Originally a prosperous town of the Srisutthanakhonhut Kingdom (Laos) 900 years ago, its official name was ‘Nong Bua Lamphu – Nakhon Kuan Kun Kab Kaew Bua Ban’, meaning ‘the town of plentiful water with blooming lotus flowers’. Most of Nong Bua Lamphu is situated on a plateau and the province has large forested areas. It was formerly a district under Udon Thani Province until it became its own province on December 1, 1993, making it the 76th province of Thailand.

Nong Bua Lamphu is 568 kilometres from Bangkok. It has an area of 3,859 square kilometres and consists of the following districts: Muang, Non Sang, Si Bun Rueang, Na Klang, Suwannakhuha and Na Wang.

The King Naresuan the Great Fair is held on January 25th of every year to pay homage to the highly revered king and features religious ceremonies and fun-filled activities.

The annual, holy Erawan Cave Pilgrimage pays homage to the Buddha image situated in the cave perched atop a mountain in April.

In June of every year, the town hosts the exuberantly celebrated Boon Bung Fai Festival (Rocket Festival) amidst a carnival atmosphere. The two-day event is staged to ensure plentiful rains during the coming rice-planting season. The first day features a parade of carnival floats and huge, colorful bamboo rockets made by the locals themselves, as well as fairs, music and folk entertainment. The huge, homemade rockets are then launched on the second day.