Ubon Ratchathani

Ubon Ratchathani — usually shortened to "Ubon" — is Thailand's easternmost province, the point where the country meets both Laos and Cambodia at the so-called Emerald Triangle. Its name means "Royal City of the Lotus", granted by King Taksin in 1779 to a group of Lao princes who had fled Vientiane and founded the city on the northern bank of the Mun River. That Lao heritage still shapes the province's dialect, food and temperament. The provincial capital lies 582 km from Bangkok and is the largest city in the lower Isaan region.

Geographically the province is anchored by two great rivers — the Mun and the Mekong — which converge at Khong Chiam in the dramatic "two-coloured river" landscape. Beyond the rivers lie sandstone plateaus, waterfalls, and the cliff-top prehistoric rock art of Pha Taem National Park, where 3,000-year-old paintings overlook the Mekong and Laos beyond. Pristine national parks such as Kaeng Tana and Phu Chong Na Yoi protect forest, rapids and the seasonal flower fields of the eastern frontier.

Ubon's character is unhurried and proudly cultural. It is one of Thailand's great centres of Buddhist meditation — the renowned forest monasteries of Wat Pa Nong Pa Phong and Wat Pa Nanachat draw practitioners worldwide — and it stages the country's most spectacular Candle Festival each July. The city itself, with the candle-themed Thung Si Mueang Park at its heart, is a relaxed base for exploring a province rich in temples, rivers and border-country scenery.

The cool, dry season from November to February is the most comfortable time to travel, with warm days, low humidity, and the rivers and waterfalls still flowing well into early winter. This is also when the eastern parks are at their best for hiking and viewpoints.

The province's headline event is the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival (Khao Phansa), held in July to mark the start of the Buddhist Lent — a date that shifts with the lunar calendar (usually mid-July). Enormous, intricately carved beeswax candle sculptures, some towering several metres, are paraded through the streets in one of Thailand's most distinctive festivals; book accommodation well ahead.

March to May is very hot, often above 38°C, while the rainy season (June-October) brings the rivers and waterfalls to full force — Kaeng Tana's rapids and the province's many cascades are at their most dramatic — but expect afternoon downpours. The wild flower fields at Pha Taem and Phu Chong Na Yoi typically bloom in the wetter months.

Within the city, Ubon runs a network of around 13 numbered, colour-coded songthaew routes; flat fares are about 10 baht (roughly USD 0.30), and free route maps are available from the Tourist Authority of Thailand office on Khuan Thani Road. Tuk-tuks and samlors are plentiful — agree the fare first, typically 20-40 baht for short hops. Warin Chamrap, on the south bank of the Mun River, functions as a suburb and is where the railway station sits (city buses 2 and 6 connect it to the centre).

To reach the national parks and river sights you really need your own wheels; motorbikes and cars can be rented in the city (Jay-Jay Car and Motorcycle Hire is a reliable operator). Fixed-price taxis are cheap by Western standards — sample fares include Ubon to Chong Mek (the Lao border) around 1,000 baht for the 90 km, and Ubon to Mukdahan around 2,000-2,500 baht for 192 km, with no return charge.

For arrivals, Ubon Ratchathani International Airport (UBP) sits at the city's northern edge with frequent flights from Bangkok (Thai Airways, Nok Air, AirAsia) and seasonal links to Phuket and Chiang Mai; airport taxi coupons cost about 100 baht into town. Daily trains from Bangkok stop at all the southern Isaan capitals (Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket) before terminating at Warin Chamrap; the journey takes 8.5-11.5 hours and night sleepers are the most comfortable option. Buses run from Bangkok's Mo Chit area (around 10 hours), and an international bus links Ubon directly with Pakse in Laos.

