Thailand Borders 07: Chong Mek

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation...” – Herman Melville

(Masjid Al-Baitullah, Ubon Ratchathani)

Day 07: Saturday, 16 Nov 2024
Route: Surin - Chong Mek
Distance: 261 km (3:39)
Hotel: Ban Kiang Fah Resort, Chong Mek

Breakfast with half-boiled eggs and bread with a hot mug of Nescafe to last us till lunch time.

(Ready to hit the road)

By 7.30 am we checked out and headed to Nurul Iman Mosque in Surin. Nurul Iman Mosque is a prominent mosque located in Surin Province, serving as a religious and cultural hub for the local Muslim community. Surin, primarily known for its rich Thai and Khmer cultural heritage, is also home to a minority Muslim population. The mosque plays a significant role in fostering religious practices, community gatherings, and education for Muslims in the region.

(The road was cleared for a religious procession)

(Surin Nurul Iman Mosque)

(The main prayer hall, the ladies hall is behind the door)

(A serene clean surrounding)

(The mosque is located next to a Buddhist temple)

After solat sunat, we drove through the town of Si Saket towards Ubon Ratchathani and stopped at a PTT Si Saket for comfort break and provisions.

(Driving toward Si Saket)

(Celebrating 242th years of Sri Samut Province)

(Passing through Mueng Si Saket)

(Chalermkarnchana University in Mueng Si Saket))

(Arriving in Ubon Ratchathani)

(Ubon Ratchathani Military Base)

By noon we arrived at Masjid Al-Baitullah Ubon Ratchathani and performed our solat jamak. We had nasi lauk and prawn fried rice lunch at Koi Ican Muslim restaurant located opposite the mosque.

(Masjid Al-Baitullah, Ubon Ratchathani)

(A beautiful mosque with ample parking space at the back)

(The main prayer hall)

(A Muslim restaurant across the road)

(The prawn fried rice is super delicious)

After refueling at PTT  Tha Chang, we continued our journey and detoured to Sirindhom Dam and took a stroll had a good view of the beautiful surrounding of the dam. The Sirindhorn Dam is in Sirindhorn District, Ubon Ratchathani. Its reservoir is the province's largest water resource. The dam serve as a hydropower facility as well as to supply irrigation water. The dam was named after Princess Royal Sirindhorn. There is a park near the dam headquarters and a restaurant and bungalows for visitors. There is a golf course in this area also, at the north end of the lake.

(The entrance to Sirindhom Dam, Ubon Ratchathani)

(The dam is built across Lum Dome Noi river)

(A relaxing walk in the park)

(Bungalows and chalets for visitors)

We detoured to the Sirindhom Dam Skywalk, a new landmark located along the dam. The walk is about 400 m long. The walkway is circular with a protruding glass walk with a good view of the dam.

(Another secluded entrance to the Skywalk)

(Street vendors selling local handicrafts)

(Free entrance to the Skywalk)

(The beautiful view of the dam)

(The glass Skywalk viewed from below)

By 4.00 pm we reached the Chong Mek border. We parked our 4x4 and walked through the busy border market to take photos. Chong Mek is a border town in the Isan region. It is located in the Sirindhorn District about 90 km east of Ubon Ratchathani. The town is the only land-based crossing open to most travelers from Thailand to Laos. Vang Tao is the town on the Lao side. We have used this crossing many time before. Chong Mek has a busy market popular with Thai visitors, however its popularity has diminished since the opening of the Mukdahan Friendship Bridge in 2007, which we will visit tomorrow.

(Entering the busy border crossing of Chong Mek)

(Looking for a parking space along the road)

(The Immigration office, quite a unique architecture)

(A thriving market selling cross-border goods)

(Local street food, cow hide for snacks)

Our hotel is located nearby but we had to look for another alternative road to get there as it was a Saturday night and the road was closed for the night market. Checked in Kiang Fah Resort for Rm57/night. Tonight we shared a plate of Kembara Nasi Goreng Tomyam for dinner.

(King Fah Resort, Chong Mek)

(A simple resort for travelers)

(A simple lodging for a night)