Sad to see more and more traditional towns and cities get buried under the weight of foreign 'investment'. One only has to look at the shit hole Chiang Mai has become over the last 20 years to see what happens to those who open their arms to the Chinese virus (no, not that one).
Local businesses and politicians have been moaning about being ignored by the high-speed rail link, but it is a blessing that Udon Thani has dodged this bullet and will hopefully remain a small city for a while longer.