The Phu Phan mountains are a range of hill

Hill

A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...

s dividing the Khorat Plateau

Khorat Plateau

The Khorat Plateau also Korat Plateau, is a plateau in the northeastern region of Thailand, named for the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, an historical stronghold controlling access to and from the plateau.-Geography:...

 of the Isan

Isan

Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...

 region of Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 into two basin

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

s: the northern Sakhon Nakhon Basin, and the southern Khorat Basin.

Etymology

The name of the range is derived from the characteristic tabletop

Table (landform)

A table, when used in reference to landforms, is a hill, flank of a mountain, or mountain, that has a flat top.This landform has numerous names in addition to "table", including:*Tuya*Tepui*Mesa*Potrero*Butte*Plateau*Terrace-Description:...

 shape of its peaks, for phan

Phan (tray)

Phan is an artistically decorated tray with a pedestal common in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.-Description:A phan is normally round and comes in different sizes. The usual measures range between a diameter of 20 cm to about 50 cm. It is more or less deep....

is a kind of traditional tray

Tray

A tray is a shallow platform designed for carrying things. It is larger than a salver, a diminutive version commonly used for lighter and smaller servings, and it can be fashioned from numerous materials, including silver, brass, sheet iron, wood, melamine, and papier-mâché...

 on a pedestal

Pedestal

Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....

.

Phu is the word for mountain in the Isan

Isan language

Isan language is the collective name for the dialects of the Lao language as they are spoken in Thailand. It is spoken by approximately 20 million people, which is nearly one-third of the entire population of Thailand, predominantly in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand. There are also large...

/Lao

Lao language

Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...

 language (as opposed to khao in Central and Southern Thai and doi in Northern Thai).

Geography

The hills straddle the provinces of Nongbua Lamphu

Nongbua Lamphu Province

Nong Bua Lam Phu is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and Loei.-History:...

, Khon Kaen

Khon Kaen Province

-History:The first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people. King Rama I made Rajakruluang the first governor of the area when establishing tighter connections with the Isan area. The main city was moved six times until in 1879 it reached its modern...

, Udon Thani

Udon Thani Province

Udon Thani is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lamphu and Loei.- Geography :...

, Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon Province

Sakon Nakhon is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Kalasin and Udon Thani...

, Nakhon Phanom

Nakhon Phanom Province

Nakhon Phanom is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Mukdahan, Sakon Nakhon and Bueng Kan. To the north-east it borders Khammouan of Laos.-Geography:...

, Kalasin

Kalasin Province

Kalasin is one of the provinces of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Roi Et, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.-Geography:...

 and Mukdahan

Mukdahan Province

Mukdahan is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Roi Et, Kalasin, Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom. To the east it borders the Mekong River, across which lies Savannakhet Province of Laos.-Geography:The province is located in the...

. The highest elevation of the Phu Phan range is around 630m.

The Phu Phan Royal Palace is located within the mountains, as is the Nam Un Dam. Other local sights are Lake Nong Han

Lake Nong Han

The Nong Han is a lake in the northeast of Thailand, located northeast of the town Sakon Nakhon. The lake covers an area of 125.2 km² and is the largest natural lake of northeast Thailand....

 near Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon is a town in Thailand within the Isan region, and capital city of the Sakon Nakhon Province, with a population of approximately 76,000. It has a regional airport in the north, Sakon Nakhon Airport. During World War II, the town became a haven for Free Thais, and a base for Communist...

 and the Khmer style chedi

Stupa

A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....

 ruins of Phu Phek, dating from 1050.

The area of the Phu Phan mountains also includes four national park

National park

A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...

s:

• Phu Phan
• Phu Kao - Phu Phan Kham
• Phu Pha Lek
• Huai Huat (Phu Pha Yon)