About Ubon Ratchathani Province
Ubon Ratchathani sits at Thailand's far eastern edge, where the Mekong and Mun rivers meet and the borders of Laos and Cambodia converge. It is renowned for dramatic sandstone landscapes, prehistoric cliff paintings and a deep Buddhist tradition shaped by famous forest-monastery masters. Every July, the province hosts the Candle Festival, one of Thailand's most spectacular religious processions, drawing pilgrims and visitors from across the country.
Top Highlights
Pha Taem National Park with prehistoric cliff paintings overlooking the Mekong
Sam Phan Bok, dubbed the 'Grand Canyon of Thailand', a maze of river-eroded potholes
Ubon Candle Festival in July, featuring giant carved beeswax floats
Forest temples linked to Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Cha's Thai Forest Tradition
Getting There
Ubon Ratchathani Airport receives multiple daily flights from Bangkok, taking just over an hour. Overnight trains from Bangkok to Ubon take 10–12 hours and terminate at Warin Chamrap station across the river, while VIP buses from Mo Chit take around 9–10 hours.
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Senior Travel Writer · Bangkok · 12+ years in Thailand
James has lived in Bangkok since 2014 and has visited all 77 Thai provinces. He specialises in destination guides, itinerary planning, and transport logistics. Before moving to Thailand, he worked as a travel journalist in Hong Kong and Singapore. He speaks conversational Thai and is a certified PADI divemaster.
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