That Phanom

Friendly as Advertised
By exacto (dabbler - 13 reviews)
Written on 18th February, 2010 after a visit to That Phanom in January, 2010
It is easy to see why people like the town of That Phanom so much, since during my visit in January 2010 folks were every bit as friendly as advertised. There are great views along the riverside walkway, and the string of restaurants in this area are colorful and charming. The nightlife seems to be limited to just a few karaoke joints along the river, however, as most of the waterside restaurants close early.

Wat That Phanom itself is definitely worth a look if you are in the area, as it is welcoming, cheerful, and impressive when all lit up at night. But apart from the wat and the riverside stroll, there just wasn't that much to do here, and a quick overnight stay turned out to be more than enough time to explore the place.

It is a real bummer about Niyana Guesthouse closing, as it leaves you a choice of grotty (Saeng Thong), grottier (Chaivon), and grottiest (Rimkhong Bungalow) places to stay. Saeng Thong is just a block or so down river from the south end of the walking area and has cold-water fan rooms for 250 baht or hot-water rooms with aircon and cable TV and a few other nice touches for 400 baht. Even so, the rooms were dingy and depressing and not as clean as they should be.

One promising looking hotel that I unfortunately didn't find until too late is the Kritsada Rimkhong, about 500 meters north along the riverside walkway. It is a bit more expensive, with rooms in the 350 to 600 baht range, and has an attached restaurant across the road on the river bank. The email address listed on the small sign in english is ksdresort@thaimail.com.

Please note that the That Phanom bus station is actually to the north and west of Wat That Phanom along the main highway and about a 30 baht tuk tuk ride from town. It is also possible to get directly to/from Bangkok from here. The Bangkok-bound buses typically leave in the 5 to 6 pm range, with prices from 400 baht for a 2nd class aircon bus, all the way up to 800 baht for a 24 seat VIP bus.

Also reviewed by exacto: Champasak, Chiang Mai, Kamphaeng Phet, Ko Maak, Lopburi, Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai, Pakse, Phitsanulok,

That Phanom is a great place
By MADMAC (dabbler - 8 reviews)
Written on 9th June, 2009 after a visit to That Phanom in May, 2009
This is a wonderful small city. The river front area offers some Thai restaurants featuring a lovely view of the river. I have often enjoyed just sitting there passing the time with a book and drinking a beer.

The temple is very impressive. Clean and well maintained, it is a beautiful piece of historic architecture that is living history, for it is heavily visited by Thai tourists and those coming to pray. I enjoy visiting this site more than any other in Thailand (including the reclining Bhudda or Jim Thompson House or some of the other more well known sites).

I highly recommend it for those who want to get off the beaten path (at least the western tourist beaten path - the path is well beaten by Thais). Just a lovely little city with a great vibe.
Also reviewed by MADMAC: Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, Savannakhet, Udon Thani, Yasothon,