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Khon Kaen is the capital city of the Khon Kaen Province. It is also one of the four major cities of Isan in Northeast Thailand. The city is one of the four major cities in Isan and is known as the ‘big four of Isan’. Khon Kaen is not known as a tourist destination but it is slowly growing and developing as a tourist destination. What are the things to do in Khon Kaen Thailand?

In Khon Kaen, there are a number of temples to explore in the area with Wat Thung Setthi being the best one. There is also a water park in the city called Dino Waterpark. Or you can see dinosaurs At Phu Wiang National Park. And you can enjoy eating the local Thai food at one of the many restaurants around the city.

In this post, we will go through things to do in Khon Kaen Thailand. Let’s get started!

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Things To Do In Khon Kaen Thailand

Khon Kaen is one of the four major cities of Isan. Khon Kaen is around 450 kilometers (280 mi) northeast of Bangkok, while it is not a touristy destination, there are still fun things to do in Khon Kaen that will keep you busy for a few days.

Here is our list of things to do in Khon Kaen Thailand.

Visit Phu Pha Man National Park

Phu Pha Man National Park is about a 2-hour drive west of Khon Kean. The park is home to caves, waterfalls, and steep cliffs. One of the main reasons to visit this park is to see the thousands of flying bats out of the caves.

This occurs at around 6 p.m. in the evening when thousands of bats fly out of the caves. They return to the cave around 6 a.m.

Phu Pha Man Bat Cave

The caves have massive chambers and paintings on their walls. Other than caves, there are beautiful waterfalls and they are surrounded by amazing scenery. This is a good place to go hiking and see the local wildlife.

Enjoy Dino Water Park

Dino Water Park is a water park in Khon Kaen. It is the biggest in northeastern Thailand. The park has a fantastic range of attractions that suit all ages.

Dino Water Park

The park has kid’s slides and scary slides, as well as the wave pool, a pool with artificially generated waves. It is a park that is well-maintained and very clean.

The entrance fee is 300 baht for full access and 200 baht for limited access.

Explore Wat Thung Setthi

This is a beautiful modern Buddhist temple located about a 20-minute drive from Khon Kaen City. The Gold Temple is a sight to behold. The temple is surrounded by a big pond and a wonderful landscape.

Wat Thung Setthi Temple

The main temple is centrally located and has stairs leading to its multi-level platforms. That is beautifully decorated. And in the main hall, there is the Black Buddha image. There are also paintings and meditation halls on the lower levels.

Visit Hat Sawan Beach

Hat Sawan Beach can be found near the Ubolratana Dam. It may interest you to find out that Hat Sawan means Heaven. Unfortunately, the beach is only visible in the dry season.

You can swim and have lunch here. At Had Sawan (Hat Sawan), you can take a ride on the banana vessel, take a dip, or simply appreciate the delightful view while having a pleasant dinner.

Explore The Khon Kaen City Museum

The Khon Kaen City Museum is a well-preserved history of the Khon Kaen province and gives an opportunity to learn about the historical facts about Khon Kaen. It is not a large museum.

This is an old building that was updated in 2010, so has better lighting on the displayed artifacts, and the displays are professionally done. With descriptions that are in Thai and English.

Khon Kaen City Museum

Even though the artifacts in the museum are ancient, the facilities there are not. In fact, a part of the museum is used for exhibitions because of the state-of-the-art equipment in it.

The ticket entrance fee for Thai people is 20 baht. The ticket entrance fee for foreigners is 100 baht.

See Dinosaurs At Phu Wiang National Park

Phu Wiang National Park is about 70 km northwest of Khon Kaen in the Phu Wiang district. If you think dinosaurs are as imaginary as fire-spitting dragons, you need to check the 49-foot-long fossil at the Phu Wiang National Park.

Phu Wiang National Park

At Phu Wiang National Park you will see dinosaur fossils, dinosaur steps, prehistoric human skeletons, and iron tools.

There are trails of varying lengths to the dinosaur bone sites that are clearly signposted, some being located up in the hills so walking to these offers fine views.

There is a large car park, visitor center, refreshments, and toilet facilities.

Relax At Bueng Kaen Nakhon

Bueng Kaen Nakhon is a park with a lake that is about 4 km long. It has a large public park which is great for relaxing and playing sports for the day with a big lake surrounding the area.

Bueng Kaen Nakhon

Since the park is big, there are bicycles available to rent, nothing stops you from riding around in the park. Enjoying yourself and keeping fit is always a winning combination.

You are not barred from fishing there either. You can rent some fishing gear. However, you can only fish in the southeast section of the lake.

Visit King Cobra Village

King Cobra Village is about a 30-minute drive from the city. As the name suggests this is a village that loves snakes, as every house has a pet snake.

Cobra Snake

There is a snake show every hour. Where the snake handlers will come around with pythons, to hand to willing people, for a picture with a snake around their necks.

There are also other animals in cages like crocodiles, goats, and monkeys. You can also buy drinks and snacks in the shop. The ticket entrance fee for foreigners is 100 baht.

The Best Time To Travel To Khon Kaen Thailand

Khon Kaen has an average temperature of between 27°C to 33°C all year round. The monsoon season runs from May to October, with heavy showers.

The best time to visit Khon Kaen is between November and February for the cooler weather.

Wrapping Up

Finally, there are a number of temples to explore in Khon Kaen with Wat Thung Setthi being the best one. There is also a water park in the city called Dino Waterpark. Or you can see dinosaurs At Phu Wiang National Park. And you can enjoy eating the local Thai food at one of the many restaurants around the city.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on the things to do in Khon Kaen Thailand has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.

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Things To Do in Khon Kaen Thailand
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