We travelled for 8 hours in the Nakhonchai Air Bus on the way they served snack , drink, milk, rice and cold napkins included in the price .

We arrived in Ubon Ratchathani in the early morning.
Me and Luca were very tired but luckily the Sri – Isan hotel where we stay has free Wi-Fi, so we can relax and work in the room.
This time we plan to visit southern of Laos.
I was thinking that we where going to Pakse, but Luca actually would love to go to visit Savannakhet, so we decided to call Ubon Ratchathani Bus Station ( Tel.045-312773) to check the bus to Mukdaharn, the border and then go to Savannakhet.
In the morning we take a tuk tuk (100 Bath) from the hotel to the Ubon Ratchathani bus station.
If you want to save you can take a Song Teaw (blue public car) number 11 from the main street but I am not sure how much.
When we arrived there, many ticket men come to me and Luca and said “Go Laos, Pakse”.
I said back to them “Mai Kha, Ja Pai Maukdaharn, kob khun kha” (“No Thank, I will go to Mukdaharn). I was looking for Sahamit Tour ( if you are in Ubon Ratchathani you can call to check the time here : Tel 045-285780) then we catched the air condition bus on 9.30 am to Mukdaharn (the price is 135 bath each).

It took almost 3 hours and we arrived to Makdaharn bus station. When I getting off the driver of the bus tell me to go to buy a bus ticket to Savannakhet with Bus Company 99 (In Thai said Borlisad Konsong 99), the price is 50 bath each and they need to see your passport.

So in about 1 hour we are arrived to the Savannakhet bus station, then we took Tuk Tuk again to “Saisouk Guest House” (Phetsalad rd. Thahae Village, Kaysone Phomvihanh Dist. Tel. +856(41)212207) in the city centre. The Tuk Tuk charged us 40 bath each (10.000 kip each).

The Guest House has two floors. The ground floor is made from cement mixed with wood and on second floor where is the room it is completely made from wood, a part from a living room for laying down made from cement and a space for cleaning and hang your cloht for free. (because you clean by your self).
There are 3 kinds of rooms: aircondition or fan with private bathroom, room with fan with share bathroom, 11 rooms in total.

We took a room with private bathroom with air condition and fan because Luca sweats easily, for 60,000 Kip (240 bath 5 euro) .

The guest house is not far from main road and have many restaurants around the area.

The owner of the guest house is friendly and kind with a big smile while you ask her information. Do not worry, she can speak English because this guest house has already been open for 6 years. The house before belongning of her father but now it’s her and her husband’s.

The house is big because her family was 11 person, now some married and some are working in another place. Also her father and mother moved to Vientiane and have a new house there.

We don’t know yet how long we will stay here but for sure I feel safe and feel as like home here in “Saisouk Guest House”.

The owner said “price is fix for now but it can change depending on  the economy”.

If somebody likes quiet and wants to feel as staying in a real home, I recommend you to visit here.

If then you decide not to stay, the lady will not complain but you may like as much as I do.

Sawasdee Kha

Lek

Why I said “kòp koon kha” (Thai Word ) to Uncle who I was talking to in Laos.

Because in Thailand…

if somebody is older than you , you say “thank you ” to you he/she will say “kòp jai” this is polite and right in Thailand as like as “kòp koon” .

If somebody says “Thank You” to their friend they can say”kòp koon“or” kòp jai” , this is right too.

If somebody says “Thank You” to someone they respect or older than them they will use “kop koon” or “kòp prá koon” not use “ kòp jai“.

All “kòp koon” must be followed by “kha” (lady) “kráp“ (man) to speak with an older person than you.

Or “na” and “ja” then with/without your name ; “na Lek” or “ja Lek” to speak with your friend.

Or ” ja” with name or without name for older person speaking to a young person kindly.

So “na” or “ja” it’s like “kha” or “ kráp” but use in different satiation.

All this is, as everything in Thailand, not very standardized and you’ll find somebody telling you this is not 100% exact.

This is to be more polite and when people hear they will know that you are happy to say that.

