On the border of Thailand and Laos there are a few connecting bridges. One of them is located in the Thai city of Mukdahon. This is not an international tourist destination and is not a city you would pass through. You would have to want to go here for a visit. Being that it was in a remote area of the country I had never been I ventured there on one of my self drive tours of the country.
Followers of my blog know that Thailand is my favorite country to visit in the world. I have logged many months in this place. Although Thailand is a favorite destination fur many travelers, few truly seek out its remote treasures. Instead opting for the normal stops of Bangkok, Phuket, Hua Hin, or Chiang Mai. But, for me, the countries treasures lie outside these main tourist attractions.
Mukdahon is a very peaceful river city. It lies on the Mekong River. I stayed at a riverside hotel and would walk the river walk each morning and evening. It was too hot to walk during the day.
One of the main attraction areas for locals was the riverside with a view of the Friendship Bridge.
This is actually the second Friendship Bridge with the first located in Nong Khai. It is relatively new as it was only opened in 2006 (as I get older, things that young get newer).
This area has a real appeal to the locals. I thought I would give you a flavor of what local life is like on the Mekong River in the larger cities.
In the evening the locals would come to this area to view the bridge and dine by the river. Meal time is a big event in Thailand as it is more than a meal, but a social event. Eating out at a place like this would be reserved for a special event as most cannot afford to eat out more than a couple times each year, if that.
Most of the dining groups were sizeable, with the exception of me. Since I was not staying at a chain hotel with meals included I chose to dine here one evening. I remember having seafood but the meal itself does not stand out in my mind. But the beautiful view and setting did. I also enjoyed just watching other groups enjoy themselves in Thai style.
One of the striking things was the number of empty tables. I'm not sure if it is normally like this or not. Since this is a place mostly for locals, I did not get the impression there was a seasonality to this place. But perhaps many Thais come here as tourists during holidays? Or perhaps they heard I was coming?
I just wanted to share with you one of the many great places I've visited in my favorite destination country. Also to give you some idea what life is like in one of the more remote areas of the world you never hear about. Mukdahon? Really? Yes it is a real city. And I have some tee shirts for my grand kids to prove it. They are the only ones in their schools (and probably this whole country) to have them!
I'll leave you with a video:
This would be my type of night out on the town. Love the atmosphere of the water, bridge and lights. Thanks for sharing.👍
I hope this was not the case that the locals knew you were there so they did not come. I think it's cool they light up the bridges. They have a few bridges in Boston that are lit up that are cool to look at.