The Issan Rum Distillery is quite a unique attraction to visit while staying in the chilled-out town of Nong Khai on your visa run or trip to or from Vientiane in Laos.
Just 12 kilometres (20-minute drive) from the main tourist and riverside area of Nong Khai is this little gem of a place – The Issan Rum Distillery.
Open: Daily – 08.30 am – 18.00 pm
Address: Khai Bok Wan, Mueang Nong Khai District, Nong Khai 43100
The distance from the city restricts some visitors from going there, but if you can get yourself on a motorbike or hire a tuk tuk driver for a couple of hours it’s worth a trip.
To make the most of the trip you can also visit the Aquarium in Nong Khai which is 6 km from the Distillery, that can make it a more worth while trip. Not every visitor is a fan of the Aquarium, but some people like it, so it may or may not be for you.
Visiting The Issan Rum Distillery – Useful to Know Stuff
Unfortunately when I arrived the French English speaking owner (David) was out of the country so I could not get quite as much information as I would have liked, although a helpful young girl came along shortly after I arrived to answer any questions I had.
If David is there you’re likely to get a tour of the Distillery and the process as many others have mentioned on tripadvisor. I got a tour in Thai language, but as my Thai language skills are quite limited I only got some of the explanations, which was not a problem to me.
From November to March is the time that you can see the distillery rum making process, but you can still visit at other times without seeing the whole process.
Getting there is easy if you take a tuk tuk that should take about 20 minutes which you can get anywhere in Nong Khai city (cost for 2 hours – maybe 200 THB). I rented a motorcycle, so I am not sure of the exact tuk tuk cost’s. On the motorbike it was easy – google maps got me straight there without any detours and it was a nice ride.
Inside The Distillery
As soon as you arrive next to the Issan Rum Distillery you smell boooooze, and it smells pretty good.
When you walk inside you can see people at work with the sugar cane and the other apparatus that makes the rum.
Seating, Relaxing & Testing Area
Inside there’s a lovely area to sit next to a small lake and test out the rum, or you can have a coffee or bottle of water. It’s a peaceful and delightful environment to relax.
The cost of a bottle is just over 700 THB. You do not have to buy any if you don’t want to, but they do make a great and unique gift for someone that drinks rum.
Worth Visiting?
The Issan Rum Distillery is a little gem in Nong Khai and well worth a visit if you like your rum, booze, want to see locals making a local product or purchase a unique gift made in Issan in Thailand for somebody.
Well worth checking out!
I’m Jonesy. The one responsible for whole lot of things including having this Thailand site up and running. I first arrived in Thailand in 2008 and being a web developer it made sense to create a website and write some stuff about my second home. Enjoy your travels!
