Attractions in Khorat, attractive places by GuideRooms.com   

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Bua Yai | Chok Chai | Dan Khun Thot | Muang | Non Sung | Pak Chong | Phimai | Wang Nam Khiao

Amphoe Bua Yai

Prang Ku

Prang Ku is in Wat Ban Ku School, Tambol Don Tanin.  Take Highway No. 2 for about 74 kilometers, then turn left at the highway police kiosk to Ban Non Ta Then for around 6 kilometers and turn right to Wat Ban Ku School.  The site is a small Khmer pagoda with a square base, built of layers of laterite from bottom to top.  However, much of it is in ruins, only part of the low base remains.  Inside the pagoda are 4-5 fired clay Buddha images.

Amphoe Chok Chai

Dan Kwian

Situated on Highway No. 24, about 14 kilometers from the city of Nakhon Ratchasima is a village noted for unique pottery widely used for interior and outdoor decoration. The uniqueness of Dan Kwian clay is its durability, pliability and rusty color. When combined with attractive designs and the proper heating process the products are irresistible.
 
Prasat Phakho

This ancient Khmer sanctuary and Hindu religious place constructed of white sandstone originally had 3 buildings of which only 2 remain today. The site is surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped moat and has an entrance to the east. A lintel dated from around the 11th century influenced by the Baphuon culture of ancient Khmer was found here. This lintel is currently housed in the Phimai National Museum.

The sanctuary is located at Tambol Krathok. From the city take Highway No. 224 for 29 kilometers and continue on to Highway No. 2021 for 3 kilometers. The site is on the right.

Amphoe Dan Khun Thot

Ban Rai Temple (Wat Ban Rai)

This is one of the most famous temples in the province as it is the residence of the revered monk Luang Pho Khun Parisuttho. Many worshippers from all over the country come pay their respect daily. The temple is located in Tambol Kut Phiman, about 60 kilometers from the city. To reach the monastery, take Mitraparp Highway to the 237-km marker, turn right past Kham Thale So and Nong Suang to Dan Khun Thot. From Dan Khun Thot Hospital use Highway No. 2217 and drive for 11 kilometers.

Amphoe Muang

Monument of Thao Suranari

Thao Suranari Monument is a memorial to the Thai heroine called ‘Ya Mo’ by locals.  Built in 1934, it is located in the city centre.  People from other provinces who visit Khorat and locals usually come to pay homage here and ask for blessings.  The statue is made of black copper.  It is 1.85 meters high and is dressed in regalia in a standing posture.  The right hand holds a sword and the statue faces west towards the capital of Bangkok.  The monument base holds her ashes.

Thao Suranari was originally Khunying Mo, the wife of the assistant governor of Nakhon Ratchasima.  In 1826, Chao Anuwong of Vientiane had Khorat under siege but Khunying Mo rallied villagers to fight against Chao Anuwong.  After the battle was over, King Rama III promoted her to Thao Suranari.  Every year during 23 March to 3 April, the people would hold a festival to honour her bravery.

Tham Khao Chan Ngam

The cave is located approximately 58 kilometers southwest of the city, off of Highway No. 2. Consisting of a series of rock formations, the cave is notable for its prehistoric paintings with figures of people and animals drawn in coarse red paint. Historians claim that an agrarian community inhabited this area some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago
 
Wat Sala Loi

Wat Sala Loi is to the northeast of the city, 500 meters from Rop Mueang Road. Thao Suranari and her husband built the temple in 1827.  The highlight is the convocation hall that was awarded the prize as the best avant-garde religious building from the Siam Architects Society in 1973.  The hall is in an applied Thai style in the shape of a junk riding the waves.  Local Dan Kwian clay tiles were used to decorate the building to tell the life of Lord Buddha.  The door is made of metal with raised designs of the Buddhist tale.  The hall houses a large standing white Buddha image.  In front of the door is a plaster sculpture of Thao Suranari sitting praying in the middle of a pond.  Besides the building is a small pagoda that used to house the ashes of Thao Suranari.  A glass wall in the shape of heart-shaped temple boundary markers surrounds the hall.

