UDON THANI: THE GEOGRAPHY
Udon Thani province has a population of 1.467.200, with Udon city alone having over 500.000 inhabitants. Udon Thani is approximately 560 km from Bangkok. Udon is a major trading hub for northern Issan and also the gateway to Laos, North Vietnam and South China.
HISTORY AND ECONOMY
47 km east of Udon Thani is the first archaeological excavation dating back to the Bronze Age. The excavations are located at a place called Ban Chiang, a famous archaeological site. Among the attractions that the city offers to travellers, there are also some interesting Buddhist temples. A few kilometres from Udon Thani is Wat Pa Baan. This temple was the home and place of meditation for many years of the monk Luangta Maha Bua, known for his philanthropic commitment such as collecting gold donated to the National Treasury for the benefit of the citizens of Thailand during the economic crisis of the late 90s. It is said that during his stay at this temple over $550 million (USD) were raised for the benefit of the Thai people. This money was donated to the people directly or through the construction of hospitals and clinics. Ajahn Maha Bua passed away in January 2011.
The town of Udon became a bustling support center for the nearby Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base during the Vietnam War, and so retains reminders of that time, with bars (many catering to European tourists), cafes and hotels. There is also a Thai-Italian owned PLC development company in Udon Thani. This company holds the concession for the Udon Thani potash mines. According to press reports, Udon Thani has enough potash to sow fertilizer at two million tons per year for the next 25 years. Potash is one of the main components of fertilizer.
UDON THANI TODAY
Udon Thani has three Tesco-Lotus, 2 Big C Malls, a Makro Center, and two large shopping malls. The largest shopping mall is Central Plaza Udon Thani the largest shopping mall in the Isan region. Also nice is the open-air shopping mall UDTOWN this structure was opened in the winter of 2009. Ud Town is located in a park: an area of 38.000 m² / 24 Rai. UDTOWN is Thailand's largest open-air shopping center. Opposite Ud Town in 2012 also opened the IT Plaza shopping mall and Major Cineplex. The first is a shopping center entirely dedicated to IT while the second is a Multi Cinema Center.
THAI RESTAURANTS, INTERNATIONAL
In Udon Thani there are many Thai, Japanese and international restaurants some of which are located in the Lomprajak Park area or in the Ud Town area or near Soi Sapan