Northeastern Thailand - Thailand - page 916

Udon has the largest and most in-your-face sex tourism scene in Isan, and the 'Soi
Falang' (Th Sampanthamit) area is rather sleazy at night, and even in the daytime you'll
have to endure “Hallo, massaaaage'. That said, not everyone out for a night here is look-
ing for extracurricular activities.

Shopping
Central Plaza OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Th Prajak; 10.30am-9pm Mon-Fri, 10am-9pm Sat & Sun) is
Udon's biggest shopping centre and has a branch of the English-language bookstore Asia
Books, though strolling the open-air UD Town OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Th Thongyai;
10am-10pm Mon-Fri, 9am-10pm Sat-Sun) is more fun.

Udon Bho-Phin Trachu
(Th Poniyom; 7am-6pm) There's a great selection of silk and cotton, including some natural-
dyed fabrics, at this large spot northwest of Nong Prajak Lake. Look for the sign with the
wooden roof.

HANDICRAFTS

Udon City Walking Street
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP
(Th Athibodi; 5-10pm Fri & Sat) With just a handful of vendors selling handmade items,
Udon's Walking Street pales in comparison to the markets in Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen
that inspired it.

MARKET

Fuzzy Ken's
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP

BOOKS

10am-11pm Mon-Fri, noon-11pm Sat) Good selection of secondhand (302/10 Th Prajak Sinlapacom;

books.

Information

Central Plaza and Tesco-Lotus have AEON ATMs and extended-hour banks.

in Thailand 0066 4234 2555; Th Phosri) Has a 24-hour casualty de- Aek Udon International Hospital (

partment.

8.30am-noon & 1-4.30pm) Does visa extensions. Immigration ( 0 4224 9982; Th Phosri;

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT; 0 4232 5406; [e-mail]; Th Thesa; 8.30am-4.30pm)