Chumphon Gate

Pratu Chum Phon is behind the monument.  It is an old city gate built during the reign of King Narai the Great in 1656.  The king commanded that a strong city wall be built.  Engineers from France, then an ally of the country, designed the city plan.  Nakhon Ratchasima at that time was an outpost in the shape of a rectangle of 1,000 x 1,700 metres.   The western Chum Phon Gate is the only 1 of 4 city gates that still stands.  The other three gates have been rebuilt.  Chum Phon Gate is built of large stones and bricks and covered with plaster.  The top is a watchtower made of wood with a tiled roof and decorated in the Thai style.

City Pillar

City Pillar is at the corner of Chom Phon and Prachak roads.  This Chinese-style shrine houses the city pillar that is worshipped by Thais and Chinese.  Built in the reign of King Narai the Great during 1656-1688, the shrine and city pillar are made of wood.  The inner eastern wall is covered with fired clay tiles with raised designs of the battle of Thao Suranari and the way of life of Thais in ancient times.

Prasat Phanom Wan

Prasat Phanom Wan is in Ban Makha, Tambol Pho, around 15 kilometers from the city on the Nakhon Ratchasima-Khon Kaen road.  A sign on the right shows the way on a road 5 kilometers more.  This is an interesting Khmer sanctuary.  It is believed that it was built in the 15th Buddhist century.  Later during the 18th-19th centuries, a stone building was built over it.  From inscriptions found at the site, it is known that the sanctuary was used in the Hindu religion and later became a Buddhist site.  Although most of it is in ruins, there is a clear form present, like the square main pagoda facing east and a tiered pagoda in front, as well as a path linking the two structures.

Amphoe Non Sung

Ban Prasat Archaeological Site

The site is Thailand's second archaeological site (the first was Ban Chiang) to be set up as an outdoor museum. Findings indicate that the area was once inhabited by a prehistory to early history community. In addition, there is evidence that a community of the Dvaravati and Khmer periods thrived here some 1,500 to 3,000 years ago. There are 3 pits that have been landscaped and are open to the public. Discoveries of human skeletons and many pottery pieces that were dug up from various levels are evidence of human evolution, community beliefs and culture.

To get there from the city, take Highway No. 2 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Khon Kaen) for 44 kilometers and then turn right and proceed for 1 kilometer. If going by bus from Bangkok or Nakhon Ratchasima, take a bus bound for Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, or Kalasin. Get off at the 44-km marker and take a hired motorcycle into the village.

Ban Prasat Home Stay

As there are numerous attractions in the area, home stay is an alternative for visitors interested in spending more than one day at Ban Prasat. The program was first initiated in 1996 and currently serves as the prototype home stay program for other villages across Thailand. The best time for a visit is between October and December when the climate is cool.

Ban Prasat villagers, like other villagers in the region, are mostly farmers. Because rice farming is done once a year, villagers use their free time to supplement their income by creating handicrafts such as weaving reed mats and hats, producing shoes and bags, breeding silkworm, and making Thai stringed musical instruments like So U and So Duang.

Paddy fields surround the village and a river, Than Prasat, which is considered a sacred river, divides Ban Prasat Nua and Ban Prasat Tai. For more information on home stay programs.

Phra Non Sema

Amphoe Pak Chong

Chokchai Farm

Chokchai Farm is a fully integrated dairy farm perched on a vast stretch of plains amidst a scenic surrounding. An agro-tourism farm where visitors can learn about milking, making of fresh milk ice cream, animal feed plant, and several other activities. Superb tourist facilities provided.

The farm opens on Saturdays, Sundays and Official holidays.
Open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for a group visit of at least 30 persons. There are 3-5 rounds of tours, each taking approximately 3 hours.

Kong Kaeol Waterfall (Namtok Kong Kaeol)

This is a low waterfall, which is especially lovely in the rainy season originated from Huay Lam Takhong that divides Nakhon Nayok and Nakhon Ratchasima Provinces. The waterfall can be reached by a walking distance of 100 meters from the tourist service center. Visitors can enjoy swimming at the waterfall or taking short nature trips on nearby nature trails.

Pha Kluai Mai Waterfall (Namtok Pha Kluai Mai)

This is a medium-sized waterfall in Huay Lam Takhong with two separate bodies of water flowing down rock levels to merge at the bottom. In the area visitors can find the Red Dendrobium orchid that is the symbol of the waterfall. The waterfall is about 7 kilometers from the park office and can be reached by car and on foot. In addition, there is a trail from the waterfall that leads to Heo Suwat Waterfall.

