Officials expand northeast Thailand’s Naga tourism with new travel route

Officials are expanding northeast Thailand’s Naga tourism with an exciting new travel route. The route stops at places in the region where people can worship the mythical serpent.

The route is organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Udon Thani office. Tourists on the route visit places of worship in the Udon Thani, Nong Khai, and Bueng Kan provinces.

The new campaign is expected to generate about 120 million baht from December until February. The director of the TAT’s Udon Thani office said…

“We present a travel route that connects with unique local identities to offer a meaningful travel experience to tourists.”

On the route, tourists will visit temples in Udon Thani and Nong Khai provinces. In Bueng Kan, they will visit a temple, as well as the Naga Cave, and Don Pho Island. Don Pho Island is an island on a swamp, which has a shrine where people worship Nagas.

At the Naga Cave, there is a rock with bumps that look like snake scales. The rock has drawn tourism to Bueng Kan. Earlier this year, 90% of hotels in the Bueng Khong Long district were occupied at one point. The Naga Cave is inside the Phu Langka National Park.

The Naga is a mythical serpent that northeastern Thais believe brings rain to their crops. The northeastern Thai legend says that the water angel ordered Nagas to play in a lake, so water would spill onto people’s crops as rain.

The legend of Naga holds deep meaning in northeastern Thai legends, and legends from other southeast and South Asian cultures. Every year in the northeast, people shoot self-made rockets into the sky to wake up the Naga, hoping the Naga will send rain down to their crops.

Earlier this month, the Cabinet announced that the Naga will be used as a symbol of Thai culture to promote the kingdom’s creative economy.