Thainess on show in Loei

LOEI  Tourism Authority of Thailand presents Loei as one of the highlighted destinations in its new 2015 Discover Thainess campaign.
TAT hosted the international media on a field trip to Loei, 15 to 17 January, to give first-hand knowledge of the province’s attractions that could appeal to international tourists.
Loei is one of 12 provinces listed in the TAT Don’t Miss Destinations campaign. Other provinces are: Lampang; Nan; Phetchabun; Buri Ram; Samut Songkram; Ratchaburi; Trat; Chanthaburi; Trang; Chumphon; and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Highlights three-day trip
inside no 1 Phra That Si Song Rak
Phra That Si Song Rak
Dan Sai district
The trip started with visits to temples — Phra That Si Song Rak and Neramit Wipattasana Temple.
Phra That Si Song Rak is a Buddhist stupa built in 1560 by Laotian and Thai kings who were intent on encouraging peace and harmony between the two nations. The name means “Stupa of Love from the Two Nations”. Visitors who want to visit the site must not wear anything in “red colour” because it symbolises blood and violence. Its architecture depicts the Lan Chang period.
inside no 1.2 Phra Phuttachinarat
Phra Phuttachinarat
The ancient kingdoms of Lan Chang and Ayutthaya enjoyed strong bonds, as they faced a common enemy at the time (Burmese). This prompted King Say Setthathirath of Lan Chang and King Maha Chakkraphat of Ayutthaya, to build a temple to celebrate a defence pact between the two kingdoms.
The temple is located on the banks of the Man River, approximately 1 km from the district town, or 83 km from the provincial town of Loei.
Neramit Wipattasana Temple is located on a hillside near Phra That Si Song Rak and is a relatively new temple that is famous for its large ordination hall and a pagoda made of red-coloured laterite (si la lang). The temple’s large Ubosot is decorated in resemble the great temples of Bangkok.
inside no 1.3 Neramit Wipattasana Temple
Neramit Wipattasana Temple
A replica of Phra Phuttachinarat is enshrined in the main chapel. There are also splendid mural paintings on its walls.
Dan Sai is best known for its Phi Ta Khon Museum, an educational attraction dedicated to the traditions of Bun Luang and the Phi Ta Khon (ghost mask) festivals. This year, the festival will take place 26 to 28 June.
Build in 2003, the museum provides information on Dan Sai town and the history of Phi Ta Khon with interesting exhibits to show how Phi Ta Khon mask are made.
Talking to TTR Weekly, the museum head, Pimonpun Chunthason, who is also a teacher, said the aim is to create a living museum to encourage travellers to learn more about the traditions of the Phi Ta Khon annual festival.
inside no 1.4 Phi Ta Khon Museum
Phi Ta Khon Museum
“On average, we welcome more than 100 visitors every day… 95% are Thais and only 5% foreigners such as Japanese and European visitors interested in culture and traditions.”
The museum plans to introduce multimedia presentations and has included English and Chinese language captions under exhibits as well as painting activities for visitors.
The museum hopes to gain a THB500,000 grant from the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration to improve its facilities and exhibits.
Situated in the compound of Wat Phon Chai, it is open daily from 0800 to 1700. Administration is free for both foreigners and Thais.
Phu Ruea district
inside no 1.5 Phu Ruea National Park
Phu Ruea National Park
This hill district is home to Phu Ruea National Park, at an altitude of 1,365-metre above sea level. The park is one of the coldest spots in Thailand during the winter season. Phu Ruea covers an area of approximately 120 sq km, featuring a cool climate, lush pine forests and beautiful flowers.
Other attractions include observation points, waterfalls, rock gardens, and caves with highlights such as Pha Lon Noi, which offers a spectacular sunrise and beautiful scenery, Pha Sub Thong, a very steep cliff, Namtok Huai Phai, a 30 metre-high waterfall, and Phu Ruea Summit, which provides a fine view of Huang and Khong Rivers.
National park admission fee is THB40 for Thai adults and THB20 for Thai children. Foreigners pay a much higher fee of THB200 for adults and THB100 for children.
The park is 60 km west of the city town on Highway No 203.
inside no 1.6 Phu Ruea National Park
Phu Ruea National Park
Chiang Khan district
Chiang Khan, a small town that sits on the bank of Mekong River, facing Laos. Residents are descendants of Laotians who moved from Luang Prabang to Chiang Khan. This is reflected in the Lao architecture and often visitors say the ambience is similar to that of Luang Prabang, minus the French colonial buildings. The streets next to the river and those leading from the main road are lined with wooden houses and shops that are 80 to 100 years old. Some have been modified, but there are still enough of the old buildings to give this small village a special charm.
inside no 1.7 Chiang Khan's Walking Street
Chiang Khan’s Walking Street
TAT’s Rome office director Jittima Sukpalin told TTR Weekly that the way of life and nature of Chiang Khan can be promoted to the Italian market.
