Attractions

Khon Kaen has many notable attractions which we would like to recommend as follows.

Phu Wiang National Park.
Amphoe Phu Wiang, Changwat Khon Kaen

     The national park covers the area of Phu Wiang ,Si Chomphu and Chum Pae Districts. It was declared by a national government on 8 December,1991. The total area is 325 square kilometers. The park is surrounded by mountains. In the valley there are various kinds of plants, trees, numerous kinds of wildlife, beautiful waterfalls, dinosaur fossil sites and the reclining Buddha on the cliff at the crest of Phu Wiang Mountain. Many places are accessible by vehicles, and the closest point is only 4 kilometers from Phu Wiang.

                                                                                                                                      

Phuwiang Dinosaur Museum.

          It is part of the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Fossil Study and Research Centre which was founded by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Khon Kaen Province, and the Department of Mineral Resources, with an aim to study and publicize knowledge on mineral resources. The museum is divided into three sections: service, academic and exhibition. The exhibition room displays the Earth’s origin, rocks, minerals, fossils, dinosaur models, etc. The working hour is 9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. daily, except Wednesday. To get there, take Highway No.12 to ChumPae district and then turn right to Phu Wiang district on Highway No.2038. The museum is about 3 Kilometers from the national park.

        The first piece of dinosaur bone of Thailand was discovered in the Phu wiang national Park of Wiang Kao district, Khon kaen province as a result of from a uranium exploration carried out by the Department Of Mineral resources. The exploration found uranium in sandstone togehter with the piece of dinosaur bone but the cestain taxon of dinosaur was unknow at that time. The bone was later sent to France for further research. The result was that the bone belonged to the distal part of a Sauropod dinosaur.

         In 1980, Thai and French paleontologists conducted an excavation for dinosaur bones at pit No. 1 on the Phu Pratu Teema and discovered up to 21 pieces of bone of a large Sauropod dinosaur.

The discovery of dinosaur bones made the Phu Wiang valley an important area with a great interest by general people. In 1987, geologists from the Department of Mineral resources in cooperation with Frence experts discovered pit no. 2 of which 7 pieces of dinosaur bones were found and arranged in complete conditions. In the same year, up to 68 small footprints of Coelurosaur were found in Lad Pa Chad area. The Coelurosaurs were small Bipedal Carnosaurs hunting in groups.

        In 1989,Her Royal Highness Princess – Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited pit no.2, followed by Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana – Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra in the year after. The dinosaur sites and Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum had been developed after then.

 (Photo from: Phuwiang Dinosaur Museum.)

Ubonrat Dam

Nampong District, Khon Kaen

The weather is very nice at Ubonrat dam.

   

Scenic view on the other side of the dam

A peaceful walking path

The map of Ubonrat dam which gives some detials of the tourist spots

King Cobra Village

Kok Sa Nga village, Nampong district.

  

King Cobras are kept in cage. They are fed with smaller snakes brought for sale by dwellers .

Crocodiles are member of King Croba villege. They lie still all day and like to open their mouths widely for suppression.

Tourist drop coins into the pond, then the staff  keep those coins to buy them some food.

                                     

There are several monkeys at King croba village. Tourist can feed them with corns, breads, apples, crackers, etc.

A fight with a King Cobra:

This guy was trying to kiss the King Cobra's head , he had to gaze its eyes in order to face it.

Isan Style Dancing:

In the picture, the girls were dancing in Isan style,

then two girls who had a King Croba around their necks put the sneak head into their mouths.

A boy  fighting with a King Cobra

Several  men at King Cobra village can fight with King Cobra. They were trained since their childhood like the boy in the picture.

                                     
Dancing with King Cobra
Same above,  the show demonstrated the relationship of Kok Sa Nga's villagers and the King Cobra.