Nong Khai services (work in progress)

See map for locations. Please come back later for more information about:


Tourist information

There’s a tourist information office at the junction of Prajak road and Udon Thani-Nong Khai road, at the west end of town. Open 8.30am-4.30pm. Otherwise get your information from bar owners etc.


Tourist police

The tourist police office is located next to the tourist information bureau, on Prajak road at the west (upriver) end of town. Tourist police serve in the interest of tourists, speak English, and should be treated with respect.

Sergeant Major Konikorn is a helpful man. Call them on 1155.


Police

They’re trying to recover their reputation post-coup. Usually travel in twos.


Fire

Use a bucket. There is a fire station (based in the water park, amusingly), but I’ve never seen a fire engine go anywhere.


Medical

There are several hospitals in town. The one you’re interested in is Nong Khai hospital on Meechai, at the west end of town. If you need a doctor, go to the hospital anyway, or speak to a pharmacist. Don’t be shy.


Banks

Plenty of ATMs all over Nong Khai, in particular on the Prajak and Meechai roads. There are several ATMs at Tesco Lotus too. They also take cards in Lotus. If you want to change money you may get a better exchange rate at Porn Tip jewellery store in Thasadej market. It also has a cashpoint right next to it.


Internet

Fast, wireless internet access at the Bridge Bar. There’s internet access at plenty of other places too.


Post office

On Meechai road. Open 8.30 to 4.30 weekdays, 9-12 weekends. Has Poste Restante facilities and does Western Union transfers (as do many banks).


Telephones

  1. •Places to make IDD calls

  2. Lenso International Phone office is in front of the post office on Meechai road.


  4. •Overseas mobile phones

  5. GSM phones work well in Nong Khai. The place is littered with radio and phone masts pointed ominously at Laos. Local calls made from your phone won’t cost too much, but for anyone overseas to phone you is expensive for both parties. If you’re in Thailand for more than a couple of weeks and need to make a lot of calls, consider a local mobile phone SIM (see below).


  7. Your GSM will work in populated areas of Laos, but less reliably than in Thailand.


  9. •Local mobile phones

  10. If you have an unlocked GSM mobile, buy a pay-as-you-go simcard (such as “1-2-Call” or “DTAC”) from one of the phone stalls and use that instead. They’re cheap as chips and there is no complicated setup: everything is pay-as-you go, so you just slot in your sim and you’re away.


  12. Calls within Thailand and to and from Laos will be much cheaper if you use a local sim. There are several phone stalls in Tesco Lotus and numerous others dotted around town.


  14. When you run out of credit, you can buy a scratchcard from most shops. Just name the phone operator (e.g. “one to call”) and specify the amount - 50 baht, 100 baht, 250 baht, etc.


  16. Laos phones also work in Nong Khai if you’re reasonably close to the river, so if you have a Lao sim such as ETL or M-Phone, save money calling people in Laos by using that. You can even buy Lao phone credit in Nong Khai.


  18. If your phone is locked to a provider back home, you can get it unlocked, or buy a cheap second-hand phone, from a phone stall. Make sure the phone you’re buying is functional and not set to Thai language, if you can’t read Thai.


  20. •Placing long distance calls

  21. The IDD country code for Thailand is +66 and for Laos is +856. Australia is +61, Belgium +32, Cambodia +855. Canada/US +1, China +86, Denmark +45, France +33, Germany +49, Hong Kong +852, Ireland +353, Italy +39, Japan +81, Netherlands +31, New Zealand +64, Norway +47, Philippines +63, Singapore +65, South Africa +27, Spain 34, Sweden +46, UK +44, Vietnam +84.


  23. To dial area codes from overseas, leave out the first zero. The area code for Bangkok is 02. Chiang Mai: 053. Chiang Rai: 054. Phuket: 076. Nong Khai and Udon Thani: 042. Numbers starting 08, 04, and 09 tend to be mobiles.


  25. Vientiane is 021. If you’re calling Laos, remember to prefix it with +856 - so you’ll dial “+856 21 [number]”. However, if you prefix a Lao phone number with a 007-856 or 009-856 when calling from a Laos phone, it can be cheaper than the default “+” code.


Laundry

Ask where you’re staying, or find someone friendly who’ll do your laundry for you. It’ll come back pressed and on hangers (even the underpants). Or use the coin laundry at 1244 Banh Teung Chit.


If you want your clothes washed, don’t ask a tuk-tuk driver for The Laundry. It’s a bar. Actually, go there anyway, and meet Som, the landlady. She’s a terrific lady and speaks excellent English.


Barbers

Dozens around. Decent one halfway along Prajak on the north side.


Swimming

You can buy a day pass to use the swimming pool at the Grand Hotel off the Panang Chonprathan road. Similarly, the Mekong Royal has a pool. Neither are great.


Park

Decent, well-frequented “water park” about a kilometre to the west of town. Lots of people exercising, many just hanging out.


For shops and markets, see Attractions.

For more info please email info[at]thebridgenongkhai.com