Khon Kaen is the most affordable tourist destination in Thailand, says Agoda

[bob smith]

11 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

All skin tones are represented, I seem to remember it was either Lampang or Lamphun that was most famous for light skinned totty

if you can find out exactly which one then that would be great.

 

i am addicted to white skinned asian women.

[bkk6060]

I drove to KK a few years ago to meet a girl.  But, the girl I was communicating with did not show up.  Her old 100 kg friend did.

After saying goodbye, I spent 3 days there.  Went to the zoo, rented a mb, went to Central mall and the markets, hit up the smallish entertainment area.  I didn't think it was terrible, but definitely not a tourist bucket list destination. 

[mikebell]

14 hours ago, stoner said:

the horror.

I hasten to add that at 80 it wasn't for me!

[KhunLA]

It's all 'real Thailand' ....

... tourist ghettos ... no thanks, except to peek

... large metros, almost not 3rd world

... rural, still 7-11s, but no westerners around

... very rural Thailand .. a few minutes past that last 7-11, where electricity & running water may be a luxury ????

[Nsp64]

On 4/5/2023 at 12:43 PM, proton said:

There used to be some good cafes there and singer Yodrak had one there 20 odd years ago. All gone so would not bother going back, strangely a lot of English speakers for some reason. Not been since 2002.

I think you dodged a bullet by not going back 

Spent 6 months there, seems like a load of skint farang chasing farm girls.

Very sad place

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, Nsp64 said:

seems like a load of skint farang chasing farm girls.

Very sad place

With respect, certainly not during my 5 years in Khon Kaen Province. All my ex-pat friends and myself had money and were not skint. As for farm girls, the ex-pats either had wives/girlfriends who they had met in Pattaya - bar girls! No sadness during my time, much entertainment and enjoyment. 

[Adumbration]

Agoda obviously includes holiday GF costs into its calculations.  The big university in Khon Kaen is what makes the destination price competitive.

[GinBoy2]

We lived in KKC for 10 years, and we still have a house there.

 

Not a bad place, but 'tourist destination' I think not.

[jerrymahoney]

While KK and Isaan may have the lowest per capita income, that doesn't mean there are not pockets of extreme wealth e.g. the BMW dealership near KK University.

 

So many young girls, who might otherwise go to the tourist area, don't have to.

[jerrymahoney]

4 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

zipped over to Laos for a thai visa and back to CM for better food choices and to be able to mix with westerners when i need a good chat in english

I guess that is part of why I enjoyed living in KK -- I grew out of the need for good chats in English.

 

When I first arrived, I had no transport and walked/songthaew/tuktuk to get around. I used to go to some of the farang bars near the then Sofitel. But I didn't smoke, I didn't drink, and I knew nothing about footie, so pretty soon I stopped going.

[BayArea]

On 4/5/2023 at 3:17 PM, Bday Prang said:

those who never venture far from the usual tourist ghettos

Please tell me you're kidding.  Sounds very condescending 

[BayArea]

On 4/5/2023 at 3:21 PM, jacko45k said:

It means they can't afford to live in Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, CM or HH!

This maybe the best response you ever posted on this board!! And I  agree with you.

[Bday Prang]

26 minutes ago, BayArea said:

Please tell me you're kidding.  Sounds very condescending 

No, I'm not kidding

[sharksy]

Quite like Khon Kaen, one of my favourite cities in Thailand.

If you want cheaper, go to Loei City.

[thaibeachlovers]

Most affordable? Perhaps there isn't much to spend money on, LOL.

[bignok]

On 4/5/2023 at 1:13 PM, KhunLA said:

You could make it 'free', and I still wouldn't bother.

 

Visited voluntarily, to get income letter, days past, as nice hotel break at Sofitel (now Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid), having excellent brekkie buffet and decent brewery in lobby.   Embassy did letters on site.

 

Good for any overnight/brekkie pig out, and peek around town, but 1 day was enough.

