Udon Thani

Udon Thani is the largest city in northern Isan and one of Thailand's most underrated provincial capitals — a genuinely functional city of half a million people that has developed a significant expat community (largely American Vietnam War veterans who stayed, and subsequent waves), excellent international restaurants, a good airport with daily Bangkok connections, and proximity to two of the region's most important attractions. The city lacks the poetic melancholy of temple ruins or the drama of Mekong river cliffs, but it rewards travellers who appreciate authentic Thai urban life unmediated by the tourist-industrial complex.

The city's single most important cultural attraction sits 50 km to the east: Ban Chiang Historical Site, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia. The Bronze Age settlement dates to 1,500 BCE, making it among the oldest bronze-using cultures discovered anywhere in the world, and significantly pre-dates the Khmer or Lanna civilisations that most visitors associate with Thailand. The distinctive painted pottery — ochre-red spiral and swirling designs on buff clay — is displayed in two excellent on-site museums, and an excavation pit allows visitors to see the original layered archaeological deposits in situ.

Udon Thani's other major draw is its proximity to Vientiane, the Laos capital, 55 km north via the Friendship Bridge border crossing. The crossing is straightforward, most nationalities get a Laos visa on arrival, and a day trip to Vientiane (Patuxai monument, Pha That Luang, morning market) is genuinely worthwhile. The city's own Nong Prajak public park with its central lake, evening market, and running track is a genuine local gem — one of Thailand's nicest urban parks for an evening walk.