Khon Kaen, Thailand is located around 450km northeast of Bangkok in the Isaan region. This is the most important commercial, educational and political centre in the whole area. Although this city is filled with modern and egalitarian charm, it has a rich history dating back to the pre-historic era. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re heading there.
How to get to Khon Kaen
If you’re looking to travel here by air, this Khon Kaen is connected by air to several major cities such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai. As there aren’t many tourist attractions in the area, many travellers prefer to use this as a starting point in their journeys to Northeast Asia. You can get visa to both Vietnam and Laos from the respective consulates in Khon Kaen. Trains are the most common mode of transport through Khon Kaen as it is the cheapest; train tickets are super cheap in addition to the amount you’re saving on accommodation for an overnight journey.
Why come here?
In the ancient days, Khon Kaen was a trading hub in the Indochina area. The influence of silk traders from China and Vietnam on Khon Kaen culture is visible even today. Presently, this city is home to the biggest university in Isaan with over 25,000 students. It is also a large commercial area and trade point. If you’re here for a business conference or meeting, there are fun places to visit here and nice places for a meal as well.
Where to stay?
There are hotels suiting everyone scattered throughout the city. If you’re looking for meeting spaces and conference halls to accommodate your corporate events there are hotel Khon kaen such as the likes of Avani Khon Kaen Hotel. You can find affordable options that are not exactly tourist-friendly but will be more than accommodating for a night or two.
Getting around in Khon Kaen
As this is a quite large area, you will have to either rely on public transport or get on a taxi or a tuk-tuk. The fares on tuk-tuk’s can be a little tricky as the drivers might attempt to trick you into paying high fares for short rides. Expect to have t negotiate and haggle a bit. If you’re not good at haggling, you can get on metered tuks which are a bit expensive. The cheapest method is to use the public songthaews system that covers the entire city. Unfortunately, if you don’t speak or understand Thai, it can be a bit difficult to give directions.
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