The meaning of “Touristy” = Things are more expensive, English is widely understood & touting is rampant

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Fortunately, Udon Thani offered otherwise

This is one place I was thinking of going for quite sometime. Ever since chatting with Nisa, my favourite massager @ Phuket, I was curious of her hometown in northeastern Thailand.

We were the only flight that landed at the Udon Thani International Airport today. Tourism is a slow & primitive business in this part of the world. However, thanks to Tiger Airways, it is now connected directly to Singapore 3 times a week. Its only link to the outside world for now.

Most of the fellow passengers were the Thai workers returning home. The other Singaporeans we could identify were a few uncles going to the chicken farms. Other than that, most Singaporeans are skipping this destination altogether.

The meaning of “Touristy” = Things are more expensive, English is widely understood & touting is rampant

Somehow, I was glad that for now, Udon Thani has escaped the clutches of the tourist trap. Compared to other parts of Thailand, life is noticeably slow & peaceful here. The shops don't open their doors after 11am. By 9pm, it gets pretty quiet. However, the town does have its fair share of attractions to keep the visitor busy. It does house a relatively modern shopping mall and an interesting local night market.

Udon Thani may not fulfil itself as an ideal holiday destination for many. At its worst, it may be labeled “boring” and “uninteresting”. For urban folks like us, this may be a bit of cultural shock having to adapt at the slower pace of life. However, once in a while, it may not be a bad idea to visit a foreign place to simply relax and enjoy a more authentic Thai experience.

Probably this is one of the few trips where you can go to the Nong Prajak Park to watch the locals at play and spending time lazing at the Railway Station in the afternoon.

And after this episode, it may be time for me to brush up on my Thai as well.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/minghui79

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Photos

By the River By the Sea
Overlooking Laos across Mekong River

Comments

[Shuhui]

hey!
wow! i was waiting for u to update ur travelog. haha when did u go?!? how many days did u spend there? and are u still going to the death railway? next time we can speak in thai! haha

[Budokan]

Re: Hey!
Yah of coz.. Death railway probably in late November 07. Shall combine that with Bangkok. Realise that my Thai is still super shitty after this trip. Hope that we can have a chance to practise our Thai ya :) Spent 4 days in Udon Thani in September. 9 out of 10 probably have no idea of this place. People continue to associate Thailand with Bangkok and Bangkok with Thailand.