Udon Thani is a city in the north-east of Thailand (Isan). It has a population of 142,670, of which over 7,000 are foreigners. Geographical location 17°25′N, 102°45′E and is approximately 560 km from Bangkok. Udon is also the capital of Udon Thani Province, and is a major commercial center in northern Isan. A Voice of America relay station is located about 50 kilometers northeast of Udon in Ban Dung. The station provides short and medium wave transmission facilities for both VOA and Radio Thailand broadcasts. The city became a bustling support center for the nearby Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base during the Vietnam War, and so retains reminders of that time, with bars, coffee shops, and hotels. Udon has 3 major malls and a number of warehous type outlets, including: Tesco-Lotus, Big 'C', The CharoenSri Complex, Makro, ToolProPlus, HomePro, Global House and HomeMart. A new mall (UD Center) near the RailRoad Station, is in the early stages of construction.
47 km east of Udon Thani is Thailand's premier Bronze Age excavation at Ban Chiang, the world-renowned archaeological site. Although there is little attraction to see in the city for most travellers, there are a few quite interesting temples.
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