This is Thailand's poorest region, though it is rich in culture. This part of the country is called "Isan" after the Sanskrit name for the kingdom that existed before the first century A.D. Isan may also refer to the people and the food of the region. Thailand's best silk is said to come from this area.

Khao Yai National Park

Thailand's oldest national park, established in 1961, has the largest intact monsoon forest in mainland Asia. Khao Yai is home to as many as 300 wild elephants, as well as bears, tigers, leopards, and deer. Animals are most easily seen during the rainy season, June to October. The park also has a large population of different species of hornbills, including the great hornbill. The Hew Suwat Waterfall in this park may be familiar to cinema buffs, since it appeared in the 2000 film The Beach.

Phanom Rung Historical Park

Phanom Rung Historical Park in Buriram Province, located on the cone of an extinct volcano, is the largest Khmer monument in Thailand. The complex took 17 years to restore; a festival in April commemorates the restoration. There is a spectacular promenade leading to the main gate, an avenue paved with stone blocks and guarded by sandstone pillars with lotus-buds carved on top. At the end of the avenue is a naga bridge, flanked by figures very similar to those found at Angkor Wat. The temple was originally built to honor the Hindu gods, and there are many statues of Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. About 8 kilometers southeast of Phanom Rung are the ruins of the 10th-century Prasat Meuang Tam temple complex, which are also very interesting. The plan of Prasat Meuang Tam is based on the same design as that of Angkor Wat.

Khon Kaen Province

The city of Khon Kaen, the capital of this province, is the fourth-largest in Thailand, and serves as a good place to explore the surrounding countryside. The small town of Chonabot, near Khon Kaen, is a center for the making of cotton and silk. Visitors can learn about the making of cloth and the textile industry at the Thai Silk Exhibition Hall. It is possible to purchase cloth directly from the silk-weaving houses. These are distinguished by the looms located beneath the homes. Nearby is the King Cobra Conservation project in the village of Ban Khok Sa-Nga. Almost everyone in this village raises cobras, and there are many on display in cages. Also in Khon Kaen province is Phu Wiang National Park, an area set aside because of the dinosaur fossils found there in the 1990s. Visitors can see exhibits about dinosaurs, and walk down the place where bones have been excavated. Dinosaur tracks have also been found in stone a few kilometers from the excavation.