Khon Kaen is the commercial, administrative, and educational center of the Northeast that is often used by travelers as a base for visiting many parts of upper Isan.
The Thai government nominated Khon Kaen as the export center for trade throughout the Indo-China Region and both Laos and Vietnam have consulates in Khon Kaen to process visa applications.
Khon Kaen also contains the largest university in the northeast, Khon Kaen University, a major center of education and technology.Historically, Khon Kaen is quite a new town, established a little over two centuries ago during the reign of King Rama I. But prehistorically, this town on the plateau has been home to various cultures as well as other fascinating creatures, heretofore unknown to the modern world.
Artifacts have proven that millions of years ago the area was occupied by gigantic dinosaurs, several of which were endemic to the region. People in various cultures later occupied the plateau for thousands of years until the Ancient Khmer Empire expanded its presence into the area in the 12th century and ruled it for some time.
The ancient cultures, traditions, and historical sites in this area have all contributed to shaping the people and culture of Khon Kaen.A major source of local wisdom regarding the production of silk is in Amphoe Chonnabot, where excellent Mudmee Silk is delicately woven by hand using a special tie-dye technique, and Khon Kaen features both creature comfort, in the form of fine eateries and swanky hotels, and beautiful nature, including a variety of animal parks and a number of spectacular national parks.
Khon Kaen is the commercial and political center of Northeastern Thailand, featuring a number of upscale restaurants and hotels, the largest university in the North East, and a busy airport.In addition to containing some fascinating historical and archaeological sites, Khon Kaen is also an excellent place to watch the production of Mudmee Silk or participate in outdoor activities within one of its several animal reserves or national parks.
Phu Pha Man National Park ( อุทยานแห่งชาติภูผาม่าน )
The obvious natural landmark of this park is the towering limestone cliff that looks like a huge curtain. Lush jungle and mixed forest keep this place cool almost all the year round. Acquiring a total area of 218,750 rai, the park covers areas in Amphoe Phu Pha Man and Amphoe Chum Phae of Khon Kaen as well as Amphoe Phu Kradueng of
Loei.Attractions in this national park include:Tham KlangKhao The cave is in Phu Pha Man Mountain, 2.5 kilometres from Amphoe Phu Pha Man. The caves entrance is some 100 metres above ground level. Inside is the habitat of millions of bats, whose accumulated droppings cause a strong smell.Every evening, around 6 pm., these bats always leave the cave in line, over ten kilometres long. It takes some 30-45 minutes until the last bat leaves the cave.
Tham Phra Near to Tham Klangkhao, this cave has a natural tunnel sloping up to the crest of Phu Pha Man, but it is quite difficult to get through. The cave houses beautiful stalagmites, stalactites, and big stone pillars. The cave entrance can be accessed by car in any season. Winter, from November to February, is the best period to visit the cave.Tham Pu Ta Lo
The cave is in Ban Wang Sawap, 17 kilometres from downtown Amphoe Phu Pha Man. Cars can access to the cave entrance only in the dry season, from November to April. The cave has a spacious chamber, covering over a one rai area. With flat soil ground and 5-7 metre high ceiling, good ventilation allows visitors to enjoy admiring the cave comfortably. Stalagmites and stalactites remain untouched. Some glittering stones look like rock crystals.Namtok Tat Fa Tat Fa creek, natural borderline between Amphoe Phu Pha Man of Khon Kaen and Amphoe Nam Nao of Phetchabun, cascades through five steps to form this waterfall. The last step is the most impressive one with a height of 80 metres.
The rainy season, from late May to early October is the best period to visit the waterfall. Namtok Tat Fa is in Ban Dong Sakhran, Mu 7 Tambon Wang Sawap, some 40 kilometres from downtown Amphoe Phu Pha Man. Cars can reach Ban Tat Fa, then visitors have to trek to the waterfall.The headquarters route-From the former route, going through Highway 201.Namtok Tat Yai The big waterfall originate from Tat Fa Creek. The creek cascades through small waterfalls before going through a big cliff at 80 metres high. Namtok Tat Yai is the highest waterfall in the park.
