Description
If you are looking to have some fun on Nong Han Lake in Sakon Nakhon, one of the best ways is to go rafting in the Ban Tha Wat (บ้านท่าวัด) community. You can buy cooked Thai dishes in the waterside market (or accompanying restaurant), rent a large raft that can hold around 10 people, and then spend the day relaxing, eating, drinking, and enjoying the beautiful scenery — including lovely views of the lakeside temples Wat Maha Phrom Phothirat, Wat Klang Si Chiang Mai, and Wat Pa Eo Kan.
There are several Ban Tha Wat vendors offering rafts for rent, and all have similar pricing. Rental prices average around 400 baht for the 1st hour, 100 baht for every additional hour, and 800-1000 baht for an entire day's raft rental (depending on how many people). If it is a weekend or holiday, you should call ahead and reserve a raft, which means getting someone who can speak Thai to help you. A few places you can call to make a reservation are:
Ban Tha Wat Rafts (แพบ้านท่าวัด อาเล็กแพ): 064 085 3489
Nong Jino Rafts (แพน้องจีโน่ล่องแพบ้านท่าวัด): 093 369 1227
Nong Nap Dtang Rafts: (แพน้องนับตังค์ล่องแพบ้านท่าวัด): 095 229 5890
Nam Waan Rafts (แพน้ำหวานบ้านท่าวัด): 098 639 7579
Wee Rafts at Ban Tha Wat (แพทวี บ้านท่าวัด): 088 027 2252
If you would like to do some Nong Han lake rafting, it will take you about 35 minutes from downtown Sakon Nakhon to get to the Ban Tha Wat rafts. We would suggest going in the morning to explore first the lakeside temples we mentioned above, then have your lunch out on the lake.
Note that you should not jump off the raft into the water to take a swim, as Nong Han lake has liver flukes in the water, which could cause you an illness if you were to get infected by them. It is rare to get liver flukes from swimming unless you were to accidentally swallow some lake water (which is why you will sometimes see locals inner tubing or swim fishing in the water). But to be on the safe side, dangling your legs into the water is probably the furthest you should go.