Tha Sadet Market

Come for the river as much as the shopping. This is a long covered promenade of stalls running beside the Mekong in Nong Khai, and the water is right there while you browse clothes, handicrafts and souvenirs. That setting is what lifts it above the average provincial market.

The goods themselves are what you'd expect, meaning everyday garments, Thai bits and pieces, the usual souvenir fare at local prices. I'd treat the shopping as a bonus and go for the food carts instead, grazing your way along rather than sitting down anywhere. Late afternoon is when it feels most alive, though mornings are cooler and the stalls are all still stocked. Midday under a covered but open-sided walkway gets sticky, so dress for it.

Plenty of people who end up here are on their way to or from the Friendship Bridge into Laos, and it works well as a way to fill a few hours around a border crossing rather than as a destination in its own right.