Trip Planning

As the commercial and political center of Northeastern Thailand, Khon Kaen can be reached via private car, public bus, train, or airplane. In Khon Kaen town there are standard forms of local transport available for visitors: i.e. songtaew, motorbike taxi, and tuk tuk for local and regional transportation.

By Train
Trains from Bangkok’s Hua Lumphong Railway Station bound for Udon Thani and Nong Khai travel via Khon Kaen. Leaving Bangkok daily, there are various kinds of trains available such as rapid, express, and air-conditioned diesel locomotive. For more information, call Tel. 1690, 0 2220-4334, 0 2220 4444. Khon Kaen Railway Station can be contacted at Tel.0 4322 1112 or www.railway.co.th.

By Car
Khon Kaen province is 449 kilometers from Bangkok. Motorists should take Highway No.1 (Phahonyothin Rd.) north and turn right onto Highway No.2 (Mittraphap Rd.) at kilometer 107 in Saraburi province. Finally, follow Highway No.2 through Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen.

As Khon Kaen is a transportation hub of the Northeast region, motorists can also travel via the Saraburi-Lam Narai Road then turn right, through Mueang Khom-Dan Khun Thot-Chaiyaphum, to Khon Kaen. Or from Saraburi, motorists can travel via Lam Narai-Thepsathit-Chaiyaphum-Mancha Khiri-Phra Yuen to Khon Kaen.

By Bus
A journey by bus from Bangkok to Khon Kaen takes 7 hours. Several ordinary busses, air-conditioned coaches, and 24-seat VIP coaches leave Bangkok’s Northeastern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) daily. For more information, call Tel. 0 2936 2852 to 66. Bus schedules from Khon Kaen can be checked at the Khon Kaen Bus Terminal (Tel.0 4323 7472, 0 4323 7300) and the Air-conditioned Bus Terminal (Tel.0 4323 9910)
By Air

Thai Airways International operates daily flights on the Bangkok-Khon Kaen route. For more information, call Tel.1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or Khon Kaen office at Tel. 0 4322 7701 to 5 or visit the website www.thaiairways.com. Thai Air Asia also operates flights on this route. Call for more information at Tel. 0 2515 9999 or visit the website www.airasia.com.
Getting Around Khon Kaen

Getting around the province is quite convenient as various kinds of vehicle are available. Regular busses, fanned and air-conditioned, operate in the city and there are busses leaving the capital for other districts all day long. Visitors can also use car rental services operated by many tour companies in town.

As in most rural Thai provinces there are typically also songtaews that follow established routes around the provincial capital and between towns within the province. Songtaews, motorbike taxis, samlors (pedal powered tricycle taxis) and tuk tuks are usually available for private charter as well.

Area Map

History & Info

Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum is the first and most important dinosaur museum in Thailand. The first exhibition was open to the public in 2001. It is located at the Phu Wiang Mountains where large specimens of dinosaur fossils were discovered.
The museum facility is spacious and modern. The facility contains versatile and fun activities including interesting research of the world and universe, the origin of life, fauna and flora evolution in the Jurassic Age.
Standing prominently in the middle of the spacious exhibition hall is the sauropod replication statues of the Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae made of metal with the body length of 12 meters and the Siamotyrannus isanensis with length 7 meters. Also in the exhibition hall, there are fossil replicas and collections which were found in Thailand are exhibited behind glass with the history and photos of the Phu Wiang dinosaur excavation sites. These sites include Phu Kum Khao site or Wat Sak Kawan at Sahatsakhan district in Kalasin Province, where most body skeletons of Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae sauropod were discovered. These discoveries are claimed to be the most perfect and complete dinosaur skeletal structure ever discovered in Thailand to date. The museum also houses a paleontologist laboratory, where paleontologists carry out scientific researches on newly-discovered fossils.
Next to the main exhibition hall, visitors will find the Dinosaur Park. In the Dinosaur Park, actual sized dinosaur replication statues of pre-historic dinosaur fossils that were discovered in Thailand, including the Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, Siamotyrannus isanensis, Siamosaurus suteethorni, Kinnareemimus khonkaenensis, Psittacosaurus sattayaraki and Compsognathus, are all brought back to life by the simulation of the Jurassic Age environment. Deep rainforest, creek, waterfall, early plant species in the Proterozoic era such as Ginkgo biloba, horsetails, mosses and ferns are flourishing in this prehistoric park environment. As visitors walk cross the wooden bridge, these dinosaur statues are waiting to greet each of them with their roars from both sides of the bridge, mimicking the feelings of the ancient Jurassic Age.
Additionally, there are selected exhibitions for general knowledge such as the overall Thailand geology, Khon Kaen Geology, Petrochemical exploration, Geo hazards and most importantly the honorable room of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
The museum is located 3 kilometers before Phu Wiang National Park at Wiang Kao district in Khon Kaen province. If you come from Khon Kaen city, use highway No. 12 to Chumpae. It is just a little bit further from Amphoe Nong Rua, turn right at highway No. 2038 until passing Amphoe Phu Wiang and Wiang Kao, the museum will be on your left.

Direction Map

Information

Overview of Khonkaen Province

Khonkaen province is located in the heartland of North Eastern Isan Region. It is the 5th biggest province of Thailand. With being a great location, Khonkaen becomes the main hub for transportation including ground and air transportation as well as an education center. Khonkaen University is the first accredited university in North Eastern Isan region.
Khonkaen has many tourist attractions for visiting all year round including natural resources and cultural attractions. If you have a chance to visit Khonkaen, do not miss the historical Dinosaur site at Phu Wiang district, where Dinosaur fossils first found in Thailand, and has been acknowledged as one of the major Dinosaur discovery of the world dating back 200 million years ago.