The area of the province along the Lao border is used by the Laotians to buy and sell goods with the locals on the Thai side.

The seat of provincial government, Loei, is in a fertile basin surrounded by mountains whose summits are covered by fog and abundant varied flora.

[11] The western part of the province reaches the southern end of the Luang Prabang Range of the Thai highlands.

The provincial slogan is "city of the sea of mountains, coldest place in Siam, with beautiful flowers of three seasons.

Macadamia nuts, passion fruit, and Arabica coffee are grown in the highlands; bananas, sesame, and rubber on the plains.

The locality has been the site of a long-standing dispute as well as physical conflict between the villagers of Ban Na Nong Bong and its environs and Tungkum Limited, a subsidiary of Tongkah Harbour PCL.

As of 26 November 2019 there are:[19] one Loei Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 29 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province.

The non-municipal areas are administered by 71 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations, SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Route 201 leads from Chiang Khan in the north on the border with Laos, through Loei, to Non Sa-at near Chum Phae.