Sorry to bother you well-informed guys - a lot of you seem to know an amazing
amount of info - very impressive and excellent comments!
I'm planning to go to the "Nam Som" (NS) area in 2007 (April, May?) for a while
and it would be a great help to know something about the place
beforehand (don't seem to be able to find much info on the internet - not even a
detailed map of the town).
Maybe some of you already live there, or know the area.
Apologies for what may be considered "stoopid" questions or if I've placed this
in the wrong forum....
1. Is NS mainly a farming community or is there any development happening there?
I'm wondering if NS is more than just a crossroads and that the place is perhaps
expanding - houses & businesses being built.
2. What roughly is the population and any (many?) farangs live in NS ?
3. Is there a fresh food & veg market in or around NS, daily or weekly ?
4. Got cable-tv in NS ?
5. Any supermarkets and 7-11 stores (or the equivalent) in NS?
6. Got bars or pubs there?
7. Any farang-type of restaurants or places that serve some western food in NS?
Especially breakfast (like bacon, eggs, toast & coffee) - ain't always easy eating
rice first thing in the morning!
8. Got any hotels or guest houses in NS ?
9. Got banks and ATMs there ?
More crazy questions will no doubt follow, depending on the replies - so
gonna pester you nice folks for a while - heh heh!
Sure would appreciate just about ANY info on the place, seeing as I know absolutely
zilch about NS - thanks for reading this and even more thanks for replying.
Anybody know the "Nam Som" area ?
Hi Scooter
My wife and I live not far from Nam Som, in a small village called Ban Nam Poo. Nam Som is our nearest town so we visit often. In answer to some of your questions it seems to be in the centre of a mainly farming area, main crops are rice and Casava (tapioca). The town is certainly growing and there are signs of development, now a direct bus service to Bangkok and a new shops appearing. As far as Farang population I'm afraid I can't help too much, you often see other Farangs about but I don't think there's any farang "community". There are generally a couple of english teachers in the local schools during term time. There was a Danish bloke running the local internet shop but I haven't seen him for a while. There is a daily fresh market, usually gets busy late afternoon, normal selection of Issan produce. No cable TV as far as I know, satellite TV is the alternative if you need western viewing. There are some general provision type shops but I wouldn't call them supermarkets, recently a small 7-11 type store has opened but looks very quiet. I haven't been out in Nam Som at night so can't help too much regarding entertainment but there are certainly some Karaoke bars, I'm sure you can find something. Western restaurants - No chance!, stick with corn flakes. No hotels of guesthouses that I know of but at least 1 resort. There are 2 banks, Thai Farmers Bank and Government Savings Bank, both have ATMs but often busy or empty. There is also an ATM at the 7-11 type store.
Any more questions fire away, I'm not there just now, I'm working offshore but I'll try to help.
Petter.
My wife and I live not far from Nam Som, in a small village called Ban Nam Poo. Nam Som is our nearest town so we visit often. In answer to some of your questions it seems to be in the centre of a mainly farming area, main crops are rice and Casava (tapioca). The town is certainly growing and there are signs of development, now a direct bus service to Bangkok and a new shops appearing. As far as Farang population I'm afraid I can't help too much, you often see other Farangs about but I don't think there's any farang "community". There are generally a couple of english teachers in the local schools during term time. There was a Danish bloke running the local internet shop but I haven't seen him for a while. There is a daily fresh market, usually gets busy late afternoon, normal selection of Issan produce. No cable TV as far as I know, satellite TV is the alternative if you need western viewing. There are some general provision type shops but I wouldn't call them supermarkets, recently a small 7-11 type store has opened but looks very quiet. I haven't been out in Nam Som at night so can't help too much regarding entertainment but there are certainly some Karaoke bars, I'm sure you can find something. Western restaurants - No chance!, stick with corn flakes. No hotels of guesthouses that I know of but at least 1 resort. There are 2 banks, Thai Farmers Bank and Government Savings Bank, both have ATMs but often busy or empty. There is also an ATM at the 7-11 type store.
Any more questions fire away, I'm not there just now, I'm working offshore but I'll try to help.
Petter.
Hi Petter!
Thanks for your kind reply - and a very Happy New Year to you! Bang Nam Poo? Wasn't
able to find that place on a map!! (Unless it's called Bang Phue, that is).
Wow! - seems NS is a real country place with not a lot going on, but it can still be a great
area and well worth seeing. I like your info very much - it gives a real good idea about the area
and your comments are much appreciated!
Maybe some of the regular forum contributors can supplement on your info when they get
back to normal after the naughty New Year frolics. May even be a few "Nam Somniacs"
in the same category - heh heh! Had some oral info a short while back, that NS was now starting
to take off - getting more populated and a lot busier, like it's growing from some sleepy
rural area to a slightly livelier town. Maybe that's not quite the case, eh.
Ain't much of a drinker, anyways, so no pubs and bars don't matter - though they're most
certainly good places to meet the locals and maybe a few farangs - hence the interest.
Was hoping that there was at least a guest house there, as it otherwise means driving out
to the area at the crack of dawn and having to head back to a larger town before sundown
Resorts, I know very little about. Had some resorts on Koh Charng when I was there - whoo!
expensive places and nothing particularly great about them, as far as I could judge.
