Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) Overview

Known locally as “Khorat” for the plateau on which it rests, Nakhon Ratchasima straddles the main corridor to all other destinations in Isaan. Boasting a population of about three million, Khorat is one of Thailand’s largest cities—and has the noise and air pollution to prove it. Designed by French engineers for Ayutthayan King Narai, it was once fortified by a wall and surrounded by a moat, the remains of which are still visible. Today, a new world is replacing the old as sprawling malls and sleazy nightclubs multiply. Also populating this northeastern city is Khorat’s very own breed of cats—the Khorat cats, which can be worth up to 2,000฿. Beyond shopping and a few interesting temples, Khorat is also a convenient base from which to visit the silk weavers of Pak Thong Chai, the pottery manufacturers of Dan Kwian, and the ruins of Phimai and Phanom Rung. If you happen to be around from late March to early April, you might have a chance of catching the Thao Suranari Festival, a series of parades through the city center to honor local heroine Thao Suranari.

Trains: Nakhon Ratchasima Train Station (☎044 242 044; www.railway.co.th), on Mukkhamontri Rd. From the center of town, the station is 500m west on Mukkhamontri Rd., with an old locomotive out front. A variety of trains depart for Bangkok (4-6hr., 10 per day 8:20am-midnight). Trains also depart for Ubon Ratchathani (4 per day, midnight-5:30am, 206-368฿) via Khon Khaen (188-297฿) and Nong Khai. Call in advance for the day’s schedule.
Buses: Khorat has 2 bus terminals. Buses traveling within the region depart from Terminal 1; buses going further afield depart from Terminal 2. Buses for Bangkok leave from both terminals. Prices quoted are for A/C buses. Note that times are only guidelines.
- Terminal 1, on Burin Rd. 3companies run buses to Bangkok, all with similiar prices and times Ratchasima Tours, (☎044 269 234, every 40min. 6am-9pm, on the hour after 9pm; 227฿). Request info for other destinations within the province.
- Terminal 2, on Rte. 2, north of town beyond the Takhong River. There are numerous ticket booths, each selling tickets to different places. Ask around for the appropiate vendor for your location. To: Bangkok (4hr., every 30min., 227฿); Buriram (4hr.; 9 per day 10:30pm-2:30am, 2 buses 1:45pm; 121-236฿); Chiang Mai (12hr., 7 per day 6:30am-8:30pm, 643฿); Chiang Rai (13hr., 698฿); Nong Khai (6hr.; 5am, 2, 5:30, 7pm; 308฿); Khon Kaen (3hr., every 30min. 4:50am-11:30pm, 171฿); Udon Thani (5hr., 11 per day, 266฿); Phimai (1hr., every 30min. 5am-10pm, 54฿); Surin (4hr., every 30min., 140฿); Ubon Ratchathani (6hr., 4 per day 2pm-1am, 300฿); Dan Kwian (40min., every 30min. 25฿).
Local Transportation: Samlor and tuk-tuks are omnipresent. City buses (6am-8pm, 8฿) are also convenient. Buses #1, 2, and 3 start on Mukkhamontri Rd. (near TAT) and go to town, before splitting on Phoklang (#1), Suranaree (#2), and Jomsurangyard Rd. (#3). Frequent, numbered songthaew (8฿).

Orientation And Practical Information

Khorat is enclosed to the west and north by Mittraphap Road, to the east by Pol Lan Road, and to the south by the railroad. Ratachadamnoen Road and Chumphon Road, separated by a narrow park, divide the city into two halves: the quieter western half and the more commercial eastern one. In the middle of this divider, marking the center of the city, stands the dramatic Thao Suranaree Memorial. A rectangular moat, a remnant of the city’s old fortifications, circumscribes the city’s eastern half. Chomphon Road, not to be confused with Chumphon Rd., begins behind the Thao Suranaree Memorial and cuts east-west through the center of the old city.

