🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Yasothon and Roi Et make a neat pair to combine, because the main route — Highway 23 (the Chaeng Sanit Road) — runs straight between the two towns, passing through Roi Et's Selaphum district along the way. On both sides are the broad paddies of Tung Kula Ronghai, a huge plain spanning five provinces (Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, Surin) and a source of jasmine rice that carries a Geographical Indication (GI). Come in the late-rain, early-cool season and you'll see green fields stretching to the horizon; around November it's golden rice at harvest time. The plan below is 2 days / 1 night, and you can stretch it to 3 days if you'd rather take the climb up to Pha Nam Yoi without rushing.
Route and getting around
- Distance — Yasothon town to Roi Et town is about 100 km, roughly a 1 hour 30 min drive along Highway 23 (the Chaeng Sanit Road) through Selaphum district.
- Transport — A self-drive rental is the way to go, since the sights are spread out and in-town public transport is thin. If you fly into Roi Et, there's an airport in town; car rentals at Roi Et airport start around ฿900–1,300 a day.
- No-car option — Buses and vans run the Yasothon–Roi Et line for about ฿60–100, taking around an hour and a half, but within both towns you'll be relying on motorbike taxis or a ride-hailing app.
- When to go — It's a year-round trip, with the nicest weather from November to February. To catch Tung Kula as green rice paddies, come in August–September; for the golden fields, time it for the November harvest.
- Yasothon Bang Fai festival — To catch the Bun Bang Fai (rocket) tradition you'll need mid-May, and around that time hotels in Yasothon town fill up fast and prices climb — book ahead.
Planning tip
The Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol (Pha Nam Yoi) is in Nong Phok district, about 60 km from Roi Et town, with a fair stretch of uphill driving on top of that. If you want to go, budget half a day for it. This plan sets it as the highlight of the second afternoon — but if you're short on time, staying in Roi Et town is plenty pretty and well-paced on its own.
Book the activities in your Yasothon trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Day-by-day plan
Explore Yasothon, the rocket-festival town, one overnight
Cross the Tung Kula plain into Roi Et: lake, temples and pagoda
Local food you shouldn't miss along the way
The charm of this trip is the food tied to the rice fields — Tung Kula jasmine rice, freshwater fish from the rivers, and the savory Isan cooking that both provinces nail. Here's a list of the restaurants and dishes locals actually eat, ordered by where they fit conveniently into the plan.
Ung Por (Yasothon)
A genuine Isan restaurant in the Tat Thong area, roomy and shaded, with a full menu of laab, nam tok, om, tom saep and koi done old-school. A solid lunch on day one before you carry on sightseeing.
Riverside grilled fish & pla som (Yasothon)
Yasothon has its own freshwater fish farms, and riverside restaurants serve salt-grilled fish, fried pla som, fish koi and fish tom yum — fresh and inexpensive. A good dinner for the first day.
Creamy-egg rice & coffee, Ban Singha Tha quarter (Yasothon)
In the old quarter there are local spots for creamy-egg rice bowls, coffee, khao soi and noodles — good for a breakfast stop or a refuel while you walk and shoot the old buildings.
Local Yasothon laab & koi
Yasothon is laab country, with savory flavors — duck laab, pork laab, mushroom laab, koi and tom saep made to old recipes, eaten with hot sticky rice, in a homey setting at friendly prices.
Tung Kula Ronghai jasmine rice (souvenir)
Jasmine rice from Tung Kula Ronghai is the souvenir to buy from the actual source — pretty grains, fragrant, with a Geographical Indication. Buy from roadside farmer groups around Selaphum or from souvenir shops in town for a good price.
Isan food & freshwater fish, Roi Et town
Roi Et has several good-atmosphere Isan restaurants, strong on freshwater fish such as grilled fish, sour curry with cha-om and egg, and fish miang, plus a full spread of laab and koi. A good lunch on the second day.
Som tam & grilled chicken, Roi Et
The staple pairing of the Isan kitchen, done savory in Roi Et — som tam with crab and pla ra, skewered grilled chicken and hot sticky rice, found all over town and in the markets. Good as a snack or a main.
Khao mao & local Tung Kula sweets (souvenir)
Khao mao made from fresh sticky rice and local sweets from the Tung Kula area are the kind of snack you find in markets and roadside stalls — homey, sweet and fragrant, easy to grab for the road.
Cafes around Bueng Phlan Chai (Roi Et)
Around Bueng Phlan Chai and in Roi Et town there are coffee cafes for a lakeside break — good for getting out of the afternoon heat or a coffee before the trip wraps, with an easy vibe and friendly prices.
Pla som & processed goods, Yasothon (souvenir)
Fermented pla som with a well-rounded sour tang is a popular Yasothon souvenir, easy to find in markets and roadside stalls, simple to grab for the road and keeps reasonably long.
The standout sights this plan takes you to
Tung Kula Ronghai
A wide plain covering five provinces and roughly 2 million rai, a source of jasmine rice with a Geographical Indication. Drive the Yasothon–Roi Et stretch and you'll see green or golden paddies to the horizon.
Ban Singha Tha old quarter
Brightly painted Sino-Portuguese shophouses in the center of Yasothon, with cafes and local food shops. Good for a long, relaxed wander with the camera.
Bueng Phlan Chai
A large lake in the center of Roi Et, with an island in the middle, gardens and a paddle-boat spot — the landmark people come to check in at and relax.
Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol (Pha Nam Yoi)
A big pagoda 101 m on each side — width, length, height — over 6 tiers, topped with a gold tiered umbrella, on a green mountaintop in Nong Phok district. The view from atop the pagoda reaches across the wide plain.
The honest word before you go
- Both Yasothon and Roi Et are quiet, slow Isan towns — the charm is in the atmosphere and the food, not in a long list of flashy attractions. If you like fast-paced trips or want lots of activities, it may feel like there's not much here.
- The Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol at Pha Nam Yoi is about 60 km from Roi Et town and involves an uphill drive — budget half a day. If day two starts late you may not make it, so leave early or cut it if time's tight.
- Tung Kula Ronghai is at its prettiest seasonally — green paddies in August–September, golden fields in November. Off-season it's bare ground or stubble, and the view is very different, so check the season before you set out to photograph the fields.
- In-town public transport in both towns is thin, so getting around is hard without your own vehicle — a self-drive rental is much more flexible and recommended.
- Many local Isan restaurants keep short hours and may close unpredictably — check the shop's page or call ahead to be sure.
Stretch it to 3 days
If you have an extra day, split Roi Et into two parts: one day in town (Bueng Phlan Chai, Wat Burapha Phiram), another up to Pha Nam Yoi without rushing, then add a stop at the Suvarnabhumi-side of Tung Kula — and you'll get a trip with town, temples, paddies and food all in one loop.
Want a full city plan for Yasothon, with where to stay and where to eat?
See the Yasothon travel guide →