So I don’t use “ kòp jai” (Thank You in Laos ) to uncle because he is older than me and that sounds not polite to me, even if I know that it is not in Laos, so I said “kòp koon (kha)” ( Thank You in Thai) instead.

I know somebody thinks I am wrong because I must say “Thank You ( kòp jai)” in Laos but if I feel that is not right because It might have another word to say “Thank You” to someone older than you so I don’t know another polite word in Laos to use.

Well, I decided to use a polite word in Thai.

I think whatever language you use it’s not important but it’s very important how your behaviour is and how you make that person know that you are happy for his help, by a respectfull “Thank You” which is a safe word when you are not sure.

But when someone can’t speak he has other ways to show you to make you understand.

That’s because we are human, we have eyes to see and show our feelings, ears to hear, legs to walk, hands to do things and pray, a brain to think, but this is not enough for us yet because we must have an open heart.

For what? To understand the feeling of the people around you.

Sawadee Kha

Lek

ํYou can choose lot of guest houses and hotels with many prices,

if you are looking for a room with wireless you can stay at : Lamphu House.

Internet price per hour is 30 baht, also they have a nice open air restaurant and serve good food.

In Kaosarn Road there are a lot of Thai and Western restaurants food and a good thing to taste is Roti (it’s a fried bread with butter and there is lot of choice as Banana, chocolate, egg….) on top with sugar and milk. So you can’t miss it.
In the afternoon you can enjoy by going to “Wat Pho”. It’s a traditional Thai massage school, but you have no need to learn to make massage as you can enjoy somebody’s massage on you.
There the price not too expensive so you can check before you do it.
After that you can walk a bit around that area if you want to visit “Wat Pra Keaw” which is also very nice because inside that temple there is a very highly respected Buddha made from jade, but you have to pay for entrance.
If you don’t want you can walk a bit more behind the temple where there is a variety of Thai food and also it is near the “Chao Praya River”, the main river of Thailand.
Near the river there are a lot of open air Thai restaurant with many kind of thai food and you can order by the menu.

After that you can walk to the National Thai Museum and then go back to enjoy the night life in the Kaosarn Road area……

The second choice is in Rangnam road (Soi Rangnam):
This place is full of Thai people and a little of foreigner. It is in the city center and there are many serviced apartments, but I recommend you to stay at the Starry Place serviced Apartment where a nice room costs 750 bath (17 Euro) .

They also have Starry Restaurant with many kind of food Thai and Western, but I haven’t try it yet because I prefer to walk around outside in Rangnam road.
I recommend you to go in the morning here to “Seat 2 Cup” where you can have a very nice coffee. After that you can go to Rang Nam Spa or you can go to see cinema in The Century Movie Plaza which is near to the Victory Monument sky train station (BTS).
If you feel bore just take the sky train and going to “Siam Paragon” Don’t think I ask you go to see shopping mall but there is a underwater world inside there cost is 400 Baht. but if you not feel tired you also can go to “Jim Tom Son House” it’s opposite with the National stadium . you have to pay for entrance but they have free guide for you.

If you feel hungry let’s walk back to MBK (Maboonkong Centre) there is a lot of good food in the “Food Centre” (Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Arab and Western food).
After your stomach is full you can go back to the room and relax. When the night time comes, you can go around Rangnam road where there is a lot of Thai food on the street road, such as Thai style fast food (you order) noodle soup with pork ball or beef ball, but if you want to try many choice of Thai food I recommend the “Tida E-san restaurant”. You can order “Tom Yum Goong “(Spicy soup with lemon grass, lemon grass leaf, chili , galanga, mushroom and shrimp served with steamed rice.
You can ask them to put little chili for you so don’t worry if you don’t like spicy food.

After dinner please go to enjoy at “Saxophone Pub” around Victory Monument. It is not far from Rangnam road, you can ask people in that area and easily walk there.

Ok, I hope my suggestion will make you more happy and have a good time even if one day in Thailand, because here in Bangkok we not have only Bars.
If you open your heart you will see and you will understand why you come here.

Have a nice trip!

Lek.