• Ubon Ratchathani (provincial capital) — relaxed riverside city, base for the Candle Festival, with Thung Si Mueang Park and the National Museum.
• Warin Chamrap — across-the-river twin town, home to the railway station and the famous forest monasteries.
• Khong Chiam — easternmost town in Thailand, set where the Mun meets the Mekong at the "two-coloured river".
• Pha Taem National Park — cliff-top park above the Mekong, famed for prehistoric rock paintings and sunrise views.
• Kaeng Tana National Park — protects dramatic Mekong/Mun rapids and a suspension-bridge island.
• Phu Chong Na Yoi National Park — remote forest park near the Emerald Triangle with waterfalls and wild flower fields.
• Chong Mek — the busy land border crossing into Laos, gateway to Pakse and the Si Phan Don.
• Sirindhorn — district known for the large Sirindhorn Dam and reservoir.

Ubon's food is classic Isaan with a pronounced Lao accent. Sticky rice is the staple, eaten by hand with every meal, and the local table revolves around bold, sour, salty and herbal flavours: som tam (green papaya salad), larb and nam tok (minced and sliced meat salads with toasted rice powder), gai yang (charcoal-grilled marinated chicken) and sai krok Isaan, the tangy fermented pork sausage.

Riverside Ubon also makes good use of freshwater fish from the Mun and Mekong — grilled whole fish, spicy fish soups, and dishes seasoned with pla ra (fermented fish), which gives the cuisine its characteristic depth. Herbal stews like gaeng om and an array of fiery chili dips (jaew) eaten with raw vegetables round out a meal. Markets stock seasonal forest produce, ant eggs, bamboo shoots and insects for the adventurous.

The best and cheapest eating is the city's night markets and the lively stalls around the central Talat Yai and Warin markets, where grilled meats, fish and Isaan salads are turned out fresh and inexpensively. Vegetarians should be aware that fish sauce and pla ra are fundamental — ask for dishes prepared "jay", and note that Ubon's strong Buddhist presence means genuine vegetarian fare is easier to find here than in much of rural Isaan, especially around the meditation monasteries and during the annual Vegetarian Festival.

Ubon Ratchathani's identity is shaped by its Lao founding, its riverine setting and, above all, its deep Buddhist tradition. The province is one of the most important centres of the Thai forest meditation tradition: Wat Pa Nong Pa Phong, founded by the revered Ajahn Chah, and the nearby international monastery Wat Pa Nanachat (where teaching is offered in English) draw practitioners from around the world.

The defining event is the Candle Festival (Khao Phansa) each July, marking the beginning of the Buddhist Lent. Communities spend weeks carving enormous sculptures from beeswax — depicting mythological scenes, garuda, naga and Buddhist iconography — which are then paraded through the city in a competition. The festival's emblem, a 22 m carved candle sculpture completed in 2000, stands permanently in Thung Si Mueang Park as the symbol of the city.

The province's craft traditions centre on candle and wax carving, alongside Isaan-Lao silk and cotton weaving. Cultural institutions worth visiting include the National Museum of Ubon Ratchathani, housed in the 1918 former city hall, and the seven-storey Golden Jubilee Art and Cultural Centre. Other notable monuments around the city honour the Lao prince Phra Pathum Worarat Suriyawong, who founded Ubon, and the Monument of Goodness, built by Allied POWs in gratitude to the people of Ubon during WWII.

• See the Candle Festival in July — Ubon's defining spectacle, with towering carved-wax sculptures paraded through streets lined with crowds; it is one of Thailand's most distinctive cultural events.
• Watch sunrise over the Mekong at Pha Taem — stand at the cliff-edge of Pha Taem National Park, where 3,000-year-old rock paintings of fish, elephants and human figures overlook the river and the hills of Laos beyond.
• Visit Khong Chiam and the "two-coloured river" — at Thailand's easternmost point, watch the muddy Mun River meet the darker Mekong, best seen by longtail boat.
• Meditate at the forest monasteries — Wat Pa Nanachat near Warin Chamrap welcomes serious visitors for retreats in the Ajahn Chah forest tradition, an experience that defines Ubon's spiritual reputation.
• Explore Kaeng Tana National Park — cross the suspension bridge to its midstream island and watch the river rapids thunder, especially powerful in the rainy season.