Nakhon Ratchasima

Nakhon Ratchasima, is not only a town, frequently referred to as Korat, but also a province that covers an area of around 20,494 square kilometres.

Nakhon Ratchasima is located 259 kilometres North-East of Bangkok, and borders Chaiyaphum and Khon Kaen to the North, Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri to the South, Buri Ram to the East and Chaiyaphum and Saraburi to the West. While still only a few hours from Bangkok by road, Nakhon Ratchasima is found in the area of Thailand commonly known as Issan.

The province, rich in Khmer culture, is a popular destination for Thai tourists exploring their own country, and increasingly, foreigners and expats looking to get away from Bangkok, and enjoy some fresh air and the many attractions available.

Nakhon Ratchasima boasts many forests, mountains, waterfalls and a few reservoirs for visitors to enjoy, and thanks to its colourful history, has numerous ancient monuments for visitors to discover, as well as more modern pursuits such as golf, and world-class spa facilities.

The main town of Nakhon Ratchasima has a moat which surrounds the city, used in the past to help protect what was a main administrative centre for the region. The roads are wide, similar to many boulevards found in France, which is thanks in part to a city plan designed by French engineers. The area around Pratu Chum Phon in the centre is an ideal location to enjoy a relaxing walk, while getting a feel for the city's history. Pratu Chum Phun is actually the remnants of an old gate built during the reign of King Narai the Great in 1656, who ordered a strong wall be built around the city. The western Chum Phon Gate is one of only four city gates that still exist. The other three were rebuit.

One of the major attractions in Nakhon Ratchasima city is the Thao Suranari Monument which is a memorial to the Thai heroine, Thao Suranari. The statue, built in 1934, proudly stands 1.85 metres tall from the elevated base, is made of black copper, faces west towards Bangkok and holds a sword. Thao Suranari was for many years Khunying Mo, the wife of the assistant governor. She was promoted to Thai Suranari by King Rama III, after she rallied villagers to fight against Chao Anuwong of Vientiane who had Korat under siege in 1826.  As the statue houses Thao Suranari's ashes in its base, many locals and visitors to the city will visit this monument to pay homage and ask for blessings.

International tourism to Nakhon Ratchasima is still relatively new, and as such there are not yet many International hotel brands. This is changing, and new boutique and other 5 star hotels are opening. The top hotels in Nakhon Ratchasima currently include, the Dusit Princess, the trendy V-One Hotel (which offers some exceptional value for money rooms) and the Sima Thani. We will soon be adding a review of some of the hotels in Nakhon Ratchasima so do check back.

One attraction that should not be missed when visiting Nakhon Ratchasima is the Phimai Historical Park. One of the grandest and most important Khmer historical sites in Thailand, Phimai sanctuary is 565 metres wide and 1,030 metres long. It consists of structures made of sandstone and laterite. Unusually, the sanctuary faces south rather than east which is more common. It is believed that this is because Phimai was constructed to face the route the Khmers would take from the capital of their empire to the south of Phimai. While the sanctuary has had some additions over the years, the general belief is that it was constructed at the end of the 16th Buddhist Century during the reign of King Suriyaworaman I. The park is open from 7:30 to 18:00 and admission costs just THB 40. 

One area which does have massive International tourism appeal and potential, is Khao Yai. As this area is very popular for its picturesque scenery, quality resorts, golf courses, spas and even vineyards, we will be devoting an entire area of our website to Khao Yai.

Getting to Nakhon Ratchasima is very easy. By road the journey will take around 3/4 hours. The roads are good quality and well sign posted so self-driving is not a problem. Alternatively, buses leave Bangkok's Mo Chit station numerous times per day, on a journey scheduled to last around 3 hours and 20 minutes. A train service, which takes around 6 hours, leaves 7 times per day from Bangkok. Once in the city, numerous tuk tuk's and tricycles are available to whisk you around, but do make sure you negotiate a price before hopping on.

Be sure to check out our Pictures of Nakhon Ratchasima, Pictures of Farm Chokchai, Pictures of Phimai, Pictures of Khao Yai.

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