Phetchabun

Phetchabun is Thailand's hill station province — cool weather, mountain scenery, and a growing reputation as a weekend escape from Bangkok. Khao Kho, once a remote Communist insurgency battleground, has reinvented itself as a resort district with sea-of-fog viewpoints, hilltop cafes, and cool-season strawberry farms. The sunrise from Phu Thap Boek (the "Thailand Fuji") draws campervans and photo hunters.

The city of Phetchabun itself is pleasant if unremarkable, but the surrounding mountains are excellent. Nam Nao National Park is one of Isan's finest: dense forest, diverse wildlife, and a high-altitude campground that gets properly cold. The Si Thep Historical Park, recently submitted for UNESCO World Heritage status, preserves an ancient Dvaravati city with temple ruins spanning 1,500 years — it's remarkably uncrowded. Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, the former Communist Party headquarters, combines wartime history with cliff-edge viewpoints and the bizarre Lan Hin Taek (cracked stone field).