Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NAKHON RATCHASIMA PROVINCE
If you had just a single day to experience Thailand, Khorat - the original and still most
commonly used name for Thailand's largest province - would be a great place to spend it.
Most visitors are here to jump into the jungle at Khao Yai, Thailand's oldest national park
and newest Unesco World Heritage site. Its large size and easy access make it one of the
best wildlife-watching sites in Thailand.
While Khao Yai is the soaring pinnacle of the province's tourist industry, silk and stone
are solid cornerstones. Fashionistas should hit the shops in Pak Thong Chai, home of the
region's silk-weaving industry, while history aficionados can soak up an evocative glimpse
of the Angkor-era's heyday at the restored ruins at Phimai.
Khorat city offers little as a destination, but with a solid selection of hotels and restaur-
ants, it makes a good base for your Isan sojourn.
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Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat)
POP 209,881
Khorat doesn't wear its heart on its sleeve. Only those sporting a hefty set of rose-tinted
specs will be reaching for their camera as they step off the bus in the brash gateway to the
northeast. A bumper dose of urban hubbub reflects the city's affluence, and Khorat's one-
time historic charm has been largely smothered under a duvet of homogenous development.
Khorat is however, a city that grows on you. It has a strong sense of regional identity
(people call themselves
kon koh·râht
instead of
kon ee·săhn
) and is at its best in its quieter
nooks, such as inside the east side of the historic moat, where local life goes on in a fairly
traditional way.
