Discovering a Different Side of Thailand: Bangkok and Khon Kaen

After a busy few days at Thailand Travel Mart, our Head of Ground Products Parul joined a post-TTM Familiarisation trip from Bangkok to Khon Kaen, in Thailand’s northeastern Isan region. Read on to find out about this unique experience.

I have visited Thailand before, but this trip felt very different. It gave me the chance to see a part of the country that is still not widely explored by international visitors, and that made the experience feel even more special.

Bangkok is always exciting, but Khon Kaen was completely new for me. What stood out straight away was how real and authentic everything felt. We were not surrounded by large groups of tourists or places designed only for visitors. Instead, we experienced local restaurants, markets, music, temples, and everyday Thai life in a region that still feels very connected to its own culture.

Over the trip, we experienced boutique hotels, Michelin-selected restaurants, local craftsmanship, traditional Isan music, impressive temples, and the warm Thai hospitality that Thailand is so well known for.

Day One: Pattaya to Bangkok

Our journey started on Friday evening after finishing at the Nongnooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

After several busy days of meetings and networking at TTM, we were transferred to Ad Lib Bangkok, which took around two hours by road.

As soon as we arrived, the hotel felt different from many of Bangkok’s larger properties. It is centrally located, but tucked away from the main road and surrounded by greenery. Once inside, it feels calm, private, and away from the noise of the city. 

What I really liked about Ad Lib Bangkok was the homely feel. It was stylish and beautifully designed, but it did not feel corporate or impersonal. The team were warm and attentive, and the service felt very natural. 

That evening, we enjoyed dinner at the hotel. The food was excellent, and after such a busy week, it was lovely to sit down, relax, and enjoy the hotel properly. It gave us a good first impression of what makes the Ad Lib brand different. It is not just about the rooms or facilities. It is the atmosphere, the personal service, and the feeling of being welcomed into a home rather than simply checking into a city hotel.

Day Two: Experiencing Ad Lib Bangkok & Travelling to Khon Kaen

The next morning, we had breakfast before completing a full inspection of Ad Lib Bangkok.

The hotel describes itself as a boutique urban oasis, and that is exactly how it felt. It offers the convenience of staying in central Bangkok, but with a much calmer and more intimate atmosphere.

We saw several room categories, as well as the swimming pool, fitness centre, and dining areas. The rooms were modern, comfortable, and well designed. The greenery around the property also helped soften the busy city surroundings.

The pool area was especially lovely. It felt peaceful and secluded, almost like a small resort hidden in the middle of Bangkok.

The hotel would work well for couples, independent travellers, and clients who want something more individual than a large international chain. Most importantly, it has personality. The team here make you feel noticed and looked after without the service feeling too formal.

After the inspection, we travelled to Suvarnabhumi Airport for our Thai Airways flight to Khon Kaen.

The flight took around 45 minutes, which makes Khon Kaen very easy to combine with Bangkok on a multi-centre trip. Shortly after arriving, we transferred to Ad Lib Khon Kaen, where we stayed for the next few nights.

Ad Lib Khon Kaen has a very different look from Ad Lib Bangkok. It is a modern city hotel with impressive views from the upper floors, but it still has the same personal and welcoming style.

Again, the service made a strong impression. The team were friendly, warm, and genuinely interested in making sure we were comfortable. Although the hotel is modern and high quality, it never felt stiff or overly formal.

Both Ad Lib properties showed that good hospitality is not only about luxury. It is also about how a hotel makes you feel. At Ad Lib, the service had a warmth and personal touch that can sometimes be missing in much larger hotels.

That evening, we had dinner at Food by Fire, located on the 27th floor of Ad Lib Khon Kaen. This was one of the standout experiences of the trip.

The restaurant has fantastic views across Khon Kaen, especially as the sun starts to set and the city lights begin to appear. The atmosphere was modern and stylish, but still relaxed enough to enjoy the evening properly.

The food was excellent. The dining concept uses fire as part of the cooking experience, with local Isan ingredients presented in a modern and creative way.

It was much more than a normal hotel dinner. Food by Fire felt like a destination restaurant and was a brilliant introduction to the flavours of northeastern Thailand. The food, setting, service, and views all came together to make it a really memorable evening.

Khon Kaen’s Live-Music Culture

After dinner, we went upstairs to Kaen Kaew Live House on the 28th floor of Ad Lib Khon Kaen. The live band included traditional Isan sounds within a more modern performance, which created a brilliant atmosphere. The music felt connected to the region but was still easy for international visitors to enjoy.

One thing that really surprised me about Khon Kaen was how much live music there was across the city.
As we travelled around, we kept seeing bars, restaurants, and local venues with live bands. Music seemed to be a real part of the city’s evening culture. It gave Khon Kaen a lively and youthful feel that I had not expected. The venues were full of local people rather than tourists, which made the experience feel even more authentic.

This post-TTM FAM trip was much more than hotel inspections and sightseeing. It gave me the chance to experience a side of Thailand that still feels genuine, local, and relatively undiscovered.

Khon Kaen surprised me in many ways. The food was excellent, the live music scene was brilliant, the hotels were of a very high standard, and the temples were some of the most memorable parts of the journey.

Walking through local markets without seeing mass tourism made the destination feel very special. It did not feel like we were watching something created for visitors; it felt like we were experiencing normal Thai life.

The visit to Wat Nong Wang was another major highlight. Climbing through all nine floors of the stupa and reaching the top, with amazing views across the city and lake, was an experience I will not forget.

Khon Kaen is also well positioned as a gateway to the wider Isan region. Visitors can use the city as a comfortable base before exploring national parks, dinosaur sites, rural communities, and the natural landscapes of northeastern Thailand.

For repeat visitors who already know Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Thailand’s beach resorts, Isan offers something completely different. It is authentic, welcoming, culturally rich, and still largely untouched by mass international tourism.

This trip reminded me that Thailand still has so much more to discover, and Khon Kaen is a destination that deserves more attention.