Tourist Offices: TAT, 2102-2104 Mittraphap Rd. (☎044 213 030; www.tat.org.th/northeast1), near Mukkhamontri Rd., next to the Sima Thani Hotel. English spoken. Free brochures and useful maps. Open daily 8:30am-4:30pm.
Currency Exchange: Bank of Ayudhya, 168 Chomphon Rd. (☎044 242 388). MC/V cash advances and traveler’s check exchange. Open M-F 8:30am-3:30pm. 24hr. ATM. Cirrus/MC/Plus/V. Other ATMs line Chomphon Rd.
Books: Klang Plaza II Department Store (☎044 260 436), on Jomsurangyard Rd., has bookstores with limited English-language sections on the 2nd and 3rd fl. Open daily 10am-9pm.
Local Tourist Police: (☎044 341 778). Main office on Mittraphap Rd., across from Bus Terminal 2. A tourist police box is next to the Thae Suranaree Memorial.
Pharmacy: Amarin, 122 Chumphon Rd. (☎044 242 741), behind the memorial, to the left. “Rx” on the glass doors. Some English spoken. Open daily 8:30am-8:30pm. Another location on the lower level of Klang Plaza II.
Medical Services: St. Mary’s Hospital, 307 Mittraphap Rd./Rte. 2 (☎044 261 261), 50m south of Bus Terminal 2. Private hospital with English-speaking staff and facilities. Khorat Memorial Hospital, 348 Suranaree Rd. (☎044 263 777). From the Thao Suranaree Memorial, it’s past Sri Pattana Hotel on the right. English spoken. Open daily 24hr. V.
Telephones: CAT (☎044 251 138), next to the post office on Jomsurangyard Rd. International phone, fax, and telex. Open daily 8:30am-4:30pm.
Internet Access: Net Guru, 356 Phoklang Rd. (☎044 267 811), near Yotha Rd. 15฿ per hr. Open daily 9am-10pm.; AU Net, 768 Ratchadamnoen Rd. (☎044 260 678), along the moat near the clock tower; 15฿ per hr. Open daily 11am-midnight. Step Up (☎044 242 833) is diagonal to Tokyo Hotel (see below). 15฿ per hr., printing 5฿. Open 24hr.
Post Office: 3 post offices within the main city. Main office (☎044 264 906), on Assadang Rd., near Chainarong Rd. Post Restante. Chomsurang post office (☎044 256 670), 48 Jomsurangyard Rd. Amphawan post office (☎044 213 840), next to TAT, on Mittraphap Rd. All offices open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm, Sa 9am-noon; main office also open Su 9am-noon. Postal Code: 30000.
Rentals: Motorbikes (manual) can be rented from Euro Khan Chang (☎044 267 115) next to the Suzuki sign 200m east of San Sabai House (300฿ per day).

Accommodations

Surprisingly for a city of this size, few guesthouses target the backpacker crowd. There are, however, reasonably clean and centrally located hotels that are good for a night or two.

San Sabai House, 335 Suranaree Rd. (☎044 255 144). 1min. walk from Bus Terminal 1. Simply decorated rooms and shiny bathrooms. The best value in the city. Rooms with cable TV and fan 250฿, with A/C and hot water 300-500฿.
Tokyo Hotel, 256-258 Suranaree Rd. (☎044 242 788). Good location and large rooms, for cheap. Rooms upstairs are better quality. Rooms with fan 250฿, with A/C 450฿.
Doctor’s Guest House, 78 Suebsiri Soi 4 (☎044 255 846), near the TAT. Though a little further out of town than other accommodations, this guesthouse offers a welcoming atmosphere and clean shared bathrooms with hot water and Western flush toilets. Rooms with fan 200฿, with A/C 350฿.

Food

Mouth-watering cuisine is plentiful in and around Khorat. The day and night markets (6-10pm) are fine places to sample regional specialties such as sai klog (grilled pork sausages stuffed with rice; 5฿), kanom buen g (small, taco-shaped, coconut-stuffed crepes; 1฿), and pad mee Khorat (fried noodles with vegetables and pork; 20฿). If you are up for the trek, a larger night market sits just south of town on Mitraphap Rd. (5pm-10pm) The food courts in Klang Plaza II, are highly reccommended by locals to those looking for good authentic Isaan food, cheap Chinese-Thai dishes (20-35฿), or hybrid pizza crepes (20฿). Purchase food coupons before ordering. (Open daily 10am-9pm.) In the evenings, stroll east along Mahadthai Rd. beyond the night bazaar to reach boisterous open-air restaurants serving a variety of Thai dishes.

