Government & Economy

Khon Kaen is administratively divided into Amphurs or districts and King Amphoes or sub-districts. There are twenty in total as follows:

The gross provincial product (GPP) for 1996 was 68,063 million baht. In 1996 the province was ranked 12th in the country in terms of GPP. The GPP per capita for 1996 was 39,139 baht. The minimum wage effective from 1st January 1998 is 130 baht per day. The province is designated by the Board of Investment (BOI) as a Zone 3 Development District.

The emblem of the province is the Phra Urangkathat Pagoda covering the dead tamarind.

Khon Kaen city is one of four Thai cities selected by the Thai government for accelerated growth. A number of improvements to the infrastructure have already been undertaken and more are planned in the imminent future.

Instantly noticeably within the city is the modern efficient road system with its wide lanes and dual carriageways. The province’s Nam Pong airport is also scheduled to be completely upgraded - along with a new highway direct to the Eastern Seaboard, where major container transport will also be possible.

Because of the many advantages of the new transportation network, manufacturing and other industries are now continually attracted to Khon Kaen province. Currently the major industries already located in the province are fish net factories, sugar, pulp and paper mills plus liquor distilleries. In addition, as the province undergoes this movement of accelerated growth and development, Khon Kaen's potential as a serious export hub for Indo-China increases.

Conversely, the development of the province’s agriculture industry is stifled in many areas due to a number of reasons. These problems are not peculiar to Khon Kaen, but affect much of the northeastern Isaan region and include: uneven and insufficient rainfall, inadequate water resources for irrigation, inferior soils, high salinization and normally small landholdings.

Overall, the main agricultural products produced is limited to rice, sugar cane and tapioca. However, a typical integrated smallholding or farm in Khon Kaen might consist of paddy rice, upland crops (such as cassava, kenaf, mung beans) and various livestock and poultry.

The rearing and production of livestock is probably the main growth area in the agriculture industry, although silkworm rearing, fisheries and fish farms are also new and developing agricultural related activities.

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