Khon Kaen
Discover Khon Kaen
While various artefacts have been found in the region that hint at its early human inhabitants, what we know today as Khon Kaen came into being when the ancient Khmer empire expanded into the area in the 12th century. The current town was established a little over two centuries ago during the reign of King Rama I. In addition to being a university town, Khon Kaen is a historic centre of silk production. In Chonnabot, Mudmee silk is delicately woven by hand and then tie-dyed.
What to Experience in Khon Kaen
Taste of Khon Kaen...
Along the road from the Roma Hotel (same side of the road), there are several cheap street eateries. There is also a cheap Internet cafe in the area. A 7-Eleven (alcohol sales 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-24:00) is nearby where you can buy beer if you want to drink with your meal, use the shop's bottle opener. There are two bus terminals in town. The "big" terminal, where most buses arrive and leave and the "small" terminal, which is somewhat more exclusive and appears to provide the "direct to BKK" type of buses. It really is quite small compared to the other. They are about 1 km (0.62 mi) distant from each other within the centre of town, unlike most Thai cities where the bus terminals are on the outskirts. Both terminals have air-con buses, but the big one also has non-air-con to the local provinces.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThai AirAsia flies from Bangkok (DMK) to Khon Kaen (KKC) several times a day; there are also flights from/to Chiang Mai and Phuket. and Thai Lion Air each has a couple of flights a day to Bangkok (DMK) as well. Thai Airways flies from Bangkok (BKK) five times a day. Khon Kaen is on the branch of the Northeastern Line that runs to Nong Khai and Laos. In 2019 the train station was rebuilt as an elevated station with plenty of shade. Eight trains per day pass through Khon Kaen: three going to Nong Khai from Bangkok, three going from Bangkok to Nong Khai, and the final pair of trains travels between Nong Khai and Nakhon Ratchasima. The day train leaves Bangkok at 08:45 and arrives at Khon Kaen at 15:30 (3rd class fan 227 baht, 2nd class A/C 397 baht). Two night trains leave at 20:25 (2nd class A/C sleeper 907/807 thb lower/upper berth) and 21:25 (not recommended, seats only), arriving at Khon Kaen at 04:10 and 05:19 respectively. Until 1 December 2017 Khon Kaen had three bus terminals....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Khon Kaen's centre is characterised by a strict grid system of wide streets and long blocks. It appears to have been designed for road traffic in mind, making walking fairly unpleasant. Numbered songthaews charge 9 baht/person/trip (pay when you get out). Just wave your hand and the songthaew will stop to let you get on; ring the bell and it will stop again to let you get off. There are at least 10 routes serving Khon Kaen. Signage in Thai only. The ordinary bus station ("baw kaw saw") is the interchange for all songthaew routes. If you need to take a tuk-tuk the driver will normally quote 40 to 50 baht for trips within the city. Taxis (similar to those in Bangkok) are available too, as well as Grab ride-hailing service (with fares a bit more reasonable than in nearby Udon Thani - 55-65 baht for a few kilometers in the city center, 90-100 baht to the main bus terminal at the city outskirts (January 2019)).
Where to Stay
There are two bus terminals in town. The "big" terminal, where most buses arrive and leave and the "small" terminal, which is somewhat more exclusive and appears to provide the "direct to BKK" type of buses. It really is quite small compared to the other. They are about 1 km (0.62 mi) distant from each other within the centre of town, unlike most Thai cities where the bus terminals are on the outskirts. Both terminals have air-con buses, but the big one also has non-air-con to the local provinces.
Money & Budget
Across the road from the Roma Hotel in downtown, there is a cheap breakfast restaurant. A lady pulls up in a car and unloads stuff to sell on the footpath, including Thai silk. Prices are excellent, and can be bargained down if you buy in quantity. (Initial price was 500 baht, Four of them were 1,500 baht total.) There are two shopping centres, TukCom (formerly Oasis Plaza) and Fairy Plaza, a Big C, a Tesco Lotus and a Makro. Other major stores include Global House, Homepro and Index Living Mall. Central Department Store (Central Plaza), just beside the City Gate, is the largest shopping complex and hosts SFC cinema, Robinson, Se-Ed Book Centre, B2S, Tops Supermarket, and various restaurants.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Khon Kaen
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white and red betta fish
man wearing white t-shirt playing guitar while standing in front of microphone with stand on open area during nighttime
#film #animal #Holliday #bird #parrot #pets #person #boy
They move no matter how they are
under
white and red betta fish
man wearing white t-shirt playing guitar while standing in front of microphone with stand on open area during nighttime
#film #animal #Holliday #bird #parrot #pets #person #boy
They move no matter how they are
under
white and red betta fish
man wearing white t-shirt playing guitar while standing in front of microphone with stand on open area during nighttime