The Thailand You've Never Seen: Into the Heart of Isaan.
- Peter G
- Mar 23
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 28
Everyone lands in Bangkok. Everyone heads to the islands. But almost no one goes northeast.
Which is a shame—because that’s where the soul of Thailand is hiding. Out in Isaan, where grilled chicken sizzles on roadside charcoal, temple ruins sleep in jungle silence, and the Mekong snakes its way past border towns that haven’t changed in decades.
This isn’t your postcard Thailand.
It’s deeper. Older. Hotter. And absolutely worth the detour.
Base Camp: Khon Kaen – Teak, Business, and Barbecue
You’ll start in Khon Kaen, Isaan’s most polished city. A place that somehow balances sprawling night markets, shiny new shopping malls, and back-alley food stalls that have been serving the same three dishes for forty years.
5-Star: Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid
You walk in and the first thing you notice is the roof—a massive, sloping teak marvel that feels more temple than hotel lobby. Inside, it’s cool, dark, and hushed. The kind of place that caters to Japanese businessmen and Thai dignitaries but doesn’t blink when a travel-weary Aussie rocks up dusty from the road. Big rooms, great service, and the best location in town.
4-Star: Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre
Slick, clean, and full of purpose. Not dripping with charm, but it gets the job done in style. Good rooftop bar, solid breakfast, and far enough from the noise to get some real sleep.
3-Star: Glacier Hotel Khon Kaen
Funky little boutique with ice-themed interiors (yes, really) and surprisingly decent beds. Perfect for a one-nighter if you’re just passing through.
Side Quest: Ubon Ratchathani – Mekong Town with Soul
Ubon is older, more pensive. It leans into its Lao roots—temples with French shutters, colonial balconies, and food that’ll blow your head off in the best way. Come here for the Candle Festival in July, stay for the grilled pork neck and riverside whiskey.
Wat Thung Si Muang – a teak library floating above a lotus pond.
Tohsang Heritage Khongjiam Resort – a hidden, riverside gem near the Lao border.
The Real Deal: Phanom Rung & Muang Tam
Move over, Angkor. These ancient Khmer ruins in Buriram province are absurdly beautiful and blissfully empty.
You’ll walk through stone gates older than most countries. Hear cicadas instead of camera shutters.
Climb ancient steps that once led to kings and priests and now take you to a viewpoint that’ll punch the breath right out of your chest.
What to Eat: The Fire and Funk of Isaan Food
This is where Thai food stops being polite.
Som Tum – Green papaya salad with fermented crab, dried shrimp, and enough chili to make your ears sweat.
Gai Yang – Grilled chicken, flattened and marinated in garlic and fish sauce, served with sticky rice and sweet-spicy sauce that should come with a warning.
Larb Moo – Minced pork salad, lime juice, toasted rice powder, mint, chili. Eat it with your fingers. Chase it with cold Leo.
Forget air-conditioned restaurants. The best meals come from carts, holes in the wall, and backyards turned eateries.
How to Do Isaan Right
Fly into Khon Kaen or Ubon from Bangkok. Domestic flights are cheap, fast, and easy.
Hire a private driver or go full adventure mode and self-drive—just bring a sense of direction and a playlist.
Mix cities with countryside. Stay a night in town, then go find a wooden homestay in a village where no one speaks English and the coffee comes in a tin cup.
The Priority One Difference
No one’s offering Isaan trips off the shelf. That’s why we love it.
At Priority One, we’ll build it from scratch:
Private drivers, hand-picked guides, temple visits before sunrise.
The one restaurant in Ubon that still makes som tum the old-school way.
A room at the Pullman with a teak balcony and a bottle of something cold waiting inside.
We don’t just book travel—we curate stories. And Isaan is one hell of a chapter.
Forget the Beaches. Come Find the Fire.
This is Thailand for travelers who think they’ve seen it all.
They haven’t—not until they’ve eaten grilled chicken under a mango tree in Buriram while a monk blesses a passing truck and the Mekong glows in the distance.
Comments