“The culture, way of life, as well as the walking street could be an interesting programme for international tourists.”
The director said: “The programme could be a linking package between Chiang Khan in Loei and Chiang Khong and Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai that can connect with Laos.”
inside no 1.8 Sticky Rice Alms Giving
Sticky Rice Alms Giving
(Chiang Khong is a fast-growing town in Chiang Rai province, Northern Thailand. It is mainly visited as a stop-off point en-route to Laos, and faces the Lao border town of Huay Xai, just across the Mekong River.)
Biking is another option to tour around the town along small lanes lined with wooden houses and temples between Chai Khong and Si Chiang Khan roads.
Chai Khong Road is the name of a 3-km stretch of road close to the Mekong River, which becomes the walking street of Chiang Khan, packed with visitors who come here to relax and dine at riverside restaurants.
Early in the morning visitors can offer sticky rice alms to monks along the road and at temples; a ritual that has it origins in Laos.
Approximately 3 km from town, travellers can visit Kaeng Khut Khu- a group of tiny islets in the middle of Mekong River, well-known for their colourful boulders that are clearly visible during the dry season, but submerged during other seasons. Across the river, visitors can see “Chana Kham”, Vientiane district of Lao PDR.
inside no 1.9 Kaeng Khut Khu
Kaeng Khut Khu
Boat trips are on offer at THB800.
Phu Tok hill affords great views of Chiang Khan and the Mekong and during the cool season visitors stand high above a sea of mist that covers the Mekong River and town. There is a songthaew (covered pick-up trucks) service to take travellers up to the hill at THB25 per person.
The hill is located 3 km from town.
Situated 38 km from the district at Ban Na Pa Nat, Khao Kaeo sub-district, Tai Dum House Museum offers an introduction to Tai Dum culture.
inside no 1.10 Phu Tok
Phu Tok
Initially, the Tai Dum people migrated from Muong Thanh or Dien Bien Fu, Sip Song Chu Thai region in Vietnam in 1907, settling in Ban Na Pa Nat. There are 365 households with around 1,200 people in the village and surrounding areas.
Ban Kang Pla weaving village has been identified by TAT as an example of the Thainess theme. The village produces authentic Loei fabrics. Visitors can watch weaving demonstrations and purchase local products such as shirts, dresses, and handbags.
TAT recommended accommodation
Phu Ruea Ruen Mai resort in Nong Bua subdistrict, Phu Ruea district. The resort offers natural scenery serving food using ingredients from its own organic farm. The rates start at THB1,200++ including breakfast.
inside no 1.11 Phu Tok
Phu Tok
Phu Na Come Resort in Dan Sai district claims to be a green resort. It participates in green projects such as a smoke-free hotel programme, a health promotional hotel programme, and the Green Leaf Hotel programme.
The resort won the ASEAN Green Hotel Award from 2012 to 2014. Recently, it won an outstanding citation in Thailand Energy Awards 2014.
There are 20 rooms and room rates start at THB4,200++ including breakfast and free Wi-Fi.
inside no 1.12 Tai Dum House of Museum
Tai Dum House of Museum
Sri Chiang Khan Hotel in Chai Khong sub-district in Chiang Khan, stands on the walking street and offers 17 rooms with rates starting at THB1,750++ including breakfast and free Wi-Fi.
Fast facts
Located in northeast Thailand, Loei is 520 km from Bangkok covering an area of 11,424 sq km.
There are 5,284 rooms in the province. The provincial town has hotels with 2,042 rooms followed by Chiang Khan (1,165 rooms), Phu Ruea (776), Dan Sai (386), Nong Hin (122) and other districts (793).
inside no 1.13 Ban Kang Pla Weaving Village
Ban Kang Pla Weaving Village
In 2013, there were 1,774,609 tourist arrivals to the province increasing 8.28% from 1,638,926 visits in 2012. Of that, 1,738,634 were Thais (+8.57% from 1,601,389) and 35,975 (-4.16% from 37,537).
Revenue generated to the province recorded THB2,883.372 million (+18.17% from THB2,440.012 million). Of that, THB2,796.768 million generated from Thais (+9.95% from THB2,543.676 million) and THB86.604 million from foreigners (-10.10% from THB96.336 million).
On average, tourists spent THB974.16 per day in 2013 increasing 10% from THB885.56 in 2012.
Starting 1 March, Nok Air will upgrade its Bangkok-Loei service to a Boeing 737-800 to two daily flights, with a flight capacity of 189 passengers instead of the 66-seat ATR72-500 and 86-seat Q400.
Thai AirAsia will operate two daily flights starting 8 February.

sourced:ttrweekly.com