Buriram back on Nok Air's flight map

During last year's flooding of parts of Bangkok and Don Mueang Airport Nok Air stopped its services to Buriram. Nok Air announced that they will start again to operate 3 flights a week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).

Other destinations in Isaan operated by Nok Air are:
Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani

Nok Air operates also flights to Vientiane, Lao PDR capital.

For more information on Nok Air's schedule and to book flights, please go to www.nokair.com

Stay in Style - The One Hotel in Bueng Kan

During the yearly renewal of my Visa Extension I had the opportunity to stay at The One hotel - Muang Bueng Kan's most recent hotel addition.

The five-story hotel offers 74 superior and deluxe rooms along with 5 The One Suites, right at the entrance of the town, close to the new Tesco Lotus shopping mall and the City Hall of Bueng Kan.

The brand new modern rooms are spacious, bright and nicely decorated and offer all required amenities. The One Hotel has a restaurant, fitness center, meeting facilities, pool, poolside bar and garden.

The One Hotel is an ideal place to stay while in Bueng Kan.


The One hotel is at 59 moo1 Bueng Kan - Nakhon Phanom Rd., Bueng Kan, Muang Bueng Kan, Bueng Kan, Thailand 38000

Thai - Lao Friendship Bridge - Lao's lifeline to the World

The First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 1, Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ, is connecting Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane in Laos. The bridge over the Mekong River has a length of 1'170 meters. The bridge has two road lanes each 3.5 meters wide, two 1.5 meters wide footpaths and a single meter gauge railway line in the middle. The railway line was the latest addition in 2009 and connects Thanaleang station in Laos with the Royal Thai Northeastern Railways network.

In November 2010 plans to extend the service from Thanalaeng to Vientiane were abandoned. A new high-speed rail link from China to Thailand through Laos would make the extension redundant.

The Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge was first opened on April 8, 1994. The bridge was the first of four bridges over the Mekong River and connecting Laos and Thailand.
The Second bridge is connecting Mukdahan with the Lao town of Savannkhet, while the third one will connect the Thai city of Nakhon Phanom with Thakhek in Laos upon completion. The fourth bridge is in planning stage and will connect Ban Hoei Xai with Chiang Khong in Thailand's Chiang Rai province.

The whole construction costs for the first Friendship Bridge was about US$30 million and funded by the Australian government.

The traffic on the bridge drives on the left hand side as in Thailand. However traffic in Laos drives on the right. Therefore a traffic change over is needed on the Lao end.

A regular shuttle bus service operates across the bridge, between the Lao and Thai border posts. A ticket costs 15 Thai Bath or 4'000 Kip.