Khon Kaen Province


Khon Kaen is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces lies in central northeastern Thailand also called Isan. Neighboring provinces are Nong Bua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Phetchabun, and Loei.

History

The first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people. King Rama I made Rajakruluang the first governor of the area when establishing tighter connections with the Isan 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 recognized liver fluke control program, has its offices in the Ban Phai and Ban Haet Districts south of Khon Kaen city.

Geography

Khon Kaen occupies part of the Khorat Plateau. The Chi and Phong Rivers flow through the province.

Symbols

Culture

Sinxay

The mayor of Khon Kaen in 2005 chose Sinxay 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 the Lan Xang period.

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into 26 districts. The districts are further divided into 198 subdistricts and 2,139 villages.
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.

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Khon Kaen Provincial Administration Organisation and 84 municipal areas in the province. Khon Kaen has city status. Ban Phai, Ban Thum, Chum Pae, Kranuan, Mueang Phon and Sila have town status. Further 77 subdistrict municipalities. The non-municipal areas are administered by 140 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO.

Education

;Universities
;Schools
Khon Kaen has hospitals operated by both the public and private sectors. Its main hospital operated by the Ministry of Public Health is Khon Kaen Hospital. The province also has a university hospital, Srinagarind Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.

Transport

;Air
;Rail
The railway system in Khon Kaen is on both northeastern routes from Bangkok Railway Station. Khon Kaen Province's main railway stations was Khon Kaen Railway Station. In 2017, a 60 kilometre dual-track line will connect Khon Kaen to Nakhon Ratchasima Province. It is the first segment of a dual track network that will connect Isan with the Laem Chabang seaport.
;Road
The city is bisected by Mittraphap Road, also known as "Friendship Highway", or Asian Highway 2, the road linking Bangkok to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. A multi-lane by-pass enables through-traffic to avoid the city centre to the west, and connects to the airport and to the main roads to Kalasin Province and Maha Sarakham Province in the east, and Udon Thani Province in the north.

Sport

The sports teams listed below are based in Khon Kaen.
;Football
;Volleyball
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index, a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board has taken over this task since 2017.

Sister cities