the economic stability of local communities that rely primarily on income derived from rice farming.

The provincial seal shows a Hindu mythological giant (yakṣa in Thai yak), referring to Thao Kuwane (Vaiśravaṇa or Kubera), the god of the North.
The provincial tree is the Teng (Shorea obtusa), and the provincial flower is the Flame of the forest (Butea monosperma).

The province is subdivided into 18 districts (Amphoe) and 2 minor districts (King Amphoe). The districts are further subdivided into 155 communes (tambon) and 1682 villages (muban). The missing numbers 12-16 are Amphoe which formed the province Nongbua Lamphu in 1993.

Extracted from Wikipedia: Udon Thani Province

Udon Thani most comprehensive guide, with a handy map.

www.udonmap.com

For those that want a change of scenary from Pattaya,doing a visa run or have found a Udon girl,it's well worth a visit.The main shopping mall is
very similar to Royal Garden in Pattaya.I've always enjoyed Udon for a couple of days and there seem to be more and more farangs who've moved
up to there.Cheap cost of living,friendly poeple and good travel communications.The Irish Clock is a good farang meeting place and they have an
excellent Wifi connection.I also found that the level of accomodation is getting better.

Is it true that they eat dogs in the north eastern region? I always wanted to try that, but couldnt find it in bangkok.

I think I remember someone telling me that it is not legal to eat dog meat in Thailand, I could be wrong though or may have misunderstood what was said. I do know that I saw someting on TV about people who were eating dog meat and the girl I was with at the time simply said "that bad, not good". Of course it is possible she was referring to something else.

Good info, i have to travel Nambau Laphau in October to meet my fiancees parents

Dog meat is eaten all over the North East, but only in the villages, usually by men and usually at night, the tradition being old and rice whiskey is the drink to be had with it.

Sakhon Nakhon Province and parts of Nakhon Phanom are famous for dog meat. There is even a market selling dog meat some 10 km away from Sakhon Nakhon city, in the countryside.

The people of Udon are friendly as a rule, more friendly than Bangkokians.

Don't worry about mplaces of entertainment, to be found anywhere in Thailand but I would not go to the South for this.

Take your time in Udon, visit Nong Khai and Sakhon Nakon too, not to mention Nakhon Phanom.

All these places have a lot to offer. And they are different from Bangkok and Pattaya. In my opinion, Udon is the place to go if you want to see a part of Thailand that is not as westernized as Pattaya, for example.

Don't go to Udon for less than a week.

Many good and cheap hotels, entertainmet is cheaper than in Bangkok.

Udon is great... If I'd ever decide to retire in LOS one day I'd love to live there

I've breezed through Thaivisa and udonmap but am wondering if there is anyone with more recent firsthand knowledge about Nong Bua Lampoo province.

Yup, it looks like this falang is headed for the provinces for a visit in November, first time in about seven years for me.
I've been listening to the chickens and ducks in the background for the last month.
The carpenters and tradesmen have been making quite a racket on the phone remodeling the place to put the "falang" bathroom in the last few days!

If anyone has firsthand knowledge about the adequacy of the hotels in Nong Bua Lampoo I would really appreciate your advice. Joy has told me that we should stay in Udon and drive out each day, but that's a pretty good hike from Yanglo sub district according to the map.

Thanks for anything you might have to share.


~Sa-teef

There are not many hotels in Nong Bau,well none realy only your Thai worker type dumps.
Just outside the town there are a few.

Natthapong Resort
339 Nong Bua Lam Phu-Udon Thani Road
Amphoe Mueang
Nong Bua Lam Phu
Tel :: 0 4236 1199
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V.I.P. Inn Nong Bua Lam Phu
Sibunrueang Road
Amphoe Mueang
Nong Bua Lam Phu
Tel :: 0 4236 1122
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Kinnaree Resort
274 Nong Bua Lam Phu
Udon Thani Road
Amphoe Mueang
Nong Bua Lam Phu
Tel :: 0 4236 0091
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Sawangchit
53 Wijarnrangsan Rd.
Amphoe Muang
Nong Bua Lamphu 39000

Tel.: 042-311349

Best of them all by far is the Kinnaree on the Udon side of Nong Bau.
There is also a small resort on the Nong Sang side just before you get into the town.

Derek

Thanks Derek!
I'll check into it and if we decide to stay there I'll report back with some pictures of the place.


~Sa-teef

Here's a great time.
Fly to Udon from Don Meaung Airport for 1,200 baht. Email Douglas from his website at www.lekcarrentaludonthani.com
He's a great english guy that runs a fairly large rental service near the airport. Rent one of his choppers and pick up a map of Udon. Explore Udon Thani downtown for a day or two, then head off to Sakon Nakhon, about 3 hours from Udon. It's a really great ride out there, and there are plenty of sights to see on the way. Sakon has many things to offer and has several smaller hotels. Stay a few days if you wish, then ride back to Udon Thani. Overall a cheap experience (if you can handle thai cooking stall food) and some definately great memories.
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