Khon Kaen

A university town and transport hub in central Isan, where the nine-tiered pagoda of Wat Nong Wang overlooks the lake, with the Phu Wiang dinosaur museum, Chonnabot silk village and reservoir national parks nearby.

Khon Kaen lies in the centre of Thailand's northeast (Isan). It is the capital of Khon Kaen Province, one of Isan's four major cities, a university town home to Khon Kaen University, and the region's transport hub, with the Bangkok–Nong Khai railway and the Friendship Highway running through it. The city itself is laid-back, and its main sights are in the south of town: Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake and the nine-tiered pagoda of lakeside Wat Nong Wang are the city's landmarks. A classic day ends with an evening walk around the lake and a climb up the pagoda for sunset, followed by Isan grilled chicken, green papaya salad and sticky rice at Ton Tann Market or the Saturday Walking Street. Excursions follow three routes: west to the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum and the fossil sites of Phu Wiang National Park in Phu Wiang District, and farther on to Phu Pha Man National Park to watch bats emerge at dusk; north to the Ubol Ratana Dam, the Elephant Rock viewpoint in Nam Phong National Park, the King Cobra Village and Khon Kaen Zoo; and south to the Chonnabot silk village, the Isan murals of Wat Sanuan Wari at Ban Phai, and the Khmer ruins of Prasat Puay Noi. Public transport to these sights is poor, so hire a car with driver or drive yourself, allowing a day per route. The cool season from November to February is most comfortable; March–May is scorching, reaching 40°C, and the June–October rainy season brings frequent afternoon showers. The Silk Festival is held around December each year, and during Songkran in April Khon Kaen is one of Isan's liveliest cities. There are direct flights from Bangkok (about 1 hour), as well as trains and long-distance buses (about 6–7 hours). Plan on 2–3 days. Note that at temples outside the city you will usually need to remove your shoes and dress modestly; English is rarely spoken in the countryside, so prepare place names in Thai in advance.

Top sights

• Wat Nong Wang (Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon) – Khon Kaen's city landmark. Every level of the nine-tiered pagoda has murals, and the top floor overlooks Bueng Kaen Nakhon lake and the cit…
• Bueng Kaen Nakhon – A large lakeside park south of the city, with a lake path of about 4.6 km. Sunsets and the night market are local favorites.
• Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum – One of Thailand's largest dinosaur museums, displaying fossils discovered on Phu Wiang Mountain, including Sirindhorn's Siamosaurus.
• Khon Kaen National Museum – An important archaeological museum in the Isan region, housing Ban Chiang painted pottery and finely carved boundary stones from the Dvarav…
• Phu Wiang National Park – A circular, basin-shaped mountain national park with in-situ dinosaur fossil excavation sites and mountain waterfalls. It suits a half-day…
• Chonnabot Silk Village – Isan's famous hand-weaving silk village, where you can see the full process of silkworm rearing, silk reeling, and Mudmee tie-dye weaving.
• Ton Tann Market – Khon Kaen's most popular night market, where a covered food court, a music stage on the lake, and creative small shops are all found in one…
• Khon Kaen Walking Street – A walking street in the city center open on Saturday evenings, featuring handicrafts, Isan street snacks, and street performances by studen…
• Ubol Ratana Dam – Isan's first large dam, with a wide reservoir. The dam crest and lakeside restaurants make it a weekend destination.
• Hin Chang Si Viewpoint, Nam Phong NP – A rock viewpoint in Nam Phong National Park overlooking the reservoir bays and islands of Ubol Ratana Lake, as well as the sunset.
• King Cobra Village (Ban Khok Sa-Nga) – A village where residents have raised king cobras for generations, staging daily performances of snake-and-human confrontations. It is a un…
• Prasat Puay Noi – The largest Khmer sandstone ancient temple in Khon Kaen Province, with three red sandstone prang lined up in a row inside its enclosure.
• Phra That Kham Kaen – An ancient stupa that gave Khon Kaen Province its name. Legend says it holds relics of the Buddha, and local devotion is strong.
• Wat Sanuan Wari Phatthanaram – An Isan-style ordination hall in Ban Phai District, with folk-painted murals on its exterior walls telling the epic of Sinxay.
• Wat Chai Si (Sawathi) – A century-old Isan ordination hall in Sawathi Village, with exterior murals that tell the story of Sinxay and are well preserved.
• Phu Pha Man National Park – A national park with limestone cliffs that stand like a curtain. In the evening, hundreds of thousands of bats stream out of its caves in l…
• Khon Kaen Zoo (Khao Suan Kwang) – Isan's largest open-range zoo, where you can drive through or ride a tour vehicle for close-up views of giraffes and zebras.
• Wat Pa Saeng Arun – A forest-tradition temple on the eastern outskirts of the city, where its new main hall in white and gold is richly and intricately decorat…

Where to eat

• Baan Heng Breakfast Shop – A Thai-Chinese breakfast shop descended from the 1957 sausage institution Heng Nguan Hiang. It is recommended by the Mi…
• Kaen Contemporary Isan Cuisine – Two chefs turn local Isan ingredients into relaxed yet refined dishes. The restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.
• Khun Jaeng Vietnamese-Style Steamed Rice Noodles – An old rice noodle shop that uses handmade steamed rice sheets in place of noodles. It is recommended by the Michelin G…
• Praprai Isan Restaurant – An Isan home-style restaurant directly opposite Khon Kaen Airport, run for over twenty years and recommended by the Mic…

Itineraries

• Isan Khmer Ruins & Mekong Loop – An extensive Isan route heading east from Khao Yai to Phimai and Phanom Rung, continuing to the Mekong River, and then…