King Cobras Village Ban Khok Sa-nga in Tambon Sai Mun is famous for its strange pets, king cobra, kept at every house. The villagers formally earned extra income by selling herbal medicines by travelling around through viillages. By 1951, a local doctor, Ken Yongla initiated a cobra show, which was successful to attract clients to the village. Anyway, a cobra show was too dangerous as the snake can spit its poison for two metres making a man blind. So he changed to conduct the show with a king cobra and inherited such skill to the villagers.

Today, after the harvest season, with better transportation, villagers of Khok Sa-nga always travel around to organise a snake show and offer their herbal medicine. In the village, a snake show is held at Wat Si Thamma, performing different series of show such as snake dancing and boxing between king cobra and man. Exhibitions regarding the king cobra as well as nursery are located nearby.

How to get there: Ban Khok Sa-nga is 49 kilometres from downtown Khon Kaen. Visitors can go via Highway 2 and make a right turn at kilometre 33 to Highway 2039. At kilometre 14, opposite Phang Thui police box, turn right onto a soil road. Then keep going through Ban Na Ngam and make a left turn at the intersection, continue for another 600 metres.

 Located in Wat Chetiyaphum, the Phrathat is believed to be the origin of Khon Kaen city since ancient times. Phrathat Kham Kaen can be date the 20th century A.D. According to the legend, a back to king who ruled Mori town in the Khmer kingdom assigned 9 senior monks to bring relics of the Lord Buddha to be placed in Phrathat Phanom. On the way, the caravan spent a night here, setting a camp by the heartwood of a dead tamarind tree. The caravan reached Nakhon Phanom on the next day just to learn that Phrathat Phanom had already been completed, so they returned on the same route with a wish to place the relics at their hometown instead. On the way back, they were surprised to find the dead tamarind tree buddingly lush. Therefore, they decided to build a Phrathat here and placed the relics and Buddha images inside, naming Phrathat Kham Kaen which means the stupa of tamarind heartwood.

The Phrathat is now well renovated and landscaped. A celebration is held annually on the full moon day of the 6th lunar month. Phrathat Kham Kaen is 12 kilometres from downtown Khon Kaen. Visitors can get there via Highway 209 (Khon Kaen-Kalasin route). After crossing the Nam Phong River, turn left and keep going for another 14 kilometres.

 The hall of honour features the biography and achievement of statesman Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda who devoted himself for developing Thailand in different areas. Group visitors can contact in prior at the Prem Tinsulanonda Fort, Tel. 0 4324 9490.

  Acquiring a total area of 197 square kilometres, the park covers a large area in Khon Kaen namely; Nong Ruea, Ubolratana, Phu Wiang, Ban Fang, Mancha Khiri, and Khok Pho Chai as well as two Amphoes in Chaiyaphum provinces, Ban Thaen and Kaeng Khro.

The park headquarters is located by the lake over Ubolratana Dam. Forest in this national park is watershed of the chi and Phong Rivers. The deciduous dipterocarp and dry everygreen forests in this mountain range are a major source of herbs. There are viewpoints in the park. Hin Chang Si is a group of rocks, where wild elephants use for scratching their flanks. This point has a scenic view of the Uboltatana lake and Khon Kaen city. Hin Chang Si viewpoint can be accessed by car, eight kilometres from Sok Tae Reforestation Park. From the head quarters, walking to Hin Chang Si takes around two hours. Some 30 minutes on foot from Hin Chang Si is Plan Chat viewpoint. Pha Sawan is another viewpoint from where visitors can witness beautiful scenery of the lake. The cliff is a two-hour walk from the headquarters. Another interesting attraction in the park is Phon Kham, crater-like rock well. For more information, call Nam Phong National Park at Tel. 0 4324 8006 or of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department in Bangkok at Tel. 0 2562 0760.

How to get there: Nam Phong National Park can be reached from two routes.
1. From Khon Kaen, go via Highway 12 to Chum Phae District, then turn right at kilometre 30 to Ban PHue for another 19 kilometres via Highway 3034 (Nong Saeng-Tha Ruea). This route is 49 kilometres.
2. From Khon Kaen, bound for Amphoe Ubolratana via Highway 2, heading for Udon Thani, then turn left to Amphoe Ubolratana. In the Amphoe, use Highway 3034, which lies along the lake over Ubolratana Dam. This route is 65 kilometres long.