WELCOME TO THE NORTHEAST (I-SAN)

       For the past two decades, Thailand has become the favourite destination for an increasing number of visitors from all over the world.  Since the middle of the 1960s, tourism arrival figures have constantly risen and, by now, include travelers from almost all  nations on earth.

       With very few exceptions, these travelers, mostly tourists, have limited their choice of visit to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Samui, while businessmen and investors may have included a trip or two to the various, newly created, industrial estates, found in different parts of the country.

       Yet there are parts of Thailand just as interesting and satisfying to explore, although perhaps in an entirely different way.  One such part is Isan (pronounced Ee-saan), the plateau in the northeast of the kingdom, which covers as much as one third of the country's total area.  Isan is divided into 19 provinces and borders on Laos in the east and Cambodia in the south.

       Northeastern Thailand may not offer a seaside holiday and beach roads lined with 5-star hotels, but travelers are welcomed with open arms none-the-less.  Here, lifestyles, traditions language and customs are distinctly different from the rest of the kingdom.

      Typical Isan food, such as Som Tam (a raw papaya salad) or Kai Yang (barbecued chicken) and Laab (minced pork) is unique and not found anywhere else, unless prepared by Isan natives.  Isan music and dances, quite different from those in the central region, are noted for being full of life, even boisterous.

       The region's colorful festivals, its handicrafts like the distinctive hand-woven silks and cottons, and a number of special trade fairs draw large crowds of visitors, coming from as far away as the capital.

       Important archaeological sites are to be found all over the region and some provinces have unmatched natural beauty spots to offer, completely unspoiled and untouched by modern progress.

       But above all, it is the Isan people, their zest for life and their unsophisticated, down-to-earth friendliness, that endears them to visitors, Thai and foreign alike.

       Today, unlike twenty years ago, and no doubt partly due to the government's "Gateway to Indochina" policy, travel in Isan has become easy and enjoyable.  Several daily fights connect Bangkok with all major provinces and an excellent road system links all provincial and district towns throughout the region.  A railway line from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) bifurcates here with one track going to Ubon Ratchathani in the east, the other to Udon Thani and Nong Khai in the north.

       Most provinces, and certainly those with important or popular tourist attractions, offer accommodation in no way inferior to that found in Bangkok or the better known resorts.  Many of the newer hotels have fully equipped business centers, modern fitness facilities and a choice of several dining venues.

TRANSPORTATION

    Plane - From Bangkok Domestic Airport, there are flights to Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Khon Kaen, Sakon Nakhon, Udon Thani, Nakhon Phanom, and Ubon Ratchathani.  Please call Thai Airways International at tel. 1566 for more information or tel. 280 0060 or 628 2000 for reservations.