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Propagator

About 2 kilometres away from the above Wat is Ubol Ratana Dam. The grid ref is shown on the Google Earth screen shot below





Some facts about this Dam. It is a Hydro Electric Dam and supplies power for most of the Isaan Region. Built across the Nam Pong river and is the largest multi purpose dam in the North East. It was completed in 1964 and over 30000 local people were resettled to make way for the reservoir, which has an area of over 12000 sq kms. The dam is 35 metres high and 880 metres in length. It was known as Pong Neep Dam but in 1966 HM the King gave permission for it to be named Ubol Ratana with use of the Princess's name.


There is not much to do there, apart from taking a couple of pictures and ticking it off on the list of things to see. There is a visitors centre and a couple of places to buy snacks etc.

This is at the entrance to the dam



and a view overlooking the dam



Nothing much else to it, but will have a look on the video I took to see if that has more photos.

Propagator

Sorry Max, she is married and has a kiddie.


After over two years of posting on this thread have finally made the century.
A long hard bat but worth it in the end.

Jack meoff

Well done props, very enjoyable thread.

grasshopper

Very interesting thread. Now i know there is real life in Thailand and I fancy a trip up there this coming Sept through November. Seems as though you are a local and one to have a few jars with at Erics.

Propagator

It seems the countryside round Ubol Ratana Dam has a tendancy to name its attractions villages after places near Pattaya. No, this Bangsan is about ten minutes drive from the main Dam entrance.

There are a load of restaurants that stretch out on bamboo structures over the shore and into the water. As with Pattaya 2 it has all the fun of the seaside, rubber rings, banana and pedalo boat rides




This little girl was absolutely fascinated by what was going on in the water





As can be seen there are a fair number of these bamboo structures, and all are allocated to a differant restauant. Cost was reasonable for the meal, but you takes your chances until you find a good one. The one we were at done good prawns, but the fish dish was no good, sent one back as very little meat on the fish and the second was not much better.




Seemed very popular with the Thai familys. Plenty of parking, but be prepared to have to move your motor so that someone else can get out. Don't know what happened here, but something certainly tickled her fancy and it was not me!

Propagator

About 3 kms south of the city centre is Bung Kaen Nakhon, a recreational lake covering an area of about 50 acres. From what I can understand this is a man made lake built by the Army some 25 years ago and was originally swamp land.

Below is the view from Google Earth



I have briefly mentioned this lake before, but will this tme take a walk around the lake and hopefully provide more information. Not much goes on around the lake during the day but come 5pm it begins to bustle with activity. As can be seen a ring road surrounds the lake, and the lake is walled off from the road. Inside the walled area a paved jogging/walking track surround the lake. The main entance to the lake is at the Northern end and there is ample parking there.

From 5 pm all the keep fit fanatics, joggers and walkers descend on the place. Some to partake in sports activities around the lake, maybe join an aerobics session, or just to have walk around.

We will start our walk from main entrance. It is here that an open air market springs up just after 5pm. Plenty of food stalls and a number that specialise in fruit juices for the weary joggers, and of course the normal crap ones. There are four temples around the ring road and can easily be visited on the walk round, but more time needs allowed if doing this. We head off in an anti clockwise direction and it is here where the market sets up. There are a number of football areas and a couple of basketball courts. This pictures looks toward the first temple, Wat That and over one of the football areas, early yet so no game in progress




Another view of Wat That just prior to entering the walking path around the lake

Propagator

A view across the lake looking from west to East. Pedalos may be hired if you so wish to get close up to the water.




There was an area with a numer of boules courts (?). I was really quite surprised at the number of people playing and seems quite popular with teams competing on a regular basis.



Not far from here there is a pedestrian entrance to the lake and opposite that the Chao Por Mahesak Shrine



Some of these photos were taken on differant days hence the evening shots. Close to here inside the lake area there was a large kiddies play area with all many of things for them to climb on. Also here is the second of the aerobics areas, and a few table tennis tables which may be hired by the hour, and bikes to cycle round the lake.

A place where you can feed the birds or fishes



after of course buying the stuff to feed em




There are some big fish in this lake and at times have seen people fishing. Presume you would have to have a licence or pay something for the priveledge.

