Ubolratana Dam or Phong Nip Dam

Ubolratana Dam holds back the Nam Phong River north of Khon Kaen, forming one of Isaan’s largest reservoirs. EGAT built it between 1964 and 1966 as Thailand’s second multipurpose dam after Bhumibol Dam. King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit opened it on 14 March 1966 together with their eldest child, Princess Ubol Ratana, whose name it now carries by royal permission — its earlier working name, Phong Neep Dam, survives in the “Phong Nip” alternate title still used locally. Entry to the grounds is free.

The dam crest is landscaped as a public park: a literature-themed garden and sculpture trail, a Buddha statue called Luang Pho Chet Kasat for worship, and views across the reservoir toward the hills of Ubolratana Dam Golf Course, which sits right alongside. EGAT operates a guesthouse (Baan Phak Ubolratana) and the Ruean Paan Kham restaurant on site, and a water-sports area rents pedal boats, tire rings, and banana boats for a paddle rather than a high-speed run across the lake. Anglers fish from the shoreline and piers, particularly in the cooler months when water levels run high.

Insider Tip: November to February brings the coolest weather and the fullest reservoir — the two months when the dam’s recreation areas are busiest with Thai weekenders, so a weekday visit in that window avoids the crowds without losing the scenery.

Watch out: “Jet ski” rentals advertised loosely online generally mean pedal boats and inflatable rides here, not motorised watercraft — don’t plan a trip around high-speed water sports.

Wat Phra Phutthabat Phu Pan Kham sits about 2 km from the dam and makes a natural pairing: a 14-metre white Buddha statue at the top of roughly 1,049 steps, a genuine climb rather than a stroll. The dam itself is reached along the Khon Kaen–Udon Thani road, with a private vehicle the most practical way to combine both stops in a day.

Beyond the recreation grounds, the dam still does the job EGAT built it for: generating electricity, holding back water for irrigation across Khon Kaen’s dry-season farmland, controlling flood flows on the Nam Phong and Chi rivers downstream, and supporting the local fishery. The tourist facilities on the crest are a secondary use layered onto working infrastructure, which is part of why the grounds feel more like a public park than a purpose-built attraction.