An Amazing New Year in Roi Et After the Cambodian Border Conflict
When unrest on the Cambodian border forced us to abandon our New Year travel plans, we expected disappointment. Instead, it led to one of our most memorable family adventures in Thailand, complete with ancient Khmer ruins, lakeside fireworks, bustling markets and unexpected discoveries in Roi Et.
In December 2024, Q, the cousin of my wife Taew, arrived at our Sisaket home with his wife Ann and son Indy before we embarked on a 24-day tour of Thailand and Laos together.
They headed back the following year, with Q’s mum, Auntie Som, being picked up on the way in Nong Chok, east of Bangkok. Tentative plans were exchanged throughout the previous few months for us to head over the border into Laos, to Pakse. However, events on the Cambodian border meant that they were put on hold.
Shellfire echoed across the Cambodian border at night, sometimes powerful enough to shake our house in rural Sisaket. Plans for Laos were abandoned, and instead, we found ourselves heading north towards Roi Et for an unexpected Thai New Year adventure.
Before heading towards Roi Et, we stopped at a couple of attractions along the road in Ubon Ratchathani province a couple of days earlier. We have a few standbys for when visitors come calling, with it getting to the stage where I feel like a regular.
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| New Year, Roi Et |
Khmer Ruins and Naga Serpents
We headed to the small town of Uthomphon Phisai, around thirty minutes west of Sisaket city. Our go-to is Prasat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, one of the most important Khmer-era temple complexes in northeastern Thailand. It was built in the 11th century, with lots of ancient Khmer structures within a rectangular enclosure.
The ruins have been added to by new structures, including a stunning temple. It felt more like something you would expect to find in Ayutthaya or Sukhothai. After a stroll around, allowing me time to grab plenty of clips for the video for my YouTube Channel, we headed on to Wat Tri Samakkhi.
It is a modern Buddhist temple best known for its striking Phaya Naga Island, a colourful spiritual park filled with giant serpent (naga) sculptures and symbolic Buddhist artwork inspired by Isaan folklore and Mekong-region beliefs, which has attracted many visitors since it opened in 2022.
Arriving in Roi Et for New Year’s Eve
After plenty of family photos and video clips for my YouTube channel, we continued towards Roi Et. I nodded off, waking up as we arrived at a service station with the city’s tower in view. Needing lunch and knowing Indy can be a fussy eater, I remembered that my mate Oggi used a Thai/Western place, which happened to be near our hotel.
Riverside Bar & Restaurant was ideal for our needs, with all meals being given the thumbs up, while the mention of my mate getting us special attention from the owner's son. It was time to check into our rooms and have a rest before getting ready to explore what the city had to offer on New Year’s Eve.
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| Chilly by the Tower |
Q was happy to drive, doing a splendid job finding a parking spot near the tower. The area in front of it was being set up with chairs and a stage, with roads being blocked and made pedestrianised. Not paying too much attention, I wondered why the rest of the group was spending so much time speaking to a policeman.
He turned out to be a distant relative from Sisaket. Unbelievable. He offered us an insight into how things would play out later in the evening. Thanking him, we walked around to the grounds of the Provincial Hall, where there was a large night market under cover, offering the usual food and clothing options.
Next to it was a funfair, which Indy loved. He had his fun on rides far too scary for me, as I rolled back the years to when I worked in a large amusement complex in Scarborough, and had a ride on the dodgems. I have to say I think that I drove magnificently and would have stayed on them for ages if I’d been alone.
We’d noticed the SWAG bar and restaurant on our walk and asked whether they had any tables on our way back. It was full. Instead, I suggested that we cross to the island in Bueng Phlanchai and head to the far side of the lake to find somewhere to call our base to watch the New Year celebrations.
It was the same story wherever we asked, apart from Laosien Bar, which was probably best left for an adult outing. In hindsight, the area further round would have been worth exploring, as we found on a future visit for the Bun Phawet Festival.
Instead, we returned to the car and drove to my suggestion, Suki Lao Restaurant, which had done us well when we visited to meet friends previously.
The Video from our Adventure
A Surprisingly Cold Thai New Year
One thing that I had underestimated was the temperature, which was dropping, with a wind making it feel even colder. It would no doubt feel tropical for any Westerner arriving, but not so for those of us who lived in Thailand full-time. We settled down and enjoyed lots of lovely food, washed down with drinks.
On this occasion, the big screen showed a movie. I never thought that I would be spending New Year’s Eve watching a Thai film, not quite understanding what was going on, but I really enjoyed Fast Racing Jazz, so much so that I watched it again at home with subtitles, so I laughed even more.
Fireworks Over Bueng Phlanchai
We returned to where the action was taking place, managing to find a parking spot near Thung Charoen Fresh Market, grabbing some beers at 7/11 and then heading to the lake, which was surrounded by many enjoying food and drinks.
We got a decent spot, cold though it was, to get ready for the countdown. As midnight passed, music echoed around the lake while families, couples and groups of friends celebrated together in the cool Isaan night air.
I am lucky enough to have been by the Thames in London for Millennium Eve and later under the Harbour Bridge in Sydney to enjoy New Year celebrations. The fireworks display at Roi Et was right up there. I was genuinely taken aback, providing a great way to see in 2026.
We tried to find our family policeman to offer him our greetings, but the crowds were too large. Instead, we returned home before getting ready for the ride home, with some detours thrown in, as Q had done his research.
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| Waterfall Cave Soda |
Waterfall Cave Soda was a 90-minute drive and well worth a look, with steep trails, a temple inside a cave, and a stunning waterfall.
Yasothon provided lunch, with our guests not having previously visited our favourite restaurant in Chinatown. All enjoyed their food and the ambience before it was time to get to know local mythology further at the Phraya Kankak Museum and Wiman Phaya Thaen on Chiam Water, topping up my knowledge from our previous visit.
That Kong Khao Noi, another set of old temple ruins, was worth a brief stop on the way back home, at least for buying wooden tools often for sale to aid self-massage. It was a souvenir to remember the place, if nothing else.
What began as a backup plan because of unrest near the Cambodian border turned into one of our most enjoyable New Year trips in Thailand.
Between fireworks, markets, roadside temples, family laughs and unexpected discoveries, Roi Et once again proved that some of the best experiences come when plans change completely.
If you enjoyed this story, feel free to check out my YouTube Channel, where I share videos about everyday life in Thailand, local football, and travel across the country.
Thanks for reading.
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