A few days away from the routine of home & daily chores is always a nice change of pace. This excursion was driven, in part, by my need to find a competent dermatologist to treat a difficult problem impacting my ears & nose, from an unresolved sunburn 18 months ago, that local doctors were not able to cure. But more on that later.
I also created a YouTube video of our short trip, if you don’t wish to read this post – @ this link:
With the cat & dog being cared for by Ace’s mother, we packed up the wheels & took to the road to explore the Isaan heartland around Sisaket, then to Surin and Ubon Ratchathani, but only for a short 3 days.
Day 1 – was mainly spent on the road making our way slowly to Sisaket. Being retired doesn’t require any rush or urgency when travelling. We made our way to Mukdahan, then on to Amnat Charoen where we stopped for lunch at a little cafe and a browse of a second hand Japanese product store. A nice vase for the dining room table was located here, believe it or not. Then it was onward in the journey via Ubon Ratchinthani, where we stopped for afternoon refreshments before the next leg of the trip to our destination in Sisaket. Google map shows a 4.5 hour journey but with stops for coffee breaks and lunch it took us closer to 5.5 hours.
Once arriving in Sisaket, we headed initially to the dermatologist office to confirm the appointment. Luckily Ace had somehow found this Doctor from posts on Facebook & that he has a good reputation for skin care. He was available initially between a surgery he was doing, and right away told me my problem was due to my light colored skin vs the Thai sun & UV rays. The symptoms presented as a problem called – “Rosacea”. My issue was that from a sunburn during our house construction my cheeks, ears and nose were constantly peeling & the skin did not heal. The Doctor asked me to look up “Rosacea” on the internet, read about it and then directed us to return to his other clinic at 5 pm for further examination & treatment discussions.
We then made our way to what we thought was our booked hotel in town. Siri Ville Hotel was the spot & it received high marks online for its cleanliness & service. The owner offered a friendly greeting, but informed us that there was no booking unfortunately. She had dismissed some staff in the past few days and felt that they had likely taken the booking but not recorded it. We were in luck though – there was one room left for the night. After settling in and relaxing from the drive we returned to the Dr. office just before 5 pm.
He again looked at my symptoms in more details and we discussed his diagnosis. What he indicated and what I learned on the internet seemed to align nicely. I was prescribed some antibiotics and various creams and lotions to use. He felt it would likely clear up in 2 to 4 weeks. However, he was concerned about one sore on my shoulder that he wanted to do a biopsy to rule in or out, the possibility of a basal cell carcinoma. I was asked to return the following morning at 10:30 for the biopsy – & that it would take around 7/10 days to get the result from a lab in Bangkok. So now a waiting game for the result?
As it was early evening we headed out for dinner at a local restaurant we found near our hotel & recommended by the doctors office. The meal was enjoyable, but we decided that an ice cream would be a indulgent treat for desert, after a long day, so luckily we found a MIXUE Ice Cream & Tea shop.
Day 2 – After our leisurely hotel breakfast we ventured out to enjoy a morning stroll around “Suan Chaloem Prakiat Park” in Sisaket. An island park with lots of trees for shade & well kept grounds. They have an observation tower & Aquarium on the island surrounded by a large lake. It was a great way to start the day.
Then we returned to the dermatologist & after undergoing the biopsy on the shoulder, it was around 11:30 am, so we headed towards Surin, a province in NE Thailand, that has a number of historic Khmer sites. We stopped on the way to enjoy a Thai lunch before we had a sticky beak of “Prasat Sikhoraphum“. It is one of the largest and best preserved temples in this area. Reportedly built during the 11th or 12th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. During the 16th century, the temple complex was partly renovated and turned into a Buddhist temple. The reliefs carved into the temple are very detailed and interesting to see the architecture of the day preserved.
We then headed back, the way we had come, to Ubon Ratchithani, about a 2.5 hour drive, with a refreshment stop on the way, to spend the night. We stayed at the V Hotel in town (nice spot) & after check in we headed out for dinner.
Beforehand, we conducted some internet research and located a food gem in the Vietnamese restaurant “Indochine”, a Bib Gourmand recipient of the MICHELIN Guide Thailand in 2023, 2024, and 2025. We thoroughly enjoyed this Vietnamese cuisine spot, which featured four dishes. It apparently opened its doors more than 5 decades ago in 1972. The current third-generation family owner was friendly & most helpful.
Day 3 – We unfortunately needed to head back home as Ace’s mother, who was minding the pets, needed to return to her home in Nakhon Phanom. We enjoyed a nice hotel breakfast and relaxing coffee’s before taking another morning park stroll. Ace, very briefly, considered a new vocation looking at a Samlor, but decided otherwise. We then enjoyed an easy morning wonder of “Thung Sri Mueang Park” to check out the notable & ornate golden statues, including a large golden candle, & a golden Garuda statue, as well as the city pillar.
After exploring this city park we headed the trusty Izuzu MUX towards home. As Isaan is the land of rice, we decided on a detour & motored rural roads to reach the “Ban Chi Thuan Rice Fields Walking Bridge” (Khua Noi), to check it out. The bridge connects Ban Chi Thuan and Ban Nong Khaen villages. Now concrete, originally, the bridge was made of wood & is reported to be 1st made 200 yrs ago. It was built to allow monks and novices to walk across to get alms easily without stepping on the rice, & the villagers could travel to meet each other easily. The Bridge measures 1.4 metres wide, 271.5 metres long, and 1.5 metres high.
After this we enjoyed yummy “boat noodle soup” for lunch at a little local shop. We arrived back home late afternoon on day 3, having had a successful medical experience and a most enjoyable meander around this part of Thailand.
Cheers until next time.
Retirement Reimagined: Thailand - My Journey 