บึงกาฬ (Bueng Kan) lies in upper northeastern Thailand, the northeastern corner of Thailand bordering Laos. Much of the province is covered by reddish sandstone. It is desert sand from the Cretaceous which was deposited about 75 Million years ago. The rocks were uplifted and eroded by the Mekong river. The result are numerous areas with strangely-shaped rock formations. There is for example Hin Sam Wan (Three Whale Rock) which looks like a family of whales swimming in the ocean, and offers great views on the Mekong and Laos.
The Nagas, snake shifter gods, are the guardian spirits of the Mekong River. They are the symbol of the district and can be found on corrugated metal sheets, on buildings, and on T-shirts.
Due to the lack of karstified limestone there are no caves in the area. Most tourist sites are monasteries or rock formations. The province is very poor and dominated by agriculture, the infrastructure is not very good. Tourism is quite low, but increasing for several years now.
Long ago, in the mystical Kingdom of Rappata Nakhon, on the shores of the Khong Long Lake, lived Prince Fahoong. He was tall, strong, handsome, and popular, but he could not find his true love. One day, walking aimlessly through the woods, heard a girl singing. Her voice was so sweet and the words were so sad, he instantly fell in love with her. He ran in the direction of the voice but could not find her. He heard the sound of a girl softly crying, but once more the girl was gone. He only found snakeskin, from a snake which had shed its skin. One half was coloured a brilliant red, while the other half was as green as the leaves of a tree.