Khong Chiam

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All you need to know about the land of silk and smiles

Khong Chiam and Ubon Ratchathani

Khong Chiam is a tiny village on the banks of the Mekong River. Few people, even in Thailand, would ever have heard about it. I came here to discover a hidden-away resort that offers incredible value for money. The village of Khong Chiam is worth a visit with its attractive waterfront, public park and assorted roadside stalls. A place you can enjoy a quiet stroll even if you are the only person who speaks English. The nearest city is Ubon Ratchathani, which is described below. Pictured here is the view of the Mekong River from the resort.

Tohsang Khongjiam

This is a truly splendid small resort set in over 14 acres of grounds overlooking the Mekong River with views of neighboring Laos that epitomizes affordable luxury. We looked at the selection of rooms and opted for a spacious bungalow which was wonderfully furnished, had its own private garden with water features and magnificent views of the river and the hills of Laos beyond. The entrance to the bungalow is picture on the left and our bedroom pictured on the right. We paid 3,500 Baht a night and that included an enormous breakfast buffet which had a wide variety of dishes to satisfy the hungriest Westerner or Asian. There are a total of 40 rooms, eight suites, and seven bungalows. There are rooms available, with river views, from 2,000 Baht and there are packages available on their website.

We enjoyed the large swimming pool, although the water temperature was a little cooler than we had been used to further south in Thailand. A good restaurant with reasonable prices and young, cheerful staff makes it a place you want to visit again.

Somehow we imagined the Mekong to be mightier than it was. This great river that flows from China through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam was slow and low. Locals told us that the Chinese were to blame because of dams they built at the start of the river, a charge that China denies pointing out that every country along the river takes water in increasing amounts for irrigation projects. We saw now, and later, how fertile the areas close to the river were. Away from the river, and its tributaries and canals, much of the land was barren and dry. Despite the irrigation projects that turned much of the northeast from a near-desert into productive, useable agricultural land we never saw the deep greens that color so many other parts of Thailand.

Without your own transport you are trapped at the resort – a very pleasant experience - but there are numerous tours that you can take. Here are a couple of examples: A half day trip to Patem National Park, Soy Sawan Waterfall, Kangtana National Park and the Pak Mun Dam costs 3,200 Baht for two people and includes transportation costs admission charges to the park, the services of a guide and drinking water. A full day tour, including all of the previous stops plus a visit to the Thai-Laos border market at Chong Mek costs 4,300 Baht for two people and includes a lunch box. There’s also a full day cultural tour including the Khmer palaces – Prasat Sri-Kornraphum, Wat Sa Kampang Lek, Wat Sa Kampang Yai – in the Khmer ruins district in Surin Province and the Ubon National Museum. This tour cost 5,600 Baht for two including a lunch and admissions. You can also take a cruise down the river for 500 Baht a person and if you time it right you can be one of the last people in Thailand to see the sunset. Because this is the most easterly point in Thailand it is the first to see the sun rise and also the last to see the sun set. The cruise on a long tailed boat takes you to the village of Woenbuk, past Kangtana National Park and the bi-colored river. This is the first place we have stayed in Thailand where we have not switched on the air conditioning at night. It was cool enough to sleep well and in the morning there was the slightest bite of cool as we sipped coffee on our terrace. Below us on the river bank a small herd of cattle, their cow bells softly clanking, trudged by as a light mist on the Laotian hills burned away in the morning sun.

The resort has a large swimming pool, spa and a restaurant serving a good selection of western dishes as well as an extensive Thai menu. Added bonus at dinner was a show staged by local musicians and dancers who performed traditional Isaan music and dances. The group had been hired for the evening as part of a wedding celebration that was being held at the hotel.

The hotel offers a transfer service to Ubon airport or railway station, 1,250 Baht one-way per person and also trips to the border market at Chong Mek for 900 Baht round-trip. Contact details: 68 Moo 7, Baan Huay-Mak-Tai. Tel: 04535 1174, fax 04535 1162. www.tohsang.com

Ubon Ratchathani

Ubon Ratchathani, the Lotus City, is one of the biggest cities in Isaan, the fifth largest in Thailand, and is the capital of the province with the same name. The city is a major trading center for the area’s agricultural products of rice, sugarcane, cattle, timber, pigs and cotton. It is steeped in history and full of temples, places of higher learning and abuzz with day and night street markets and traffic.
Things to see: It is definitely worth visiting the Ubon National Museum on Thanon Khuenthani, open daily, except Monday and Tuesday, from 8.30am to 4.30pm, as it is one of the best museums in Thailand. There is a vast range of exhibits and a major plus is that most have good English descriptions. A couple of hours spent here and you’ll have a good idea about the province’s history as well as learning about the traditional handicrafts that are a very important part of the local economy. Some of the strange musical instruments we had seen being played the previous evening were among the exhibits. The blue and gray single storey building that houses the museum was built in 1873 and was originally the Governor's office.
In the center of the city there is a vast open space known as Thung Sri Muang which was once used by governors for special ceremonies. King Rama V changed that when he came to reign and ordered that the land be given to the people of Ubon for a recreation area where they could holds festivals. And that is how it remains today.
The city is well known for its annual Candle Festival which is held at the City Hall Stadium in July at the beginning of Buddhist Lent, a three month period during the rainy season when monks remain in their temples. Wonderfully carved candles, some of them several meters tall, are exhibited in colorful parades before being presented to local temples. The festival attracts visitors from all parts of Thailand, as well as foreign tourists, to watch the parades, beauty contests and musical performances.
Where to stay: There are over 20 hotels in the city. Here are three of the best. Tohsang Hotel, 251 Palochai Road. Tel: 045245531. www.tohsang.com. Sister hotel to the delightful resort we stayed in at Khong Chiam. This quality hotel is located in the middle of a calm residential area of the city. Within easy reach to all local attractions including the Indochina shopping arcade which is only a few minutes walk. Internet rates range from 1,050 Baht for a room to 3,000 Baht a night for a suite including breakfast. Ubonburi Hotel and Resort, 1 Srimongkol Road. Tel: 04526 6777. This resort is just a few minutes drive from Ubon Ratchathani International Airport. Reasonably priced business hotel that has the capability of handling a formal party for 1,200 guests. Impressive lobby and a choice of dining locations. Internet rates range from 1,600 Baht a night for a cottage to 2,500 a night for an executive suite. Laithong Hotel, 50 Pichit Rangsan Road. Tel: 04526 4271. This hotel is slightly cheaper than the previous two listings but each of the 124 rooms is well equipped and are well decorated in the classic Isaan style.
Getting here: The city, referred to locally as just Ubon, has good transportation links. In addition to the scores of buses that come here there are numerous services by train and Thai Airways has regular services from Bangkok to Ubon airport which is north of the city.