Khon Kaen

Khon Kaen is the unofficial capital of Isan — a university city with the best infrastructure, nightlife, and dining in the northeast. The city's Central Plaza and walking street markets coexist with old-school Isan culture: the Khon Kaen National Museum covers the region's Dvaravati and Khmer heritage, and the silk villages of Chonnabot (about 50 km south) produce some of Thailand's finest mudmee silk, woven on looms beneath traditional stilt houses.

Phu Wiang National Park protects the site where Thailand's first dinosaur fossil was discovered — the Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum tells the story well. Ubol Ratana Dam is a popular weekend escape for Khon Kaen residents, with lakeside seafood restaurants and floating raft houses. The city's food scene punches above its weight: the night markets serve excellent som tam, larb, and nam tok, and Khon Kaen's version of gai yang (grilled chicken) is considered the gold standard across Isan.