Namtok Tat Rong With a height of 60-70 metres, the waterfall originates from Phong River that runs from Phu Kradueng. The waterfall borders Phu Kradueng National Park and Phu Pha Man National Park. A folk tale says the waterfall can sing as water runs upon a piece of thin stone, the falling water veers off into different rock holes nearby and fills the forest with strange sounds. Tham Phaya Nakharat As winding as a giant naga, the one-kilometre long cave is naturally decorated with glittering curtain-like stalagmites and stalactites. Cars can access to the cave entrance.Tham Lai Thaeng Some 800 metres from Tham Phaya Nakharat is tham Lai Thaeng whose wall has ancient paintings on some two-square metre area. The paintings contain some 70 pictures of humans, animals, and others, mirroring culture and life in the pre-historical period dating back to over 2,000 years ago.
The national park has not any accommodation and facility for tourists. Visitors should prepare everything by themselves. For more information, please contact the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department at Tel. 0 2562 0760. www.dnp.go.thTham Pu Lup The cave is on Highway 201. Its five chambers are all decorated with glittering stalagmites and stalactites. The cave contains water the year round.Pha Nok Khao The towering cliff of black rock by the Phong River looks like an owl or Nok khao in Thai. It is 125 kilometres from downtown Khon Kaen.
Tourists can get there via Highway 2 and 201 (Khon Kaen-Wang Saphung). Pha Nok Khao is on the left of Ban Dong Lan. The best location to see the owl-shape cliff is at the orchid nursery of the Forestry Department on the other side of the road. There is another nearby place of interest known as Namtok Tat Ron, or Namtok Tat Hong as it is called by local dialect name. The 70-matre high waterfall is located in neighboring Loei province on the boundary of Phu kradueng national Park, Phu Pha Man National Park and the Phong River. The sound made by the waterfall when cascading onto a huge a large stone slab beneath is how the waterfall derived its name.
Phu Wiang National Park ( อุทยานแห่งชาติภูเวียง )
This national park always reminds tourists about dinosaurs. Indeed, nobody had formerly ever though the Isan plateau was once home of dinosaurs. Until 1976 when a uranium survey team discovered a piece of fossil, which was examined by French specialists and declared that it was a left knee bone of a dinosaur. After that, serious execration has never ended until now.On the hill Pratu Ti Ma, which was the first site, geologists have found fossils of a dinosaur, 15 metres high with a long neck and tail.
This is a kind of plant-eating dinosaur never found else where before, so it was named Phuwiangosaurus Sirindhornae to honour H.R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. In this site, over ten teeth of a meat-eating dinosaur have also been found. So geologists and scientists presumed that the long-necked dinosaur was prey for these teeths owner. Among these teeths, one is different. After a study, scientist found that it belonged to a new species of dinosaur never found before. So it was named Siamosaurus Suteethorni after the discoverer, Mr. Warawuth Suteethorn.
All the three sites are not far from the headquarters, and tourists can also visit the second and third sites nearby.Fossils of Siamotyrannus Isanensis found here are the oldest ones, dating back 120-130 million years. This indicates that tyrannosaurus originated in Asia. These fossils are now displayed in the museum of the Department of Mineral Resources.At the 8th site, there are 68 footprints of dinosaurs, dating back 140 million years ago. Most of them belong to the world's smallest species of meat-eating dinosaur, which walked on two legs. Among such footprints, there is one bigger footprint, assumed to belong to Carnosaurus.These sites are 19 kilometres from the headquarters. It takes an hour to get there by car and four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. In many sites, geologists found fossils of dinosaur babies, small crocodiles and mussels dating back to 150 million years ago.
Besides fossils of dinosaurs, there are also traces of ancient civilizations in this area including a high relief of the reclining Buddha on the cliff, at the crest of Phu Wiang Mountain. The Buddha image was carved in the 9th century, mirroring an influence from Indian art. Nearby is Tham Famue Daeng, Dang, or Red Palm Cave, at Ban Hin Rong. The cave wall houses prehistoric paintings of cavemen's hands from sprays of red ochre.
Natural attractions in the park include waterfalls and field of wild flowers. Namtok Thap phaya Suea is a small waterfall near to Tham Famue Daeang. Namtok Tat Fa is a 15-metre high waterfall that can be accessed by car. The waterfall is 18 kilometres from Amphoe Phu Wiang. Some 5 kilometres from Namtok Tat Fa is Namtok Tat Klang which is a 8-metre high waterfall. Savanna and rock plateaus are always blanketed with wild flowers in full bloom by the end of the rainy season.
Phu Wiang National Park acquires a total area of 380 square kilometres in Amphoe Si Chomphu and Amphoe Chum Phae.
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