Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Region 3 Office, led
by its director Chaiwat Charoensuk organized an educational tour of four
provinces in Northeast Thailand for members of the Pattaya Mass Media
Club over the period January 17 to 20, as part of the TAT’s campaign to
attract more tourists to Issan from the Eastern Seaboard.
The four provinces visited were Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and
Nakhon Ratchasima.
The
beautiful 9 level Kaen Nakhon pagoda in Khon Kaen.
A double-decked tour bus took more than 40 people from Pattaya, heading
first to Udon Thani. They passed the entire night in the bus, with the
journey taking more than 10 hours and traveling a distance of more than
600 km along National Road No 2.
On the next day in the morning the group checked into the Charoensi
Grand Royal Hotel in Udon Thani, where they had a meal before continuing
to Nong Khai and visiting the Udon Sunshine Fragrant Orchid Farm. The
Udon Sunshine orchid is a cross between a Vanda and a Josephine Van
Berrow, carried out in 1977 by horticulturalists for the extraction of
perfume. It was patented with the World Orchid Association in England in
1988.
The group then continued to Pa Bankhor Temple, located in Kuanam
Sub-district in Udon Thani Province. The temple was established in 1985
on an area of about 410 rai. Currently it has only the essential
residential facilities for Buddhist priests and Dharma laymen, and is
highly appropriate for solitude and meditation. Pa Bankhor Temple has
been appointed a Dharma center for students and members of the public,
and both Thai and foreign followers stay here.
The
largest Phimai white stone castle in Thailand.
In the afternoon the tour proceeded to Phochai Temple, popular both
amongst Thai and Lao Buddhists. This is a third class Royal Temple, and
has a historic bronze Buddha image. Each year local inhabitants hold the
traditional Bang Fai merit-making festival to pay respects to the image.
Before returning to the hotel in Udon Thani, the media group stopped at
the Sadet duty-free market on the Mekong River near the Thai-Laos
Friendship Bridge.
Next morning the press visited King Cobra Village at Ban Kok Sa-nga, in
Khon Kaen Province. In former times the villagers distributed herbal
medicines in addition to their work in the rice fields. This meant they
had to walk to the surrounding villages, which was not easy. In 1951, a
physician from Kok Sa-nga village had an idea to attract customers to
come to the village, rather than villagers go to the customers, by
organizing a King Cobra show.
The King Cobra is very dangerous, and can lunge a distance of 2 meters.
The show was held at the Srithamma Temple Field, and spectators came
from miles around, many of them buying the herbal medicines that the
villagers offered them. These days, the show is famous and other shows
such as musical performances and boxing bouts have been added.
The tour group next went to pay respect to the Buddha figures at the
Kaen Nakhon Mahatat in Khon Kaen. Climbing to the top of the pagoda
here, we could clearly see Kaen Nakohn Marsh and Khon Kaen City. The
Kaen Nakhon Buddha is 80 meters high, and there are four smaller images
at the four corners.
Afterwards the group went from Khon Kaen to Nakhon Ratchasima, and
visited the beautiful Phimai Historical Park, with its historic stone
city built during the Khmer Empire. The visitors were accommodated at
Simathanee in Nakhon Ratchasima, where personnel from TAT Northeast Zone
1 welcomed us.
The next day was the last one of the trip. After finishing breakfast,
the group went to the Thong Somboon Club, located in Pakchong
Sub-district, in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Located on an area of
approximately 300 rai, the club has many soft-adventure attractions such
as driving of four-wheeled ATVs, go-karts, and log riding.
The visitors stopped to buy local products at the Klangdong fruit market
in Pakchong, Nakhon Ratchasima, before heading back to Pattaya after
what, everyone agreed, had been an educational and highly enjoyable
tour.
Paying respect to Luang
Phor Prasai at Pho Chai Temple, which has
a secret and respected Buddha for the Nong Khai inhabitants.
Stop over at the Thasadet
Border Market for shopping.
The King Cobra show in Kok
Sa-nga village, Khon Kaen.
Relaxing at the snake show
after the exhausting reporting
work throughout the year.
The Red Indians arrive.
TAT Khon Kaen, the
president of the Khon Kaen Business Association,
and tourists all welcome the group.
Arriving at Pa Ban Khor
Temple in Udon Thani,
an ideal place for calm meditation.
