In my serie about Highways in Thailand this is Mittraphap road (Route 2 or Friendship road) that begins in Saraburi and goes all the way north-east to Nongkhai where it links with the Thai-Lao Friendships bridge. Build originally in 1957 by the US Army as road between Khorat and Nong Khai. It has a total length of 508-km and is passing Khorat, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. For the route see Google Maps.
It begins in Saraburi (75 km north-east of Bangkok), a relatively not so interesting city. Here you are still at the Central Plain of Thailand. The nearby area is Thai-famous for its “sunflower fields” where every year thousands of Thai tourists come. But after Muak Lek the roads starts to go up to the Khorat plateau with a average elevation of 200 meter. Along the road are markets where they sell all kind of fruit and “jungle food”. Here you are driving along the beginning of Khao Yai and you are passing Pak Chong (along the road to Khao Yai are some very good bbq pig restaurants).
Just after Pak Chong you are passing “LamTakong” reservoir, a huge lake of about 12 km long and 3km wide. Along this lake are many restaurants where the parking guards are all trying to get passing by cars to stop at their restaurant. While driving along the lake on your right hand side is a mountain and on top of it is a nice restaurant (with hotel) and another hand-made water-reservoir (on top of a mountain!!). When you just passed the “LamTakong” reservoir and come at the highest point there is a U-turn, or actually a intersection. If you go to the right here you can follow a small road all the way up to the mountain and have a beautiful view all over the lake and the surrounding area.
Once you have passed “LamTakong” reservoir you have reached to Khorat plateu. At the intersection of route 2 and route 24 is Sikhu and from the highway you can see the huge temple that is build there, on you left hand side just after Sikhu. From here route 2 leads to Khorat (Nakhon Ratchasima). The original route goes really into the city but the new route goes like a ring-road (or by-pass) around the city. From here you starting to go straight north to Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. Be aware that for traveling from Bangkok to Khorat there is now an all new route (route 6).
Just after Pak Chong you are passing “LamTakong” reservoir, a huge lake of about 12 km long and 3km wide. Along this lake are many restaurants where the parking guards are all trying to get passing by cars to stop at their restaurant. While driving along the lake on your right hand side is a mountain and on top of it is a nice restaurant (with hotel) and another hand-made water-reservoir (on top of a mountain!!). When you just passed the “LamTakong” reservoir and come at the highest point there is a U-turn, or actually a intersection. If you go to the right here you can follow a small road all the way up to the mountain and have a beautiful view all over the lake and the surrounding area.
Once you have passed “LamTakong” reservoir you have reached to Khorat plateu. At the intersection of route 2 and route 24 is Sikhu and from the highway you can see the huge temple that is build there, on you left hand side just after Sikhu. From here route 2 leads to Khorat (Nakhon Ratchasima). The original route goes really into the city but the new route goes like a ring-road (or by-pass) around the city. From here you starting to go straight north to Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. Be aware that for traveling from Bangkok to Khorat there is now an all new route (route 6).
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| Prasat Hin Phi Mai |
After about 50 km you are passing the intersection with route 206 that leads to Phimai that is world-famous for its “Prasat Hin Phimai” khmer temple build during the “Great Khmer Kingdom” and connected to Angor Wat by the “Ancient Khmer Highway”. Actually on many places in the Isaan you can find remain of the Khmer presence here. From here the road leads to Khon Kaen, an administrative center of the Isaan, cctually Khon Kaen is a nice city, with a lake & park in the center. Although route 2 officially goes thru Khon Kaen town you are directed via the west-side of a huge (long) ring road around Khon Kaen.
From here the road leads to Udon Thani, known by many US-pilots during the Vietnam war as Udon Thani was home to one of the many USA airfields in Thailand. Nowadays it seems that Udon Thani is developing in a more attractive city and there are coming more better hotels and restaurants. Also Udon Thani has a nice lake & park, called “Nong Prajak” with a few restaurants along and a very nice new hotel. Also at Udon Thani route 2 officially goes thru town but you are directed via the east-side of the ring road around Udon Thani.
From here it is only a short ride to Nong Khai along the Mekong river (Mae Nam Khong) and border-town with Laos. Until the Thai-Lao friendship bridge was build the only way to get in to Laos was by ferry. Along the banks of the Mekong river did grown in those years the famous “IndoChina Market” where you could buy “everything”. Nowadays this market it still there, although all a bit different as just outside of town is now a bridge going to Laos from where it connects to Vientianne, the capital city of Laos. Nong Khai is a lovely little city with a nice boulevard with restaurants and guesthouses. Just out of town is a amazing crazy “Budha Park” to resemble Heaven & Hell. Of course Nong Khai is used as gate-way to Laos, but it could also be a starting-point of beautiful trip along the Mekong river in direction of Loei.
Originally route 2 would go straight into Nong Khai (now called route 233) but nowadays route 2 goes to the Thai-Lao Friendship bridge on the west-side of town.