Suan Pak (SPK), 154-158 Chumphon Rd. (☎044 255 877), just east of the Thao Suranaree Memorial, on the corner. Upbeat, popular cafe serving cakes and an extensive Thai, Chinese, and Western menu. Dishes 45-160฿. Open nightly 4pm-midnight.
Cabbages & Condoms, 86/1 Sueb Siri Rd. (☎044 253 760), just past Soi 4 and before the train tracks. The to-the-point name reflects the belief that birth control should be as easily accessible as vegetables in a market. C&C offers a nutritious and “safe” meal. Vegetarian options 55-65฿. The bold can try the “condom salad” (100฿). Live music nightly 7pm. Open daily 10am-11pm.
The VFW Cafeteria (☎044 253 432), adjacent to Siri Hotel on Phoklang Rd. An attempt to reconstruct an American diner, VFW offers a simple menu with a variety of inexpensive steak meals (sirloin steak 75฿) and other Western items. Cheeseburger 30฿. Fries 10฿. Open daily 10am-9pm.

Sights

Khorat’s handful of sights can be visited in a single afternoon. A good starting point is the Thao Suranaree Memorial. The copper statue depicts a governor’s wife who led an attack against invading Laotian forces in 1826. This folk heroine turned demi-god is hailed as inspiration for people from the region, and many make a pilgrimage to this sight, constructed in 1934, to pray for strength and good luck. The city celebrates her life each year (Mar. 23-Apr. 3) with cultural shows. In the city’s northeast corner is Wat Sala Loi. The wat is shaped like a Chinese ship to represent the various sagas of Buddha’s life as the ebb and flow of the sea. Inside the main pavilion is the plaster figure of Thao Suranaree (who commissioned the wat ) prostrating herself in front of the Buddha.

Wat Phra Narai Maharat, on Prajak Rd., between Assadang and Chompon Rd., inside the city moat, contains a sandstone image of the Hindu god Narayana and a shiva linga (phallic pillar). The wat is open to the public for a short while at 6am and again at 6pm.

Entertainment And Nightlife

Competitive and popular Muay Thai matches are held on the third floor of the Mall on Mittraphap Rd. (Th 5-8pm). Call in advance to ensure tickets (☎037 231 000, 50-100฿). The Mall also features an indoor, Olympic-sized swimming pool, a bowling alley, and a top-notch movie theater playing Thai and Western movies (120฿, open daily 10:30am-8pm). If singing isn’t your cup of tea, dance at some of Khorat’s best clubs.

Bar Nana (☎044 458 461), next to the Grand Hotel on Mitraphap Rd, has dance floors, live music, and plenty of whiskey to go around. Locals flock to this trendy nightclub and let loose among the high tables scattered across the floor. No cover. Bottles of whiskey 450-1299฿, singha beer 90฿. Open 9pm-2am.
The Fun Factory, on Jomsurangyard Rd., across from Klang Plaza II, is another sprawling dance mega-complex. Live music and hip-hop dance floor F-Sa. 20+. 1 drink min. Open nightly 9pm-2am.

Daytrips From Khorat

Dan Kwian Village. Tiny Dan Kwian Village, 15km southeast of Khorat, was once the crossroads for traders traveling in bull-cart caravans between Khorat and Khmer. Villagers have collected dark clay from the Moon River for years, which gives their renowned pottery its distinctive, rusty color. The geometric-patterned work is beautiful, though heavy and fragile. Browse through the vendors on the right hand side of the road, but don’t miss out on the actual village, where most of the pottery is made. (Buses depart from Bus Terminal 2. 20min., every 30min. 6am-6:30pm, 20฿. Alternatively, head to the southeastern side of the city, and jump on a songthaew from Kamhaeng Rd. Disembark when the small road forks into 3 lanes. To return to Khorat, wait on the left side of the road. When the bus comes, gesticulate wildly. Last bus 6pm.)

Pak Thong Chai. Pak Thong Chai, 32km south of Khorat, was once a traditional silk-producing village but is now dominated by factories, from which tourists can purchase silk in a variety of qualities and colors. Two of these, Matchada, 118/1 Moo Suebsiri Rd. (☎044 441 684), and Radtree, 442/1 Pak Thong Chai Rd., arrange free tours through their facilities and allow visitors to observe the silk production cycle. (Take a bus from Khorat’s Bus Terminal 1. 45min., every 30min. 5:30am-8:30pm, 17฿. Both factories open 9am-5pm. Call in advance for tours.)