FESTIVALS
Boat racing
is an age-old tradition of the province. It is held on the Mekong River at the end of the Buddhist Lent every year in November. Numerous small, medium and large boats compete over a distance of 3 kilometres. All boats are made from a single tree trunk. Boats from Laos also take part. There is also a prize for the most beautiful boat.
Ruam Phao Thai Mukdahan and Makham Wan Chai Khong Fair
is organized to promote the province’s products and tourism industry every January 9-15 in front of the provincial hall. Activities include a procession using hundreds of people wearing ethnic tribal costumes of groups like Phu Thai, So, Yo, Kha, Kaloeng, and Kula; a sweet tamarind contest; the Thida Phao Thai pageant; shops selling products; and local performances.
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Welcome to Mukdahan
Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand
General
Mukdahan is a peaceful province located on the bank of the Mekong River, opposite Sawannakhet in Laos. The ancestors of the Mukdahan people migrated from Laos to establish the city in the late Ayutthaya period. The province has always been an interesting mixture of cultures from various tribes since ancient times. Moreover, it is a land of fantastic natural rock parks and is a major gateway to tourism in Laos and Vietnam. The province is renowned for its sweet tamarind fruit and features many natural attractions.
Mukdahan has an area of 4,339 square kilometres and is divided into the following districts: Muang, Kham Cha-I, Nikhom Kham Soi, Don Tan, Dong Luang, Wan Yai, and Nong Sung.
Attractions
Chao Mae Song Nang Phi Nong Shrine
Chao Mae Song Nang Phi Nong Shrine is on Samran Chai Khong Road, next to Mukdahan immigration checkpoint. No records exist of its origin but it is regarded to be as sacred as the Mung Muang Shrine. The locals hold a celebration to pay homage to both shrines in May every year.
Chao Pho Chao Fa Mung Muang shrine
Chao Pho Chao Fa Mung Muang shrine is on Song Nang Sathit Road. It is here that the city shrine is located. It is believed that the shrine was built at the same time as the founding of the city. The people of Mukdahan regard the shrine as a sacred place that preserves the city’s happiness.
Ho Kaeo Mukdahan
Ho Kaeo Mukdahan is a 65-metre-high tower, 2 kilometres on the Mukdahan-Don Tan route. The lower floor features an exhibition on Mukdahan’s history, another on the arts and culture of various tribes and the way of life along the Mekong River from past to present. The topmost part is an observation room where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Mekong River, Sawannakhet and Mukdahan.
Mukdahan National Park (Phu Pha Thoep)
Mukdahan National Park (Phu Pha Thoep) is 17 kilometres from the city on the Mukdahan-Don Tan Road. To get to the park, turn right at the 14-15 km marker and drive for 2 kilometres. The park has an area of 48.5 square kilometres and consists mainly of many high mountains connected together like Phu Manorom, Phu Nang Hong, Phu Pha Thoep, Phu Tham Phra, Phu Lak Se, Phu Rang, Phu Pong, and Phu Kham Mak Mi. The highest peak is Phu Chom Si, which is 420 metres above sea level. The forest is a hardwood forest and is the source of several waterways.
Phra Phuttha Sing Song
Phra Phuttha Sing Song is a Buddha image at Wat Si Bun Ruang (Ban Tai) on Samran Chai Khong Road. This bronze image is 1 metre wide and 1.2 metres high. Chao Kinnari took the image from Vientiane to Mukdahan when the city was built. A ritual to pay homage to the image takes place every Songkran (Thai New Year) day.
Phu Manorom
Phu Manorom can be reached by taking the Mukdahan-Don Tan route on Highway No. 2034 for 2 kilometres and take right turn for 3 kilometres. A replica of Lord Buddha’s footprint that is 1 metre deep is here. Visitors can have a good view of Mukdahan, the Mekong and Sawannakhet in Laos.
Phu Nang Hong
Phu Nang Hong is on the same way as Phu Pha Thoep. About 500 metres before the park headquarters is a left-hand road to Phu Nang Hong. The area is both a rock plateau and a dwarf forest. Natural rock formations in groups surround a huge swan-shaped rock.
Phu Pha Thoep
Some parts of the park are steep cliffs and wide rock plateaus. The most striking of these is Phu Pha Thoep where rocks of peculiar shapes abound. It is believed that this area was once a dirt mountain that eventually eroded due to rain and wind. Around the end of the rainy season in October, flowers of different colors bloom from the rocks, giving the park magnificent colors.
Phu Tham Phra
Other places of interest include Phu Tham Phra, the largest mountain in the park. Visitors can find a waterfall and a cave where hundreds of small wooden Buddha and animal images are placed. Another site is the Tham Fa Mu Daeng on Phu Pha Thoep where numerous prehistoric drawings of hands and people can be seen. Drawn with red paint, the drawings are estimated to be older than 5,000 years.
Sawannakhet Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Sawannakhet Province, Lao People’s Democratic Republic is opposite Mukdahan. The second largest city to Vientiane, the province has routes linking Laos to Danang in Vietnam. To enter Laos, foreign travelers must have a valid passport and obtain a visa from either a Lao embassy or the Lao consulate in Khon Kaen.
Wat Si Mongkhon Tai
Wat Si Mongkhon Tai is near the immigration checkpoint. The temple houses an important Buddha image of the province, Phra Chao Ong Luang, an image built before the city’s founding. This brick image is 2.2 metres wide and 2 metres high. According to legend, the first lord of Mukdahan discovered it while he was overseeing the city’s construction. In addition, another image made of steel was found under a Bodi tree with only its top part protruding from the ground.
Transportation
Car
a) From Bangkok, take Bangkok-Saraburi-Nakhon Ratchasima-Ban Phai-Maha Sarakham-Phon Thong-Roi Et-Kham Cha-I-Mukdahan route.
b) From Bangkok, take Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima route then use Highway No. 207 via Prathai, Phutthaisong, Phayakkhaphumphisai, Suwannaphum and take Highway No. 2169 via Sai Mun, Kut Chum and Loeng Nok Tha before turning into Highway No.212 and proceed to Mukdahan via Nikhom Kham Soi.
Train
There is no direct train from Bangkok to Mukdahan. Visitors can take a Bankok-Ubon Ratchathani train and connect a bus to Mukdahan. For more information, call 1690, 0 2223 7010-20.
Air
Visitors can fly from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani or Nakhon Phanom and then connect a bus to Mukdahan. Call Thai Airways, Tel: 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 for more information.
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