Khon Kaen is 280 miles to the north east of Bangkok, close to the border with Laos. It is the capital of the province with the same name. Along with Khorat, Ubon Ratchathani, and Udon Thani it is considered to be one of the Big Four of Isaan. This is a region famous for its production of rice. The climate is ideal for producing rice of a very high quality. The combination of a poor area and incredible beautiful women, means it supplies a constant stream of young girls to the fleshpots of Bangkok.
Khon Kaen has developed into a major regional centre for education, government offices and financial institutions. In addition to this it is an important agricultural area. However economics is what is being developed here, with huge campuses at both Rajamangala and Khon Kaen Universities.
The local airport was promoted to International status in 2005 and a new terminal was built. Five airlines, Thai Airways, Thai Air Asia, Nok Air, Thai Smile, and Kan Air, now make regular scheduled flights.
Khon Kaen is bisected by the Mithraphap Road. This is also known as “The Friendship Highway”. It is actually Highway 2, which is the road linking Bangkok to Laos. At the border the two countries are joined by the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. This modern multi-lane by-pass can be extremely dangerous especially at night. It has enabled through-traffic to avoid the city centre. This has eased what was terrible congestion in the city. It also connects to the Khon Kaen International Airport. This tis also the outlet to Kalasin and Mahasarakham in the east, and Udon Thani in the north
There are many important Buddhist temples here. One of the most famous is Wat Nong Wang also known as Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon. The Khon Kaen National Museum opened in 1972 and draws good visitor numbers. They can enjoy the exhibits of antiques, precious art pieces, and archaeological finds from the region.
 north east of Bangkok, close to the border with Laos. It is one of the big four cities of Isaan){kind=link}