Travel Day: Nong Khai, Sala Kaew Ku

Having exhausted both my 15 day Lao visa and most of Vientiane’s sights (which are few in number), I packed my bags and set off for the Thai border town of Nong Khai, a half hour bus ride away. The border crossing was taken care of by mid-morning, leaving most of the day free to check out the town.

So with guidebook in hand, I hopped on a rented bicycle and puttered about town a bit before going to Sala Kaew Ku, a sculpture park a few kilometers east of the city limits. The sculptures here are based on an exiled Lao national’s interpretation of Hindu and Buddhist folklore.

An old Isan (Northeastern Thai) tradition of tying strings to the wrist, symbolically binding people together has been applied to many of the statues in the park.

The gateway to hell:

Buddha under the shade of 7 Nagas (snakes):




Slow day for business in Nong Khai: