Northeastern region of Thailand consists of many provinces and one of them is known to Thais as the city of Khon Kaen. The city itself was here since the reign of King Rama I and it is surely that this place has a lot of historic potential to offer for any explorer who are willing to explore this city.
General Information about Khon Kaen, Thailand
Khon Kaen is located in the northeastern region in Thailand and it was established during the reign of King Rama I with a little bit over 200 years ago. This province contains a lot of aspects concerning natural and cultural significances. They also discovered many artifacts, including dinosaur fossils which you can easily visit some museums here to see all of them.
This also includes ancient artifacts from pre-historic era which arguably contributed to what Thailand became as of today. Khon Kaen is an intriguing province and you will surely know why when you set your feet here.
To get here,
you can easily fly from Bangkok to Khon Kaen. However, it might be difficult to catch a ride out of there without having a private car to pick you up. So, your option is only the taxi available there. You could also take a bus from the Mo Chit Bus Terminal which depart every 15 minutes. Lastly, you can drive yourself here as well.
The famous attractions in Khon Kaen, Thailand
The culture is arguably the most important factor for many provinces in Thailand. You can see that each province tries to represent their culture in the best way that they can. Khon Kaen is no different than others, it shows their perfect culture through temples and museum which I found very interesting to learn about.
??????????? Wat Phra That Nong Waeng
This place has a Maha Chedi with nine levels called Phra Maha That Kaen Nakorn. It has a gold color and a wide base of around 50 meters per side with a height of around 80 meters. This is an art style from Tawarawadee era with a mix of Indo-Chinese and Esan styles. You can observe all of the nine levels inside in which you can also see wall arts, crafted pictures, and more. There is also a museum of Esan people where they store tools of the past which are pretty rare.
At the top, you will see a tower that stores Buddha relics of the Buddha himself. This is also the spot where you can see the entire city of Khon Kaen in any direction. In the evening, the Chedi will turn on the lights that you can see them from afar and it is a beautiful sight to see indeed.
??????????? Wat Thung Setthi
This is a temple with a grand and amazing chedi in the middle of the water which is known as Maha Rattana Chedi Sri Trai Lokka That. According to the belief, this is a chedi of the three worlds which are heaven, human world, and underworld. This Chedi combines various art styles from Thailand, China, India, and western continents perfectly into one masterpiece. The Chedi itself has gold as its decoration with beautiful fine details.
You can see the black Buddha statue inside with gems as its accessories. In fact, it is the style from Lopburi. In the evening, the temple will shine the light on the Chedi which produces a magnificent picture.
National Museum of Khon Kaen
??????????? The last famous place is the National Museum of Khon Kaen. It is where they showcase important ancient artifacts from all over the Esan region from the pre-historic era to Tawarawadee era. There is a zone that has an exhibition of pre-historic era of the northern Esan region with dinosaur fossils of more than 160 years old. You can also find ancient artifacts from human in the pre-historic era like stone tools, clay pots, and ivory bracelet with more than 4,000 years old.
There is a zone where you can see a showcase of Bai Sema crafted from sandstones. It was there to indicate the boundary of the Buddha structure. It is also a sculpture which was crafted with beautiful details and each of them has tremendous amount of age. There is also a zone where they showcase a bunch of Buddha statue in different eras of Thailand and Laos.
Local Tells
Like all other amazing places in Thailand, there is something unique about each of them that most outsiders do not know about. There is usually something miraculous about the place that I find intriguing and worth exploring deeper. However, the people that know most about them is the locals.
Phuwiang National Park
The first recommended place by the local is Phuwiang National Park which is the first place in Thailand that a dinosaur fossil was discovered. It is also the place in which a new species of dinosaur was discovered, and the name of this species is Phuwiangosaurus Sirindhornae.
There is a showcase of real fossils at Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum at Kalasin where they discovered up to nine sources of dinosaur digging site. You can take a walk and observe four dinosaur digging sites here and each of them contain real dinosaur fossils and even footprints of the dinosaurs.
Tad Fah Waterfall
You can also find a beautiful waterfall at this park called Tad Fah Waterfall. It is a medium-sized waterfall with a height of 15 meters. The water flows through a black stone cliff and you can go into the water if you would like to. However, you can only come here during the rainy season.
Pha Chom Tawan
Apart from the beautiful waterfall, there is a sightseeing spot where you can see both the sea of mist and sunrise at the same time. This spot is known as Pha Chom Tawan and there is a space where you can set up a tent as well.
Phu Pha Man
The next place is still a park called Phu Pha Man. It is a place most suitable for natural tourism with all the natural aspects like cave, waterfall, and mountain. Phaya Nakarach Cave is the biggest cave in all of Khon Kaen with a distance of around one kilometer. This cave consists of beautiful-shaping rocks, stone curtains, and stone pillars in which many of them look enormous. When you shine your flashlight on certain rocks, you will see the rocks sparkle like diamonds.
Bat cave
Another cave here is a bat cave with a lot of bats living inside. In the evening, more than a million bats will come out of the cave and form a black line across the sky with more than a kilometer in distance. It will take them 30 to 45 minutes for their flight and that is how long you will see the black line in the sky.
Other Interesting Information of Khon Kaen, Thailand
The motto of this province is ?Phra That Kham Kaen, The Sound of Can Dok Coon, Center of Silk, Tie All of our Heart Together as one, Khon Kaen The Big City, Sirindhorn Dinosaur, and The Olympic Boxing Gold Medal?.
To get around the city,
you can either choose to travel by songthaew, tuktuk, taxi, or a van around the city.
For accommodation,
there are plenty of cheap budget and mid-range hotels for you to choose from. However, you can also see some luxury hotels here. Have fun!
Suggested Cities
Bangkok ? The Capital City of Thailand
Nakorn Ratchasima ? The Gigantic Hub of the Esan Region of Thailand
Nakhon Phanom ? A Beautiful City on the Border of Thailand
Udonthani ? Explore the Northeastern Region?s Primary Commercial Centre of Thailand
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