13 Jan 2008

Coming soon: stuff about other bars, restaurants, etc

There are plenty of other places to drink, hang out, or party in Nong Khai. All links are to map references. Or download our PDF map for convenience.

Music

1. •Country Club. AKA Riverside. Big sitting venue on the grounds of the Thai-Laos hotel at the west end of town. It’s to the right of the hotel as you’re facing the river (Thai-Laos disco is to the left). A good band plays there every night to a cheery crowd.
   

2. •Thai-Lao disco officially known as Bar-Nana. Nightclub below the Thai-Laos hotel (entrance is to the left of the hotelas you’re facing the river). Very loud rock music and Thai “hip-hop” DJs (which means helium voices and eurotechno remakes of ‘Jump Around’). Beers are a bit pricey. If you’re in a group, save money by buying a big bottle of whiskey with a constant supply of sodas, Coke and ice.
   

3. •Hollywood disco. On the grounds of Tesco Lotus. Since its refit it’s slightly posher than Bar-Nana. Do the whiskey thing here too.
   

4. •Meter Bar. To the west of Thai-Laos. Pleasant band and atmosphere, especially after 10pm at weekends.
   

5. •Freestyle. On Prajak. Live band every night, but not that convivial. Female hosts.
   

6. •Piper Pub. Just west of the junction of the Udon and Vientiane roads (i.e. the big entrance to Nong Khai). Decent guitarists outside; karaoke inside. Staff have taken to wearing uniforms which is a bad sign.
   

7. •Karaokes. Probably 50 karaoke bars around Nong Khai. Try the ones off the road south from the Grand Hotel. Some really weird ones on the roads heading out of town. There are also VIP karaoke rooms at the Thai-Laos hotel. Kids’ karaoke booths upstairs at the Tesco-Lotus complex, next to the cinema.
   

8. •Valentine karaoke. Very late night venue on the western stretch off Prajak. Often frequented by the singers from Hollywood after they finish their shift.
   

Other bars

1. •Two Wheels biker bar. On the Vientiane road. Good pool table, lovely staff, big bikes.
   

2. •Steve’s. Formerly the Laundry bar on Meechai. Get a shoulder massage to go with your Tiger. Shows football.
   

3. •Brendan and Noi’s. On the stretch of the Rimkhong west of Tasadej known as “Farang Alley”, before the ferry station. Opens up onto the new riverside promenade. Good pool table and better than average music. Friendly staff. Occasional film nights. Food.
   

4. •Nong’s. Practically opposite Brendan and Noi’s. An institution. Probably the most frequented farang bar in Nong Khai. Without pretence.
   

5. •Surreal. Also on Farang Alley. Frequented by the travel-to-teach crowd. Pool table. Pricey.
   

6. •Om’s bar. By Surreal, on Farang Alley. Small and impefectly formed.
   

7. •Dick and Dao’s: when it’s open, it’s open later than most. Now run by Som et al. On the road to the ferry station.
   

8. •Lek’s bar. On Meechai heading east. Often open very late. Seedy, if that’s your thing.
   

9. •The Meeting Place: see below.
   

Places to eat (farang)

Most farang retaurants also have Thai dishes (perhaps intended specifically for feen) but expect these to cost more than at the local fooderies. All farang restaurants double up as bars.

1. •Cafe Thasadej. (Also known as Carsten’s.) On one of the market feeder roads. High quality European food. Also has a travel agent.
   

2. •The Outback. Good meaty cuisine. Has a big roast buffet every Friday evening. Pool table. Not the cheapest place in town. Off Prajak, soi Nitapat.
   

3. •The Meeting Place. Good European food (excellent pizzas), nice staff, pool table, guesthouse. On the quiet road parallel and to the east of Hai Sok (where the Pantawee hotel is).
   

4. •Nobbi’s. On the short bit of the Rimkhong west of Thasadej market. Under new ownership so name may change. A major source for German and European food in Nong Khai.
   

5. •New Euro cuisine place, as yet unnamed, opposite the Pantawee hotel. Promises some of the most interesting western food in Nong Khai.
   

6. •Tesco Lotus has a pizza restaurant and a KFC, if you’re really into paying huge amounts for crap. There’s even a $tarbucks.
   

Places to eat (Asian)

It’s vastly cheaper to eat local than to eat farang. As with most of Southeast Asia, cheap does not mean nasty. In fact the cheapest food (served into small polythene bags from stalls) is often the freshest.

1. •On Prajak. There are plenty of stalls and eateries along Prajak road. Some of the food halls are only open the evening. You can feed six people there for the price of a snack in a farang restaurant. Dii-Dii’s is an institution. Everyone knows where it is. Thai-Thai next door is perhaps slightly cheaper and also popular. There are also some good little places on the sois off Prajak, both north and south. They’re easily spotted. On the stretch of Prajak west of the waterfall there’s a place that stays open very late. And Valentine late-night karaoke, just further along, also does food.
   

2. •On the eastern Rimkhong. The main Thai restaurant area is at the east end of town (near The Bridge Bar). There’s a full range on offer: juice bars, suki houses, classy restaurants and cheap quick-eats.
   

3. •In Thasadej market. Plenty of good riverside eateries here. After the market closes, some of these stay open - they’re accessible from the riverside promenade.
   

4. •Boat restaurants. Some of these are quite nice: romantic, but, unsurprisingy, more expensive.
   

5. •On the Chen Chop road, which is the main entrance into town (with the big Naga arch), there are some good noodles stalls that stay open extremely late.
   

6. •On Meechai, 2km out of town, almost underneath the bridge, there are a series of places overlooking the river that serve excellent seafood. And at low-river season a beach forms and half of Nong Khai can be found here eating at the dozens of beach restaurants.
   

7. •Tesco Lotus has a good food hall. It’s the usual Thai routine: buy vouchers at the stall and exchange them for food at any of the stands circling the eating area.