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Ban Fang | Ban Phai | Chonnabot | Chum Phae | Mancha Khiri | Nam Phong | Phu Pha Man | Phu Wiang

Amphoe Ban Fang

Phra That Kham Kaen
Phra That Kham Kaen is in Wat Chetiyaphum, Tambon Ban Kham. It can be reached by driving for 16 kilometres on Highway No. 209 (Khon Kaen-Kalasin road) and going left for 14 more kilometres. This is Khon Kaens main historical site. Legend has it that a dead tamarind stump miraculously grew branches and leaves again after a procession bearing the holy relics of Lord Buddha walked past. A pagoda was then built the area, and the name of the province was actually derived from this sacred place.

Amphoe Ban Phai

Scientific Centre for Education
Located on a 51 rai plot of land, the centre is a knowledge hub in science and technology for children, youth, students, and the public. The 2-storey building has various exhibitions regarding science and environment as well as the Scientist Princess Room which features history and performances of Prof. Dr. Princess Chulabhorn and the Primeval World Room which features dinosaur and fossils.

The scientific center is open on weekdays from 8.30 am. - 4.30 pm. Call 0 4327 4154 for more information.

Amphoe Chonnabot

Sala Mai Thai
Located in Khon Kaen Vocational College, Sala Mai Thai is part of the project to celebrate the 60th birthday anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen (August 12, 1992). The silk centre was established to support Her Majesty the Queens mission to promote silk and silk products from Isan as well as conserve the traditions. The centre feature the silk production process from dyeing to weaving, tools for silk production and rare equipment, and different ancient silk textiles various pattern. The centre also exhibits the world's most expensive Mudmee silk textile woven by the people of Chonnabot people. The silk textile has won Asian award in silk contest.

Sala Mai Thai is open daily during official hours, Monday to Friday during 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. For more information, contact the Khon Kaen Vocational College, Amphoe Chonnabot, Khon Kaen 40180 at Tel. 0 4328 6160.

How to get there: From downtown Khon Kaen, visitors can go via Highway 2 (Khon Kaen-Korat) for 44 kilometers. Turn right at Ban Phai Intersection to Highway 229 and go for another 11 kilometers. Sala Mai Thai is on the left, opposite to Kong Kaeo Lake.

Amphoe Chum Phae

Non Mueang Ancient Town
The ancient town is located at Ban Na Pho, 80 kilometers from downtown Khon Kaen. Legends say the hill known as Non Mueange was the location of an ancient town. Acquiring a 216 rai area, the oval hill has double moats. Archaeologists have found sandstone Sema boundary markers in Dvaravati style in the town and nearby. Potsherds were scattered around. Some were painted in red, and some decorated with incising and cord-marked patterns.

Amphoe Mancha Khiri

Chang Kra
Having grown wild over a century ago in Wat Pa Mancha Khiri, over 4,000 Chang Kra orchid-Rhyncostylis gigantean (Lindl.) are in full bloom on the branches of some 280 trees every year during January and February. These wild orchids always fill the whole area with their mild fragrance.

How to get there: the temple is only a kilometer from downtown Amphoe Mancha Khiri, 57 kilometers from downtown Khon Kaen. From Bangkok, motorists can drive via Highway 2 (Mitraphap Road) then turn left to Amphoe Chonnabot, via Highway 229 (Chonnabot-Mancha Khiri). The entrance to the temple is on the left before reaching Amphoe Mancha Khiri or some 35 kilometers from Mitraphap Road. From Khon Kaen, motorists can go via Highway 2731 and 2062 through Amphoe Phra Yuen.

Sim (ubosot of Wat Sa Thong Ban Bua )
This Sim, ordination hall, is architectural heritage of Isan with outstanding local characters. The exterior is decorated with colourful mural and glass. The Sim houses a rare Isan-style sandstone Buddha image. In 2002, the Sim was awarded a precious architecture, heritage and cultural conservation of the Asia Pacific by UNESCO.

Tortoise Village
The villagers keep a large amount of tortoises as their mutual pets. The brownish yellow shelled tortoises, called Tao Phek in local dialect, always travel around in the village to be fed.

Amphoe Nam Phong

Ban Khok Sanga king cobras village

King Cobras Village Ban Khok Sa-nga in Tambon Sai Mun is famous for its strange pets, king cobra, kept at every house. The villagers formally earned extra income by selling herbal medicines by travelling around through villages. By 1951, a local doctor, Ken Yongla initiated a cobra show, which was successful to attract clients to the village. Anyway, a cobra show was too dangerous as the snake can spit its poison for two metres making a man blind. So he changed to conduct the show with a king cobra and inherited such skill to the villagers.

Today, after the harvest season, with better transportation, villagers of Khok Sa-nga always travel around to organize a snake show and offer their herbal medicine. In the village, a snake show is held at Wat Si Thamma, performing different series of show such as snake dancing and boxing between king cobra and man. Exhibitions regarding the king cobra as well as nursery are located nearby.

How to get there: Ban Khok Sa-nga is 49 kilometers from downtown Khon Kaen. Visitors can go via Highway 2 and make a right turn at kilometer 33 to Highway 2039. At kilometer 14, opposite Phang Thui police box, turn right onto a soil road. Then keep going through Ban Na Ngam and make a left turn at the intersection, continue for another 600 meters.

Phrathat Kham Kaen

Located in Wat Chetiyaphum, the Phrathat is believed to be the origin of Khon Kaen city since ancient times. Phrathat Kham Kaen can be date the 20th century A.D. According to the legend, a back to  king who ruled Mori town in the Khmer kingdom assigned 9 senior monks to bring relics of the Lord Buddha to be placed in Phrathat Phanom. On the way, the caravan spent a night here, setting a camp by the heartwood of a dead tamarind tree. The caravan reached Nakhon Phanom on the next day just to learn that Phrathat Phanom had already been completed, so they returned on the same route with a wish to place the relics at their hometown instead. On the way back, they were surprised to find the dead tamarind tree buddingly lush. Therefore, they decided to build a Phrathat here and placed the relics and Buddha images inside, naming Phrathat Kham Kaen which means the stupa of tamarind heartwood.

Amphoe Phu Pha Man

Phu Pha Man National Park
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 kilometers from Amphur 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 10 kilometers 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 kilometers from downtown Amphur 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 meters 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 meters.  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, Moo 7 Tambol Wang Sawap, some 40 kilometers 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 originates from Tat Fa Creek. The creek cascades through small waterfalls before going through a big cliff at 80 meters high. Namtok Tat Yai is the highest waterfall in the park.
Namtok Tat Rong With a height of 60-70 meters, 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-kilometer long cave is naturally decorated with glittering curtain-like stalagmites and stalactites. Cars can access to the cave entrance.

Tham Lai Thaeng

Some 800 meters from Tham Phaya Nakharat is tham Lai Thaeng whose wall has ancient paintings on some two-square meter 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.th

Tham 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 kilometers 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.

Amphoe Phu Wiang

Buffalo Conservation Village

Supported by the provincial livestock offices, villagers have kept lots of water buffaloes until the village was honored as the centre to conserve and develop Thai water buffalo. For more information, call Nawa Sub district Administration Organization at Tel. 0 4321 1466.