Northeast: Isaan
Bordered by Laos and Cambodia on three sides, the tableland of
northeast Thailand, known as Isaan , is the
least-visited region of the kingdom and the poorest, but also its
most traditional. Most northeasterners speak a dialect that's more
comprehensible to residents of Vientiane than Bangkok, and Isaan's
historic allegiances have tied it more closely to Laos and Cambodia
than to Thailand. Between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries,
the all-powerful Khmers covered the northeast in magnificent stone
temple complexes, which can still be admired at Phimai and
Phanom Rung . The mighty Mekong River forms 750km of
the border between Isaan and Laos, and there are five points along
it where foreigners are allowed to cross the border
. The river makes a popular backpackers' trail, not least because
of its laid-back waterfront guesthouses in Chiang Khan ,
Sri Chiang Mai and Nong Khai . Inland scenery is
rewarding too, with good hiking trails at the national parks of
Khao Yai and Phu Kradung .
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