Off the beaten track in Thailand

The second thing you will notice is the food - almost everything is served with Khao Nio (sticky rice) and there is heavy use of chillies, so be careful if There are some major differences between Isaan and the Central Thailand that are obvious when you arrive - firstly most people don't speak Thai, they speak Isaan, which is similar to Lao ( except near Cambodia, where they speak Khmer) although schools are now made to teach the Thai alphabet and language. It is humbling to see how they manage to stay so cheery when compared to the West they have so little in the way of money and healthcare, not to mention the lack of any kind of social security should they be unable to work! In spite of this the people are always genuinely smiling and making the most of life.

Isaan is the poor part of Thailand, as agriculture is the economic mainstay, but the hot, dry climate doesn't really help the output! Isaan is situated on the Korat Plateau ( Korat is the name locals use for the city of Nakhon Ratchasima) and is bordered by the Mekong river to theEast and the North, Cambodia is to the south and the Petchabun mountains separate it from Central Thailand. The beauty of such places as Phuket, koh samui etc is well documented, but less well known is the North east of Thailand, a region called Isaan. I fell in love with Thailand many years ago, as so many visitors to this wonderful country do, with good reason.