Geography & Climate

Nong Khai occupies an area of 7,332 square kilometers and is shaped by the Mekong river, which forms much of the Thai border with Laos. The province was once called "the Walking Dragon of North Isaan" because its long, narrow shape follows the bends and turns of the mighty Mekong. It is part of the river basin on the Khorat plateau in northeastern Thailand. The eastern part of the province is covered by deciduous forest. The west is mountainous and borders on Loei province, and the south is a highland, averaging 1,200 feet above sea level. Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is directly across the Mekong from Si Chiang Mai in the province and only about 25 kilometers from the provincial capital of Nong Khai.

There are three seasons in this part of Thailand: hot, rainy and cool. Spring is the hot season, with temperatures reaching 35° C. The southwest monsoon brings rain and humidity during the summer and early fall. In the winter the province can be chilly with temperatures dropping as low as 11° C.

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