Propagator

This is a newish part to the lake attractions, either that or I didn't see them on my last visit in November as it was too dark. There are a number of examples of Isaan style bamboo huts, which you can go into.



also a number of statues around the lake depicting Thai/Isaan rural life, ideal for getting that odd photo shoot.



We are now not far from approaching the halfway point of this walk. Here a picture taken looking at Khon Kaens most famous temple, the 9 story Wat Nongwang. Well worth taking the time to visit this one as you can get some spectacular views of Khon Kaen from the upper levels, lots of stairs to climb though

kk boy

Someone had said that the fishing had stopped now, before was 100 baht per rod and was in a sectioned off area

Propagator

Must say I have not seen anyone fishing for the past year.

We have now reached the Southern end of the lake and turn for the walk back.
There is another shrine here but have been unable to findout for whom it is dedicated










Halfway back along the Eastern side of the lake is another area for aerobics. Not many people at this one



and more statues along this side.



Also an opportunity to get a picture of the Wat across the lake



Getting to the end now and you pass through a small landscaped garden area, so that you can sit down after your strenuous walk



A short walk from here and you get back to where you started from. It is here that there is the largest of the aerobics areas and is above the Khon Kaen museum. I shall post a picture of that when my laptop gets repaired . This area is very popular and could probably easily accommodate 1000 happy souls doing aerobics.

Time now to sit down for a juice and to look over the lake. This picture is looking towards the restauraunt that juts out into the lake. I believe that it is a bit expensive and that the service leaves a lot to be desired, but that is only heresay to me as I have not used it.




All in all a very pleasant evenings stroll. To meander round probably about an hour and a half to two hours. I would estimate it to be around 3 miles to go round the lake. I done it at a very brisk walking pace and got round in 40 minutes. Hungry now? There are numerous restaurants on the Eastern side of the lake, and although I have eaten in a couple didn't have me camera then, also forget the name of the places. Will do a review of some of those when I am next there

S Landreth

A new shopping center opened up in Khon Kaen last Thursday. Here’s the site (English and Thai,..look towards the upper right hand side of the screen when it opens): http://www.centralplaza.co.th/khonkaen/about_eng.html


Gotta lot of shops, people, parking spaces and sales (traffic also). When we got there it was maybe 70% kids. It will give them a nice and cool place to hang out when it gets hot here.

Here are some pictures.

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shunpike

Well done Prop! Good to see the new Centan is open, I was up in KK a few months ago and it looked pretty near complete. Great thread.

Propagator

Thanks for the update. I have already been informed that I am going 'shopping' there when I get over next month.

S Landreth

^Well she (and you too) will find most anything she wants there. The place is pretty nice for a mall located in Khon Kaen. Getting big time here,……..one modern mall. The place had even more people there yesterday. We went mid-afternoon to pick up a few B-day gifts for some girls in BKK and could not get into the parking area. We had to park across the street.
The opening of the mall also coincided with the yearly silk fair festival that is going on now.

mackayae

Is the underpass completed?

S Landreth

^ not yet,.it is a slow go

I'll try to get some pictures up towards the end of next week of the work

Nawty

Is this the longest...as in oldest....running thread on TD ?

Couple weeks and it will 4 years old ....or 3....depepnding how you count things

Propagator

Some of the threads in the games room are older.

I try to add to this every time I visit Khon Kaen, so there will be new content in a couple of months. If S Landreth doesn't get an update on the underpass I will. It was chaos driving around there last time.

S Landreth

^Still chaotic



I went out to the site this morning and took these pictures. It is progressing, more than I thought. I didn’t know they had it opened up. The roadway on top of the tunnel looks somewhat completed (?), but no traffic on it.

They were pouring (on one side and tying steel on the other) when I was visiting.

I want to apologize for the bad shots inside the tunnel, but you can see the progress that they have made, kind of.

S Landreth

This is in addition to Propagators post # 30 on this thread relating to a nursery.

Someone suggested we visit a nursery on Khon Kaen’s University campus. They have a wide variety of plants available (many others things also,...some good looking sales women working there). There are also two restaurants and one coffee shop in this area.
I think, as we were told, this area has something to do with the universities agricultural department. There are a lot of small plants geared towards the dorms/apartments that you can purchase here. They also have some larger plants (maybe for the homes on the campus), but not as many. You might have to order them if you are looking for quantity.
There is also an annual fair held at the end of January that the universities agricultural department puts on, where you can purchase plants.

KKU Nursery