About The Northeast

The Northeast is known for having a traditional way of life and a rich culture. Agriculture has been the mainstay of the economy although this has changed with the rise in tourism. The culture is primarily Lao as evidenced by the dialect, cuisine, temple architecture and arts. Khmer dialects and customs are spoken and followed in the south of Isan. The area has become an attractive spot for business participants and leisure tourists.

Khon Kaen Airport handles domestic flights and as the economic centre of the region, will upgrade to handle international flights after ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015. Currently all international air travel must pass through Bangkok before heading on to the one-hour flight to Khon Kaen. It is approximately 1,297 km northeast of Bangkok. Udon Thani International Airport currently handles domestic flights only.

Khon Kaen, the Northeast MICE hub, has several convention centres and one exhibition centre available for business events. These include the 15,000 sqm Khon Kaen University Convention Centre, Golden Jubilee Convention Hall and the Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Khon Kaen. In addition, there are approximately 40 hotels that host smaller, more personalised, business events. Udon Thani's Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Udon Thani is the city's prime venue for receptions, weddings concerts, seminars and meetings.

The MICE sector in Khon Kaen generated 600 million baht from 692,292 local and international visitors in 2013 of which 481 million baht was from international visitors. Events that have occurred recently include the Academic Conference of the Ministry of Public Health with 4,000 attendees, APEC Ministerial Meeting, the International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences, the Thai-ASEAN Trade Fair, Khon Kaen Food & Hotelex Expo and the 3rd I-SAN Book Fair with more than 110,000 visitors.

Although the network of road systems in the northeast is generally quite good, highways and local roads become congested in holiday travelling periods. Moreover, the expansion of road systems to boost convenient transportation has not kept pace with the rise in commercial and residential developments. Plans are to upgrade roadworks. In addition, a high speed rail link will connect Bangkok with Nong Khai province and across the Mekong River from the Laos capital of Vientiane as part of the effort to enhance the Northeast as a Southeast Asian logistics hub. High speed Internet can be found in larger cities. The Northeast has several private hospitals in the major cities, however visitors are advised to go to Bangkok to seek treatment for more serious injuries and illnesses. There are shopping malls in the major cities with many more under construction.

As the centre for trade and logistics in the Northeast, Khon Kaen has fast become the international hub for business travellers and the link to the Indochinese nations and China. The friendly and family-oriented people possess a special charm and the food, which is distinct from central Thai cuisine, has many elements in common with Laos. Top-notch exhibition and convention centres as well as unique venues combine to make the Northeast a premier MICE destination.