Kaeng Khut Khu ~ Loei province

The mile marker at Kaeng Khut Khu shows you sea level (0), and some other unexplained measurements.

Located at a particular bend in the Mekong River, Kaeng Khut Khu is one of those strange Thai tourist spots that gets way more crowds than it really deserves. It’s not far from Chiang Khan, so I guess if you want to make it a day trip from there that’s not a bad idea, but if anyone tries to tell you that driving all the way to this out of the way local landmark is a good idea — walk away slowly.

Phi Nam Kon Festival ~ Chiang Khan, Loei

Phi Nam Kon Festival – music, masks, and mirth

Don’t confuse Phi Nam Kon with Phi Ta Kon, which is Loei’s other, more famous ghost festival. The name of this festival — Phi Nam Kon — means something like “spirit who carries water” or some such (it’s meant to bring good rains for the growing season). But what’s most important is that, in true Thai fashion, it’s a loud, noisy, colourful festival which everyone can get involved in (young, old, male, female, or other). The costumes are all homemade, the masks are elaborately painted and bedecked with ribbons, and the drums are made from old vinyl packaging stretched over I don’t know what.

Sunrise over Phu Tok ~ Chiang Khan

Composite shot (fun with photoshop)

Making your way up Phu Tok to watch the sun rise is one of the big tourist highlights when visiting Chiang Khan. You have to get up pretty early (obviously) and make your way up the road that leads to the point at which you pay your 25 THB entry and ride in an open truck the rest of the way. Luckily, there’s virtually no further climbing once the truck lets you off. Expect crowds of diehard photographers when you arrive, and expect to take more pictures of the mountains and the sunrise than you could ever use in just one blog post.

Chiang Khan & The BaanSupichaya Hotel

The charming wooden storefronts of Chiang Khan

The town of Chiang Khan, located in Loei province right on the border with Laos, is a big hit with tourists. And after visiting I can see why. It’s the kind of quaint riverside town that you can still find in Thailand and (thankfully) many of the original wooden homes and shophouses have been left intact, which is 90% of the charm of this place. There are other highlights of course, the foremost being the fact that the town is built along the Mekong River.