EASTERN THAILAND: ISAN AND THE EASTERN GULF
Isan is without a doubt Thailand’s least visited region, which given its distance from the capital and sprawling size is perhaps understandable. Ignore the area, though, and you’ll miss some of Thailand’s most atmospheric archaeological sites, like the volcano-top ruins of Phanom Rung, or the exquisitely preserved Phimai historical park.
We’ve included the eastern stretches of the Gulf of Thailand here too, which seems fitting because the further you go from Bangkok, and the closer to the Cambodian border, the more this region’s distinct character comes into focus. Chantaburi and Trat are by no means a part of Isan, but no more are they a part of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya basin either.
The Eastern Gulf of Thailand
The provinces of Rayong, Chantaburi, and Trat that form the Eastern Gulf of Thailand are hard to categorize, in part because the provinces themselves contain such variety within themselves. The interior plains and mountains of each are worlds apart from their gulf coasts, while a beach day in Rayong feels quite different from a spending a few nights on Koh Mak near the Cambodian border.
Hard to characterize, perhaps, but easy to love. The islands of the eastern Gulf of Thailand support visits long after the Andaman Coast has closed for the monsoon season. The hills offer spectacular waterfalls, charming towns, and incredible living mountaintop temples that still attract tens of thousands of pilgrims.
Isan and the Border Provinces
Isan is Thailand’s unfiltered heart, a vast plateau where humble kitchens still prepare som tam with a massive mortar and pestle. Here, surrounded by the pastoral beauty of the Mekong frontier, you’ll encounter some of Thailand’s kinder people: warm, resilient, and deeply connected to the land. Traveling here means swapping crowded tourist hubs for vibrant silk-weaving villages, neon-lit night markets in cities like Khon Kaen or Ubon Ratchathani, and a “slow travel” pace that rewards the curious with genuine hospitality and a side of Thailand most visitors never see.
The stretches of Isan near the Cambodian border are essentially an open-air museum. At Phanom Rung, a stunning pink sandstone sanctuary sits atop an extinct volcano, while the massive complex at Phimai marks the northern terminal of the ancient Great Khmer Highway. Yet the region’s heritage isn’t limited to Angkor-style ruins; it encompasses the prehistoric bronze-age mysteries of Ban Chiang and the colorful Phi Ta Khon ghost festivals. Eastern Thailand is a place where living spiritualism still inhabits the ruins of grand imperial architecture. This is, quite literally, a magical place.
Multi-Region Roadtrips
Not every trip can (or should) be contained to just a single region. Thailand is one of the best countries in the world for driving long distances, so why not see as much of it as you can? The roads are remarkably good, nearly the whole country enjoys high-speed mobile coverage so it’s harder to get lost, and there are incredible things to see in every province. Use these guides as a starting point for planning your own Thailand road trip.
