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Khon Kaen ขอนแก่น | |
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    .jpg)  From left to right, top to bottom :Phra That Kham Kaen,Nam Phong National Park,Ubol Ratana Dam,Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon, Khon Kaen City Pillar Shrine,Khon Kaen University | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Mottoes: พระธาตุขามแก่น เสียงแคนดอกคูน ศูนย์รวมผ้าไหม ร่วมใจผูกเสี่ยว เที่ยวขอนแก่นนครใหญ่ ไดโนเสาร์สิรินธรเน่ สุดเท่เหรียญทองแรกมวยโอลิมปิก ("Phra That Kham Kaen. The sound of the khaen and the golden shower tree. Center of silk. United in the Phuk Siao tradition. Travel to Khon Kaen, the big city.Sirindhorna dinosaurs. Spectacular first gold in Olympic boxing.") | |
 Map of Thailand highlighting Khon Kaen province | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Capital | Khon Kaen |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Kraison Thongchalart |
| • PAO Chief Executive | Wattana Changlao |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,659 km2 (4,115 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 14th |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total |  1,772,381 |
| • Rank | 5th |
| • Density | 166/km2 (430/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 19th |
| Human Achievement Index | |
| • HAI (2022) | 0.6532 "somewhat high" Ranked 22nd |
| GDP | |
| • Total | baht 204 billion (US$6.8 billion) (2019) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Postal code | 40xxx |
| Calling code | 043 |
| ISO 3166 code | TH-40 |
| Vehicle registration | ขอนแก่น |
| Website | khonkaen |
Khon Kaen (Thai:ขอนแก่น,pronounced[kʰɔ̌ːnkɛ̀n];Northeastern Thai:ขอนแก่น,pronounced[kʰɔ̌ːnkɛ́n]) is one of Thailand's 76provinces (changwat). It is a triply-landlocked province incentral northeastern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north, clockwise)Nong Bua Lamphu,Udon Thani,Kalasin,Maha Sarakham,Buriram,Nakhon Ratchasima,Chaiyaphum,Phetchabun, andLoei.
Several bronze and iron tools used as axes have been discovered in the province, along with a bronze ring attached to a skeleton. This is in addition to a copper axe found from 4,600 to 4,800 (2600 BC to 2800 BC), the oldest in Southeast Asia.[5] During theDvaravati period, Khon Kaen was influenced by the culture of the central region. The oldest inscription found inKhon Kaen dates back to the 8th century and is written in theOld Mon language, suggesting the presence ofMon people in the area at that time.[6]: 93 TheDvaravati culture is believed to have played a significant role in the region, and theNyah Kur people are thought to be descendants of the Dvaravati Mon people.[6]: 75 During the 10th–11th centuries and onwards, the area came underKhmer influence, as evidenced by various inscriptions.[6]: 166 The area fell into the control ofLan Xang before coming under Central Thai control.[7]
The first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people. KingRama I made Rajakruluang the first governor of the area when establishing tighter connections with theIsan area. The main city was moved six times until in 1879 it reached its present-day location at Nuang Kaw. Khon Kaen was under the governance of Udon in the early period of Rattanakosin, c. 2450 BCE.The Integrated Opisthorchiasis Control Program, also known as the Lawa Project, an internationally recognizedliver fluke control program, has its offices in the Ban Phai and Ban Haet Districts south of Khon Kaen city.
Other satellite cities that has to do with the separation from the city of Suwannabhumi and later separated into a city in the province of Khon Kaen after 1797 that includes the city of Mancha Khiri district.
Khon Kaen was incorporated as a city in 1797.
| Theseal of the province shows thestupa (tower) ofPhra That Kham Kaen, which is believed to contain relics ofBuddha. A tree is depicted on each side. One is abanyan tree (Ficus benghalensis), the other aGolden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula). The Thai name of the golden shower means 'providing support and preventing a decline', and it is also the provincial flower. Theprovincial tree is the pink shower tree (Cassia bakeriana), the Thai name of which translates as 'wishing tree'. The provincial aquatic life is the edible carpOsteochilus melanopleura. |
The mayor of Khon Kaen in 2005 choseSinxay to be the new identity of the Khon Kaen and had finials designed representing Sinxay and his two brothers, Siho and Sangthong. The story of Sang Sinxay, one of the masterpieces of Lao literature written by Pang Kham in 1649, during theLan Xang period.[8]
Khon Kaen occupies part of theKhorat Plateau. TheChi and Phong Rivers flow through the province. The total forest area is 1,222 km2 (472 sq mi) or 11.5 percent of provincial area.[1]
There are four national parks, three of which along with three other national parks make upregion 8 (Khon Kaen), and Phu Kao–Phu Phan Kham inregion 10 (Udon Thani) of Thailand's protected areas. (Visitors in fiscal year 2024)[9]
| Phu Pha Man National Park | 350 km2 (140 sq mi) | (37,404) |
| Phu Wiang National Park | 325 km2 (125 sq mi) | (68,626) |
| Phu Kao–Phu Phan Kham National Park | 318 km2 (123 sq mi) | (84,867) |
| Nam Phong National Park | 197 km2 (76 sq mi) | (27,256) |
| Location protected areas of Khon Kaen | ||||||||||
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The province is divided into 26 districts (amphoes). The districts are further divided into 198 subdistricts (tambons) and 2,139 villages (mubans).