I found the town hotels 200 baht more than other towns. Phuket has cheaper hotels. The averages are distorted by high end resorts. The best value hotels for price and quality under 1000 baht is Lanta.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/6/2023 at 1:19 PM, Bday Prang said:

All skin tones are represented, I seem to remember it was either Lampang or Lamphun that was most famous for light skinned totty

I lived in Lamphun and I wouldn't class it as famous for anything ( except a very old temple ), never mind the totty.

[bignok]

On 4/7/2023 at 4:39 AM, GinBoy2 said:

We lived in KKC for 10 years, and we still have a house there.

 

Not a bad place, but 'tourist destination' I think not.

Best night market for food and music. Not much else.

[bignok]

On 4/6/2023 at 11:21 AM, jacko45k said:

It means they can't afford to live in Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, CM or HH!

Phuket is much cheaper than Khon Kaen for budget hotels. The figures are distorted by top end resorts.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

Phuket is much cheaper than Khon Kaen for budget hotels. The figures are distorted by top end resorts.

That is not the only factor... overall I find Phuket to be quite expensive, but I do compare to the cheap Pattaya. Phuket costs more for drinks, food, transport....

[bignok]

Best hotels under 700 baht Phuket

Best food under 50 baht rural Isaan

Cheapest coffee Nai Yang, Phuket 25 baht

 

[bignok]

Just now, jacko45k said:

That is not the only factor... overall I find Phuket to be quite expensive, but I do compare to the cheap Pattaya. Phuket costs more for drinks, food, transport....

Food is very cheap in Phuket away from beaches. Transport is high. I don't know about bars. 

 

Chiang Mai and Pattaya have Bolt so cheapest transport. Also lots of cheap rooms. 

 

Nakhon Si Thammarat is more interesting than Khon Kaen.

 

For cheapest good room near beach Lanta wins but bad food.

 

 

[jacko45k]

On 4/6/2023 at 8:40 AM, bkk6060 said:

I drove to KK a few years ago to meet a girl.  But, the girl I was communicating with did not show up.  Her old 100 kg friend did.

After saying goodbye, I spent 3 days there.  Went to the zoo, rented a mb, went to Central mall and the markets, hit up the smallish entertainment area.  I didn't think it was terrible, but definitely not a tourist bucket list destination. 

I dread to think how hot it is there at the moment... I recall sweltering there some years ago...... I never perceived it as much of a touristy place.

[bignok]

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I dread to think how hot it is there at the moment... I recall sweltering there some years ago...... I never perceived it as much of a touristy place.

Transport not so good. Don't know about restaurants.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

Transport not so good. Don't know about restaurants.

I ate at some good places on the river, but overall miss the seafood and variety one finds in the coastal resorts. 

[loong]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I dread to think how hot it is there at the moment... I recall sweltering there some years ago...... I never perceived it as much of a touristy place.

High 30's celsius and very humid.

[Enzian]

KK is poor. My TGF's parents still live on dirt/gravel floors with the chickens underfoot. The town is not bad, the malls are not expensive. There's massage and hospitals and education, and the people are helpful. It's really something I have to think about because as I approach 90 I might actually consider moving up there. 

[GinBoy2]

As I said before, I lived in KKC a long, still have a house there, not a bad place.

 

But it does suffer the fate of a lot of Thai cities.

 

Blindfolded and dropped in the center of town, you could be in a hundred of other Thai cities, nothing really to distinguish between any of them.

 

So again not a bad place, I like it, but I doubt the tourist hoards will be flocking

[bignok]

9 minutes ago, Enzian said:

KK is poor. My TGF's parents still live on dirt/gravel floors with the chickens underfoot. The town is not bad, the malls are not expensive. There's massage and hospitals and education, and the people are helpful. It's really something I have to think about because as I approach 90 I might actually consider moving up there. 

Not sure it is poor. I saw plenty of nice cars and well dressed people. Nong Khai is a nicer town but I wonder if Ubon would be better for an allrounder.

[bignok]

Agoda website

 

Review score 8+

 

Chiang Mai 302 hits < 510 baht

Khon Kaen 9 hits < 550 baht

Pattaya 109 hits < 630 baht

Phuket 155 hits < 500 baht

 

Based on this Chiang Mai is cheapest, KK is most expensive!