Thailand Guidebook > Provinces > North-East Thailand

Nakhon Phanom is situated on the bank of the Mae Khong River opposite Muang Ta Kaek of Laos. It is where the Phra That Phanom, the most sacred and ancient religious monument of the Northeast, is located. For the Phra That is venerated by both Thais and Laotians along the Mae Khong. Although it partially collapsed some time ago, it has since been restored to its glory. Nakhon Phanom is 740 kilometers from Bangkok.

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Riverside Promenade is alongside the Khong River in the municipal area. It gives a good view across the river especially in the early morning when the sun rises above the mountains.

Phra That Phanom is about fifty kilometers from town proper. It has not been conclusively proved when it was built. However, according to archaeologists, it is about 1500 years old. Fifty-two meters high, each of its rectangular bases measures 12.33 meters, and its decorative top is made of gold weighing 110 kilograms.

Phra That Renu Nakhon the main religious monument in Amphoe Renu Nakhon abut fifty kilometers from town, is similar to the Phra That Phanom but in a smaller scale.

Prathat Tha Utun, situated in Amphoe Tha Uthen, has the likeness of Phrathat Phanom. Its was built in 1912 A.D. to store a relic of the Lord Buddha brought from Myanmar.

Nam Tok Tat Kham Forest Park 7 kilometers from Amphoe Ban Phaeng, has been preserved in its natural beauty state and is where the rivers originating from Phu Langka mountain meet in a confluence to form the Huai Kham river. The river cascades through 4 steps of the fall before continuing on its ways to the Khong river.

Nam Tok Tat Pho, 5 kilometers from Nam Tok Tat Kham, can be reached after a 2 hour walk. The waterfall is from a river originating from Phu Langka mountain and the area has its own natural beauty especially in the rainy season.

The annual Phra That Phanom Fair is celebrated on the full-moon evening of the 3rd Lunar month. Thousands of worshipers flock to Nakhon Phanom to pay homage to this most important religious shrine in the Northeast. Stalls and performances are staged throughout the 7-day celebration.

Illuminated Boat Procession held annually in October or November, the event represents a traditional Loi Krathong ceremony of north easterners marking the end of the Buddhist Lent. The illuminated boats are made of banana barks, bamboo or other floatable material with a length of at least 6 meters. The boat is elaborately fashioned into various shapes. The procession is staged in the streets during the day while at night, religious rites are observed. Later, the boats are illuminated and launched into the Mekhong river.

Renu Nakhon boasts a market place not unlike San Kamphaeng in Chiang Mai, with cotton, silk dresses and quilted blankets as leading local products.

COPYRIGHT: Information on this page is used with permission from the Tourist Authority of Thailand. Additional information from brochures produced locally and notes made by Panrit Daoruang and Richard Barrow. All photographs on this web site are the property of Panrit Daoruang.