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Bueng Kan

บึงกาฬ · Northeast Thailand

off-the-beaten-pathnatureMekong scenery
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About Bueng Kan Province

Bueng Kan is Thailand's youngest province, established in 2011 after being split from Nong Khai. It runs along a long stretch of the Mekong River facing Bolikhamsai Province in Laos, with rubber plantations, fishing villages, and forested sandstone hills filling the interior. The province's signature sight is Wat Phu Tok, a meditation monastery built onto a sheer red-sandstone outcrop with a vertiginous network of wooden walkways and staircases climbing seven levels to the summit.

Key facts

Population
422,042 (2020)
Area
4,305 km²
Density
98 / km²
Districts
8
Capital
Bueng Kan
ISO code
TH-38
All 8 districts

Bueng Khong Long · Bung Khla · Mueang Bueng Kan · Pak Khat · Phon Charoen · Seka · Si Wilai · So Phisai

Top Highlights

  • Wat Phu Tok meditation monastery with wooden walkways climbing a sandstone outcrop

  • Hin Sam Wan (Three Whales Rock), a clifftop sandstone formation overlooking the Mekong

  • Long Mekong River frontier facing Laos with riverside markets and viewpoints

  • Thailand's newest province, separated from Nong Khai in 2011

Getting There

Bueng Kan is around 750 km northeast of Bangkok. Most travellers fly to Udon Thani or Nakhon Phanom and drive two to three hours, or take an overnight bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal directly to Bueng Kan town.

Inside Bueng Kan

Districts (8)

Bueng Khong Long ·Bung Khla ·Mueang Bueng Kan ·Pak Khat ·Phon Charoen ·Seka ·Si Wilai ·So Phisai

Mapped in Bueng Kan

22 places of interest recorded in OpenStreetMap. Coverage is contributed by volunteers and varies by area, so treat these as a guide to what is mapped rather than a complete inventory.

  • 9Temples
  • 5Viewpoints
  • 4Waterfalls
  • 4Attractions

Named examples

  • Wat Phu Tok
  • Tham Fun Waterfall
  • Wat Ahong Silawad
  • Tham Phra Waterfall
  • Wat Pa Tham Bucha
  • Chanaen Waterfall
  • Kinnaree Waterfall
  • Phu Thok

© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Harvested 2026-08-01.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources

Facts on this page last checked 1 August 2026.

  1. 1.Q1001862 — population, area, districts, coordinates — Wikidata (Wikidata), retrieved 1 August 2026
  2. 2.Background reading — Wikipedia (Wikipedia), retrieved 1 August 2026Linked for context; no text is reproduced from it.
  3. 3.Official provincial website — Provincial administration (Official source), retrieved 1 August 2026

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ThailandKnowledge Editorial Team

Factual claims on this page are sourced and dated. Where something could not be verified, we say so rather than guessing.

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Bueng Kan

บึงกาฬ

Region

Northeast Thailand

Capital

Mueang Bueng Kan

Best For

off-the-beaten-pathnatureMekong scenery

Highlights

  • Wat Phu Tok meditation monastery with wooden walkways climbing a sandstone outcrop
  • Hin Sam Wan (Three Whales Rock), a clifftop sandstone formation overlooking the Mekong
  • Long Mekong River frontier facing Laos with riverside markets and viewpoints
  • Thailand's newest province, separated from Nong Khai in 2011
View all 76 province guides →
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