There are plans to split off the northwestern part of the province to form a new province centered at Phu Wiang. The other districts which will belong to this new province are Nong Ruea, Chum Phae, Si Chomphu, Phu Pha Man, Nong Na Kham, and Wiang Kao.[10]
As of 26 November 2019 there are:[11] one Khon Kaen Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 84 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Khon Kaen has city (thesaban nakhon) status. Ban Phai, Ban Thum, Chum Phae, Kranuan, Mueang Phon and Sila have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 77 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 140 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).
Khon Kaen Province has a variety of basic education institutions.
Primary schools are under the jurisdiction of theKhon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area Office, which comprises five districts. Local administrative organizations cover 43 educational opportunity expansion schools, and two are under the jurisdiction ofKhon Kaen University.
Secondary schools include schools from three jurisdictions :
Vocational education institutions, both public and private, are under the supervision of theOffice of the Vocational Education Commission.
Higher education institutions, both public and private, includeKhon Kaen University, the largest, oldest, and most important university in theNortheast.
Khon Kaen has both public and private health facilities providing health services to the public. These include major government hospitals such asKhon Kaen Hospital,Srinagarind Hospital Faculty of Medicine,Khon Kaen University, andKhon Kaen Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital, as well as leading private hospitals such asKhon Kaen Ram Hospital,Ratchaphruek Hospital, andBangkok Hospital Khon Kaen. Other public health facilities, such as health centers, municipal public health service centers, and subdistrict health promotion hospitals, are scattered throughout the province.
Khon Kaen International Airport (IATA: KKC,ICAO: VTUK) is located in Ban Ped subdistrict,Mueang Khon Kaen district, Khon Kaen province. Approximately 8 kilometers west of the city center and 2 kilometers from Highway No. 12 (Khon Kaen - Loei), it covers an area of 1,780,800 square meters and is an airport under theDepartment of Airports,Ministry of Transport. It was announced as a customs airport on September 1, 1991.
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The railway system in Khon Kaen is on both northeastern routes fromBangkok Railway Station. Khon Kaen province's main railway stations wasKhon Kaen Railway Station. In 2017, a 60 kilometre dual-track line will connect Khon Kaen toNakhon Ratchasima province. It is the first segment of a dual track network that will connect Isan with theLaem Chabang seaport.[13]
The city is bisected byMittraphap Road, also known as "Friendship Highway", or Asian Highway 2 (AH2), the road linkingBangkok to theThai-Lao Friendship Bridge. A multi-lane bypass enables through-traffic to avoid the city center to the west, and connects to the airport and to the main roads toKalasin province andMaha Sarakham province in the east, andUdon Thani province in the north.
The sports teams listed below are based in Khon Kaen.
| Health | Education | Employment | Income |
 |  |  |  |
| 62 | 5 | 47 | 39 |
| Housing | Family | Transport | Participation |
 |  |  | .png) |
| 35 | 27 | 39 | 46 |
| Province Khon Kaen, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6532 is "somewhat high", occupies place 22 in the ranking. | |||
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using theHuman achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.[3]
| Rank | Classification |
| 1–13 | "High" |
| 14–29 | "Somewhat high" |
| 30–45 | "Average" |
| 46–61 | "Somewhat low" |
| 62–77 | "Low" |
| Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings |
 |
, year 2024, provincial level, Excel File, no.40
, page 19
, 5 Khon Kaen, 1 PAO, 1 City mun., 6 Town mun., 77 Subdistrict mun., 140 SAO.
Khon Kaen travel guide from WikivoyagePlaces adjacent to Khon Kaen province | |
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16°26′41″N102°50′1″E / 16.44472°N 102.83361°E /16.44472; 102.83361
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