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Khon Kaen – A Wedding And An Empty Fruit Bowl
Khon Kaen is never going to make the worlds big fruit bowl. The Big Apple it isn’t and the Big Mango it ain’t. Isn’t and ain’t kind of sums up Khon Kaen to me. What New York and Bangkok serves up in big chunks Khon Kaen offers in small slices, but the fruit still tastes sweet. It isn’t ever and ain’t never going to make life’s big fruit bowl. However, I was there for only two days and that’s not enough time to blow any place one big raspberry.
Khon Kaen has two bus stations, non air and air con. Our plan was simple. Wonderful Wi would check into a hotel mid afternoon and my bus from Suvarnabhumi airport would arrive at the air con terminal in the early hours the next morning. Wilai would meet me there. Wilai waited at the non air bus station from 2-30 am, my bus bus arrived at the other 45 minutes later, eventually we met.
The Bussarakam Hotel was your typical provincial city hotel, neat, tidy and the breakfast buffet looked like it was the leftovers from the previous night, just add some eggs and rice soup, breakfast is served. 900 baht a night.
I’d phoned Wi from Suvarnabhumi and she’d told me the name of the hotel we’d be staying, she’d also explained the Bussarakam Hotel was near full. Khon Kaen University was having its graduation day and the place was booked out with Thai’s. The visions of young, fit, nubile female graduates had made the six hour journey to Khon Kaen a lot quicker. Wilai insisted on chaperoning me from the bus station to the hotel, what mischief could I get up to at half three in the morning, perhaps she was just looking forward to seeing me. You can always dream, be it sexy young university girls or plain Isaan romance.
The hotel had more wrinkles than high cheekbones and the Swiss pendulum clock behinds had sagged with Old Father Time.Parents and family were there but the fresh faced innocence of youth was not to be seen. Anyway I wasn’t in Khon Kaen to ogle young women, I had a wedding to attend.
It’s difficult to judge a city in two and a half days but what little I saw didn’t really convince me to return another time. The Central Plaza shopping mall was huge and would make a large dot on even Bangkok’s map but it seemed just too grand for this city. Those seeking night life would be a little disappointed, a two hour drive to Udon Thani would reap a far better hangover.
Food in Thailand is quality no matter where you travel. Khon Kaen was no different. On both nights we visited a different restaurant with one having great food and a live band who seemed to continuously play Loso songs to perfection, the second night we ate at a restaurant on a giant lake and the lemon chicken breast was delicious beyond belief. Lemon chicken and Loso, wonderful, but I had a wedding to attend.
My mate Dean was marrying Nuan a rural girl from Roi- Et which is a far bit east of Khon Kaen. Wilai and myself were the only guests and Dean wisely chose to put a fair distance between the wedding ceremony and his future in laws. A dowry is much more easy to negotiate on your terms long distance, and over a phone.
We all turned up at the local district office in one tuk tuk, not many weddings can say that. Inside it looked more like a place to cash travellers cheques than get hitched. If there was a shirt, tie, white dress or bouquet about then none of them were in our possession. A couple of clerks overworked their rubber stamps and it was all over, there wasn’t even a fat lady to stand up and sing. Basically pay your 400 baht and put the ring on where the hell you like but don’t kiss the bride in here. This is Khon Kaen not Pattaya.
The four of us celebrated the matrimony at the lemon chicken restaurant that night. The bride and groom seemed very happy together. Dean is one loyal guy and I know for sure Nuan has got herself a very good husband. From the two days I spent with Nuan I reckon Dean has grabbed himself one beautiful, loyal partner as well. I wish them the very best in what I hope is a long and fruitful partnership.
Our partnership with Khon Kaen ended very much as it had started. We took a mid morning tuk tuk to the air con bus station but the next bus to Udon Thani was a while away. Wi instructed the tuk tuk driver to take us to the non air terminal and within minutes we were on our way to Wilai’s home province. My overall impression of Khon Kaen and I will again stress it was formed over a very short stay was that it really didn’t have enough life for me, and this was the busy Christmas season. Sweet dreams Khon Kaen and if you ever wake up big time then give me a shout sometime.