No cable tv in NS, huh? Yeah, read on the forum about satellite tv - seems there's a mention or two
about decoders'n'stuff up your way, but haven't been able to figure out if they're legal
ones (but maybe that's a "touchy" subject for some - heh heh!). Got a D-Move satellite set
up, which used to take BBC-World (India) - until it got coded. Now only use the satellite for the
Thai channels when the cable tv breaks down (which is pretty often!). When I was living in Europe,
there were "ways and means" of catching a lot of the coded channels, but not sure if that's
the case in this country - and to be honest, I haven't really thought about it until now.
A Dane with an internet shop? Well, I'll try to pop in and chat to him if he's still there - speak
Danish, as well, so it's no problem.
Hey, Petter - when was the last time you were actually in NS? Maybe things have recently
pepped up a bit all of a sudden (yeah, I know - pigs might fly!).
In the meanwhile - thanks again for your great info - and hope to hear from other people!
Scooter
Thanks for your kind reply - and a very Happy New Year to you! Bang Nam Poo? Wasn't
able to find that place on a map!! (Unless it's called Bang Phue, that is).
Wow! - seems NS is a real country place with not a lot going on, but it can still be a great
area and well worth seeing. I like your info very much - it gives a real good idea about the area
and your comments are much appreciated!
Maybe some of the regular forum contributors can supplement on your info when they get
back to normal after the naughty New Year frolics. May even be a few "Nam Somniacs"
in the same category - heh heh! Had some oral info a short while back, that NS was now starting
to take off - getting more populated and a lot busier, like it's growing from some sleepy
rural area to a slightly livelier town. Maybe that's not quite the case, eh.
Ain't much of a drinker, anyways, so no pubs and bars don't matter - though they're most
certainly good places to meet the locals and maybe a few farangs - hence the interest.
Was hoping that there was at least a guest house there, as it otherwise means driving out
to the area at the crack of dawn and having to head back to a larger town before sundown
Resorts, I know very little about. Had some resorts on Koh Charng when I was there - whoo!
expensive places and nothing particularly great about them, as far as I could judge.
No cable tv in NS, huh? Yeah, read on the forum about satellite tv - seems there's a mention or two
about decoders'n'stuff up your way, but haven't been able to figure out if they're legal
ones (but maybe that's a "touchy" subject for some - heh heh!). Got a D-Move satellite set
up, which used to take BBC-World (India) - until it got coded. Now only use the satellite for the
Thai channels when the cable tv breaks down (which is pretty often!). When I was living in Europe,
there were "ways and means" of catching a lot of the coded channels, but not sure if that's
the case in this country - and to be honest, I haven't really thought about it until now.
A Dane with an internet shop? Well, I'll try to pop in and chat to him if he's still there - speak
Danish, as well, so it's no problem.
Hey, Petter - when was the last time you were actually in NS? Maybe things have recently
pepped up a bit all of a sudden (yeah, I know - pigs might fly!).
In the meanwhile - thanks again for your great info - and hope to hear from other people!
Scooter
Truly rural Thailand
Na Yung Nam Som Forest Park
Near Amphoe Ban Phue and Amphoe Nam Som are next to Na Yung Nam Som Forest Park, about 100 km away from Udon Thani.
Near Amphoe Ban Phue and Amphoe Nam Som are next to Na Yung Nam Som Forest Park, about 100 km away from Udon Thani.
Gfriend from a small village apx 30 min or so from Nam Som..been to village/NS a number of times & I guess you could say NS is a "typical"(?) small thai rural town.
"Resort" means very small hut type structures there are a couple in NS, relatively inexpensive but you get what you pay for, at times pay too mutt..
Market & nearby shops ok, get most of what you need there & may bump into the "odd" farang or two. Farang teachers sometimes in the vincinity doing their volunteer thing at one of the schools..
White knuckle rides available from one of the "taxi's" that are usually parked up near the round a bout just past the market - clapped out old toyota crowns I think..maybe 20+ yrs old? never had a roadworthy cert in their life..
The only way you will get a true feel of the place is to go there! Stay for a week at least..good luck to you.
"Resort" means very small hut type structures there are a couple in NS, relatively inexpensive but you get what you pay for, at times pay too mutt..
Market & nearby shops ok, get most of what you need there & may bump into the "odd" farang or two. Farang teachers sometimes in the vincinity doing their volunteer thing at one of the schools..
White knuckle rides available from one of the "taxi's" that are usually parked up near the round a bout just past the market - clapped out old toyota crowns I think..maybe 20+ yrs old? never had a roadworthy cert in their life..
The only way you will get a true feel of the place is to go there! Stay for a week at least..good luck to you.
-
steadyjohn
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 147
- Joined: October 18, 2006, 7:08 pm
- Location: Dublin
Alright Scooter,
I know Nam Som well enough, I volunteered as an english teacher there in 2005 and I have been back a few times this year.
Here is a link on namsom from the volunteer organisation i used, a bit of info & lots of pics
http://www.travel-to-teach.org/thai/namsom.html
namsom is good craic, even better if like me you drink lao khao with the locals.
I know Nam Som well enough, I volunteered as an english teacher there in 2005 and I have been back a few times this year.
Here is a link on namsom from the volunteer organisation i used, a bit of info & lots of pics
http://www.travel-to-teach.org/thai/namsom.html
namsom is good craic, even better if like me you drink lao khao with the locals.