Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 764

Tourist information The TAT o ce (daily 8.30am-4.30pm;
T 044 213666, E [e-mail]) is on the western edge
of town on Th Mitraphap. Take city bus #2 or #3 to reach it.

its four-day festival in early November,
which includes longboat races, son-et-
lumière and classical dance performances.

GETTING AROUND
Khorat is sprawling and clogged with tra c, so walking is
rarely the best option.
By bus and songthaew Local buses and songthaews
(B8-15) travel most of Khorat's main roads. The most useful
routes are #2, which runs between the TAT o ce in the
west, via the train station, and Suranari and Assadang roads
to the east; and #3, which also runs right across the city, via
Mahathai and Jomsurangyat roads, past the train station.
By tuk-tuk and taxi Tuk-tuks and metered taxis swarm
the streets.

Prasat Hin Phimai
he town is dominated by the exquisitely
restored eleventh-century Khmer temple
complex of Prasat Hin Phimai (daily
7.30am-6pm; B100), considered by
many to be the blueprint for Angkor
Wat. Built mainly of dusky pink and
greyish-white sandstone, it was connected
by a direct road to the Khmer capital of
Angkor and follows the classic symbolic
precepts of Khmer temple design: the
moat represented the cosmic ocean, the
surrounding walls the mountains, and
the main prang (sanctuary tower) Mount
Meru, the mythological axis of the world
according to Hindu cosmology.
Phimai's magnificent main prang has
been restored to its original cruciform
groundplan, complete with an almost full
set of carvings, mostly picking out
episodes from the Ramayana. hose
around the outside of the prang depict
predominantly Hindu themes: Shiva
- the Destroyer - dances above the main
entrance to the southeast antechamber
heralding the end of the world and the
creation of a new order. By the early
thirteenth century, Phimai had been
turned into a Buddhist temple, and the
main prang now houses Phimai's most
important image - the Buddha sheltered
by a seven-headed naga (snake).

10

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There are night markets about 400m east of Siri Hotel on
Th Pho Klang (corner of Th Yota) and on the east side of
the centre near the Iyara Hotel on Th Chumphon.
Cabbages and Condoms 6/1 Th Suebsiri (north-south
road just east of TAT). Excellent Thai and Isaan food at this
cosy, mid-priced restaurant (most dishes around B100),
with all proceeds going to the Population and Community
Development Association. Daily 10am-10pm.
De Bus Café Th Suranari, 5min walk northeast of the
train station. Bright a/c café serving lattes, mochas and
cappuccinos for B45, plus an interesting range of breakfast
choices. Daily 7am-10pm.
Siri Hotel 688 Th Pho Klang, 500m northeast of the train
station T 044 242831, W sirihotelkorat.com. A modern
and comfortable choice with very smart, spacious and
quiet rooms, all with a/c, ho t showers and cable TV. Break-
fast included. Double B650
Tokyo Hotel 256 Th Suranari T 044 242788. A 5min walk
southwest of Bus Terminal 1, or 15min northeast of the train
station. Conveniently located with large, fairly clean room s
with hot showers and the choice of fan or a/c. Double B300 Phimai National Museum

Many other stonecarvings, notably an
exceptionally fine sandstone statue of
Khmer king Jayavarman VII rescued
from the main prang, can be seen at the
well-presented Phimai National Museum
(Wed-Sun 9am-4pm; B100), 10min
walk north of the ruins by the river.

DIRECTORY
Hospital Expats favour the private Bangkok Hospital
at 1308/9 Th Mittraphap (Highway 2; T 044 429999,
W bangkokhospital.com/ratchasima).
Internet There's a cluster of internet cafés in the area
around the post o ce and Klang Plaza II on Th
Jomsurangyat, charging from B20/hr.
Tourist police Opposite Bus Terminal 2 T 044 341778
or T 1155.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Buses to and from Khorat's Bus Terminal 2 (every
30min; 1hr-1hr 30min) stop near the ruins and the
museum; the last return bus departs Phimai around 7pm.
If coming from the north (for example, Khon Kaen), take
any bus towards Bangkok and get off at the Highway 2-
Highway 206 junction, where you can change to the
Khorat-Phimai service for the last 10km.

PHIMAI
A more appealing overnight stop than
Khorat is tiny PHIMAI , 60km to the
northeast. It's particularly attractive during