Khon Kaen province in Thailand is developing initiatives to become a smart city, including a light rail transit system called the Khon Kaen Tram. Private organizations like the Khon Kaen Think Tank and Khon Kaen MICE Management are collaborating with the local government and university to fund and support projects around smart mobility, infrastructure, and services using technologies like the Internet of Things. The goal is to make Khon Kaen more sustainable, livable, and economically vibrant.

1. Khon Kaen
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Presented by Mintra Ruensuk
mintra@unist.ac.kr

2. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Thailand
• 14+ flights per day, ~5h duration

3. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Thailand facts
• Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that
was never colonized by an European country
• Bangkok is a capital city of Thailand
• Its real name is one of the longest names of a place in the world
• Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya
Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom
Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit
Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit.

4. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Thailand facts
• Thailand is the most visited country in the world in 2016
• Bangkok was named the world’s hottest city!
• Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, but the law
is very rarely enforced. Estimates of the number of sex
workers vary from 30,000 to more than 1 million
• The world most unfaithful nationalities
• Thai massage is vey popular and you can find it in
Ulsan

5. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Thailand facts
• One-tenth of the entire population of Thailand lives
in Bangkok, the largest city.

6. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?

7. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Public transportation in Thailand
• Cheap domestic flight ticket — 1.5h flight costs
~30,000won

8. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Bus

9. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Provincial government
• Each province is led by a governor and is divided
into districts
• Each district is led by a district chief
• Governors, district chiefs, and district clerks are
appointed by the central government.

10. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Local government
• Ordinary local government
• Special local government
• is established in some significant localities
• Only Bangkok and Pattaya

11. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Ordinary local government
• Old form — under the Local Government Act
• New form — under the Municipalities Act
• A city municipality is established in an area
where there are at least 50,000 citizens
• A town municipality, in an area where there are at
least 10,000 citizens

12. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen

13. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?

14. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
County budgets
• Bangkok: $51,342,722,994
• Nakhon Ratchasima: $474,606,936
• Ministry of Social Development and Human
Security: $2,023,421
• Khon Kaen: $342,906,250
• Ministry of Social Development and Human
Security: $544,161

15. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen
• Has a first university in northeast — Khon Kaen
University
• established in 1966
• now has ~40,000 students
• 22 faculties
• Faculty of Medicine — also a university
hospital

16. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
What does Khon Kaen have?

17. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
What does Khon Kaen have?
450won

18. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?

19. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
What does Khon Kaen have?

20. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
ASEAN ESC Award 2017 (clean air)

21. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen Gears
• Khon Kaen University — Research and development
• Governor of Khon Kaen — Big picture of the province
• Municipalities — Take actions
• Private sectors — Financial support and collaboration
• People — Beautiful mind

22. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Who first started
developing Khon Kaen?

23. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
How things started
• In 2013, the 2nd generation of local businessman
from 24 families (they have same surname like Kim)
would like to see Khon Kaen and sustainable city
• They established funds: ~$6,045,950
• Name: Khon Kaen Think Tank (KKTT)
• Registered the funds with Ministry of Commerce

24. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
KKTT

25. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
KKTT
• KKTT collaborates with government agencies
• Khon Kaen Transit System (KKTS) registered by 5
town municipalities to manage LRT project
• In 2016, prime minister of Thailand approved plan
of Khon Kaen Smart City

26. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Smart City
• By the standard of “Smart City” has 6 categories
• Smart Mobility — Main focus of Khon Kaen
• Smart Living
• Smart Citizen
• Smart Economy
• Smart Environment
• Smart Governance

27. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen Tram

28. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen Tram

29. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen Tram
• Investment model
• Step 1: Money from KKTT only

30. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen Tram
• Investment model
• Step 2: Crowdfunding

31. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Khon Kaen Tram
• Investment model
• Step 3: Begin construction
• After the project has fully operated for the first 2 years, the
project will then be registered at the Stock Exchange of
Thailand
• It will be the first project in Thailand that people will
be pulling fund together
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlNxdQwIO3k

32. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
KKMM
• Private sectors established Khon Kaen MICE
Management (KKMM) to be a one stop service for
activities of the province and providing facilitates of
conference services
• KKMM intention is not to be competitor, but the
supporter of entrepreneurs

33. Khon Kaen Province, Thailand
What makes Khon Kaen interesting?
Internet of Thing
• KKTT has signed a project named “KHON KAEN
SMART CITY : Internet of Thing” with Thailand IoT
Consortium
• To use iOT for 3 projects
• Smart Parking
• Smart Pollution
• Flood protection project - using sensors in the
drain