Amphoe Phimai

Phimai Historical Park

Within the Park is the Phimai Sanctuary, one of the grandest and most important Khmer historical sites in Thailand.

The word Phimai appears in an inscription on a stone slab at the front doorway of the building as well as in many other structures. It is believed that the word Phimai referred to a religious figure or site.

The Phimai Sanctuary is rectangular in shape and is 565 meters wide and 1,030 meters long. It consists of ornately carved sandstone and laterite structures. The most special characteristic of the sanctuary is that it is the only one that faces south while the others usually face east. This is probably because it was built to face the route that the Khmers traveled from the capital of the empire, to the south of Phimai.

From stone inscriptions and the architectural style, the Phimai Sanctuary was most likely built at the end of the 11th century during the reign of King Suriyaworaman I. The architectural style is that of the Baphuon style that prospered at the time. However, some characteristics are similar to that of Angkor Wat, which became popular at a later period. Some additions were made to the site in the early 18th Buddhist century during the reign of King Chaiworaman VII when Phimai had close relations with the Khmer Empire. The sanctuary was always a religious site of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism because King Suriyaworaman I and King Chaiworaman VII were followers of the sect.
Important Structures in Phimai Sanctuary:

The Naga Bridge is the first part you pass when visiting the site. The bridge and lion figures stand in front of the Gopura (porch) south of the main pagoda. The intention may have been to build a link between earth and heaven according to both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs concerning the universe.

The Gopura was adapted as the wall around the sanctuary and the four entering porches. There is a large corridor connecting the outer and inner areas of the main sanctuary. Above each porch is a lintel of various designs.
The Main Prang or pagoda is on an open area in a curved walkway. It is the centre of the site and is made entirely of white sandstone and is different from the porches and walls that are made primarily of red sandstone. This is because white sandstone is more durable than red sandstone. The pagoda is 28 meters high, has a square base, a portico and stairways and doors in all 4 directions.

The pagoda consists of a base, outer walls, columns, and porches with beautiful designs. Of vital importance are the lintels that mostly recount the tale of Ramayana from Hinduism and tales of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism. The lintels above the 4 doorways of the main pagodas inner chamber, the most important room of the pagoda, are all about Buddhism reflecting the Buddhist influence that eventually surpassed that of Hinduism. The carvings are of the Baphoun style and the Angkor Wat style leading to the belief that the main pagoda was built at the end of the 12th century.

There are other pagodas, which are Prang Brahmadat in front of the main pagoda, Prang Hin Daeng and Ho Phram (Brahma Hall) to the right.

Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao

Decorated Plants, Flower Garden, and Organic vegetable Plantation

Located in Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao, it covers an area of approximately 60 sq.km. The Plantation cultivates over 40 kinds of Thai fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen, longan, lamyai, lichee, etc.

Huai Yai Waterfall

Huai Yai Waterfall is a tourist destination under the care of Thap Lan National Park.  Take Highway No. 304 to the market at Km. 79 for 6 kilometers.  The entrance is a sloped walkway about 20 meters long.  You will find a small waterfall flowing past 2 large boulders.  It has water only in the rainy season around July to September.

Khao Phaeng Ma Reforestation Project to Honour His Majesty the King

Khao Phaeng Ma Reforestation Project to Honour His Majesty the King is in the southern part of Nakhon Ratchasima.  Take Highway No. 304 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Kabin Buri) for 79 kilometers to the market at Km. 79.  Take a right on Ro Pho Cho Road (San Chao Pho-Nong Khum) for 11 kilometers.  The last part of about 4 kilometers is a dirt road going uphill that is rugged but has good views.  Upon reaching the top, you will see some winding mountains.  The peak is 850 meters above sea level.  The area is under the care of the Wildlife Foundation of Thailand and has an area of 16 square kilometers.  Activities include reforestation, trekking, animal watching (particularly some remaining gaurs), and slide shows for interested parties.  There is accommodation in the form of 3 bamboo lodges that can each accommodate 10-20 people.  Prior contact can be made at the project in Moo 5, Tambol Wang Nam Khiao, tel. 0 1907 8260, 0 1999 7468

Sakaerat Environmental Research Station