Thailand, off the beaten track
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.Isaan is the poor part of Thailand, as agriculture is the economic mainstay, but the hot, dry climate doesn"t really help the output! In spite of this the people are always genuinely smiling and making the most of life. 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!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. 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 you don"t like spicy food! You will possibly see a lot of Mor Lam, traditional Isaan/Lao folk music and dance, which is usually more akin to theatre than mere folk music with lots of dancers (usually female) performing well choreographed routines in flamboyant costumes. A must-see for any new visitors to the region.
A really good way to experience the Isaan region is to start at the top, Nong Khai (near to the Laos capital of Vientiane) and travel down through Isaan following the mighty Mekong River as it marks the border between Isaan and Laos, you will pass through cities like Mukdahan, but mainly you will experience the rural life of Isaan and meet some of the loveliest people that it is possible to meet. The only drawback with this plan is that you miss out on large chunks of Isaan that are not near the river...... so you will need to go back and explore the rest of the region at a later date!
I hope that this has made you want to leave the normal tourist areas of Thailand for at least part of your vacation and go to check out the North East.