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18 Responses to “Khon Kaen – A Wedding And An Empty Fruit Bowl”
Martyn, Khon Kaen sounds very similar to Mukdahan…perhaps a bit bigger. The small towns can be nice to kick back take it all in and rejuvenate some but much like you I need a bit more going on.
It’s nice to visit Mukdahan but Nakhon Phanom is much nicer and much bigger.
Sounds Liek Dean and his bride are off to a good start…dowry not withstanding. Hopefully he has a very long and loving marriage
well i hope you all enjoy 2010 merry exmas and new year hope the newly-weds have great married life
regards john
John´s last blog ..bus/ train/car to udon thani to nong khai
Hi Martyn
That’s the first hassle-free Thai wedding I’ve ever heard of. I guess you were, if not the best man, at least the best they could find. Hope you made a speech.
I agree with what you say about Khon Khaen. It’s also a bit of a nightmare to drive through but I usually miss the ring road signs and end up doing so,
Have a Happy New Year and lots of luck, health & prosperity in 2010.
Lawrence´s last blog ..Introducing my new blog
Guess you summed up Khon Kaen in this post nicely, except if you originate from KK you may have a slightly pov!
Happy New Yaer to you and Wi!
Camille´s last blog ..1st January, 2010
Talen – Nakhon Phanom sounds like Udon in that it’s a lot livelier. Udon’s nothing mind blowing bur there is action there if you want it. Happy New Year to you and everyone.
John the newly weds seemed happy enough. I made it to Ban Dung but only had time to sink a couple of beers for you. Best wishes.
Lawrence the only speech I made was in ordering a couple of beers. The weather in Khon Kaen was really hot and I did enjoy my stay but a few more days there may have seen boredom set in. Have a great New Year.
Camille happy New Year to you and I hope business continues to pick up on Koh Samui and in the rest of Thailand as well. I have probably pissed off a few KK locals but they are welcome to comment on the best places to visit in and around the city.
The experience reads similar to weddings in Nevada. Get your license, get in line, a few words are said and you are done. If life were so easy…
Catherine´s last blog ..Happy New Ears to You too Prudential
Catherine I think the 400 baht fee might be a tad higher in Nevada but I get your sand drift.
Agreed. And it’s a toss-up on who’s fees are higher coming out the other end. No sand included
Catherine´s last blog ..Thai Typing Tutor Game
nice one shame you only made it for 2 beers but did you have a good trip hope so issan in winter is the best
where looking forward to are next visit
keep up the bloging
ps nick from laos friendship bridge as just put up another video on ban dung so i posted it to my ban dung blog its eddies bar check it out
John´s last blog ..money and new year expat udon thani issan
Wow they even have an arch way when we registered our marriage (before the ceremony) it was literally a case of signing the papers, paying the money (400 baht) and getting out. The glamour, drama and drinking came much later.
Glad all went well, all the best.
Martyn, welcome back to LOS. Hope your stay is filled with beer, er, domestic bliss. (Yes, I know your friend got married
Anyway, this is not a guarantee, but I’m expecting to light down in Udon end of this week. On way to Lao PDR for some moto riding. In Ubon right now. Nice town, very nice town, rather it’s quite big and definitely a city.
Will email you my mobile.
chrs, rick
Siam.Rick´s last blog ..Eat your livers out Bangkok drinkers
John I really am starting to like Bang Dung and it’s only half an hour from our house. One day i can see myself spending a lot of time there.
Jon the archway photo was taken at the evening restaurant, the district office was very much a pay your money and get out of here affair, next please.
Rick I will give you a ring before I’m due home. I’m heading out of Udon on the 8th. We just might make a beer.
Thailand is a beautiful venue for wedding. One time I attended a wedding ceremony for my cousin’s wedding and it was wonderful seeing the traditional Thai Wedding.It was a great experience.
Rich´s last blog ..Where to Find Cheap Wedding Rings