Northern Thailand - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 885

day and wearing robes sewn by hand from torn pieces of cloth. The current abbot requests
that visitors dress politely: no shorts or sleeveless tops.
The temple is midway between Si Chiang-mai and Sangkhom. Sangkhom-bound buses
from Nong Khai (50B, 2¼ hours) pass the wát, and then it's a longish walk.
Seductively sleepy, the little town of Sangkhom is a convenient layover between Nong
Khai and Loei. The town looks out at the Lao island of Don Klang Khong (as per border
agreements, all river islands belong to Laos) and the river dominates life here. Just after
the wet season, the town's main attractions are its waterfalls: the three-tiered Nam Tok Than
Thip , 13km west of Sangkhom (2km off Rte 211), is the most spectacular but Nam Tok
Than Thong , 11km east of Sangkhom, is easier to get to and has a swimmable pool at the
bottom. It dries up around April.
Sangkhom's veteran lodge, Bouy Guesthouse ( 0 4244 1065; [e-mail] ; Rte 211;
s 250-280B, d 280-300B, r with air-con 500B; ) has a few simple huts with hammock-
strung decks overlooking the river. The hotel Poopae Ruenmaithai ( 0 4244 1088; Rte 211; r
700-1500B; ) is more modern.
To Sangkhom, there are three buses a day from Nong Khai (60B, three hours), the earli-
est of those continuing to Loei (70B, 3½ hours).