Things to do in Surin & Si Saket Provinces
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Starbeam
One of Surin's many expat hang-outs, this one has a broad menu that includes pizza, breakfast burritos and an almost-good-as-home grilled cheese. It's north of the bus station.
reviewed
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Sisaket Aquarium
The new pride and joy of Si Saket features fresh and saltwater fish species from around Thailand and two walk-through tunnels.
reviewed
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Wat Lan Khuat
Officially it’s Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaeo, but these days nearly everyone calls it Wat Lan Khuat, the ‘Million Bottle Temple’. In 1982 the abbot dreamt of a Ъrah·sàht in heaven made entirely of glass. Realising that glass symbolised the need for clarity of purpose in one’s life, he decided to replicate the idea as best as he could on earth by covering nearly every surface of every building of his current temple with glass bottles. He also figured the idea would save the community lots of money on paint. The more you look around, the less the name seems like an exaggeration. He took the theme one step further by using bottle caps to create much of the adornment. It’s…
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Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai
Thirty kilometres west of Si Saket via Rte 226 in Amphoe Uthumphon Phisai, Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, built as a shrine to Shiva, features four 11th-century prang and two wí·hăhn (large hall in a Thai temple, usually open to laity) . The prang (including the main one, which was built of sandstone but restored with brick) have lost their tops, but many lintels and other carvings remain. The ruined sanctuary can be found on the grounds of Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, the prasat ’s modern successor. Buses from Si Saket (20B, 30 minutes) and Surin (55B, 1½ hours) can drop you right nearby; the train is faster and cheaper but the station is a couple of kilometres away.
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Wat Phra That Rueang Rong
Wat Phra That Rueang Rong is another unusual temple. A previous abbot, lamenting the loss of the old ways, built the bòht to look like an oxcart being pulled by two giant bulls. He also created a museum housing old tools, musical instruments and the like from the province's four cultures: Lao, Khmer, Suai and Yer. Concrete statues of people and oversized animals around the grounds offer life lessons. The wát is 7km north of town; take sŏrng·tăa·ou 2 (10B, 20 minutes) from in front of the train station.
reviewed
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Prasat Sikhoraphum
A large Khmer site is seen 30km northeast of town at Prasat Sikhoraphum, in the town of the same name. Built in the 12th century, Sikhoraphum features five brick prang, the tallest of which reaches 32m. Two prang still hold their tops, including the central one whose doorways are decorated with stone carvings of Hindu deities, following the Angkor Wat style. There’s a sound-and-light show here during the Elephant Round-up. Sikhoraphum can be reached by bus (25B, one hour) or train (7B, 30 minutes) from Surin town.
reviewed
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Prasat Ta Meuan
The most atmospheric (and most difficult to reach) of Surin’s Khmer ruins is a series of three sites known collectively as Prasat Ta Meuan, in Tambon Ta Miang on the Cambodian border. It lines the ancient route linking Angkor Wat to Phimai.
The sites begin 10.3km south of Ban Ta Miang on Rte 224, 23km east of Ban Kruat via a winding road used far more by cows than cars. You need your own transport to get here, and a visit is usually more convenient from Phanom Rung Historical Park than from Surin town.
reviewed
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Chansoma
By far the most famous weaving centre is Ban Tha Sawang, where Chansoma makes exquisite brocade fabrics (pâhyóktorng) incorporating threads coated in silver and gold. The weaving process is mighty impressive. Four women, including one sitting a floor below the others, work the loom simultaneously and can produce no more than 4cm a day. Sŏrng·tăa·ou (17B, 20 minutes) run regularly from Surin’s market, and a túk-túk should cost about 100B.
reviewed
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Prasat Ban Pluang
The 11th-century Prasat Ban Pluang is 33km south of Surin. It’s just a solitary sandstone prang with most of its top gone, but some wonderful carvings (including a lintel above the entrance with the Hindu god Indra riding his elephant, Airavata) make it worth a stop. A U-shaped moat rings the prang. The site sits 600m off Rte 214; the turn-off is 2.5km south of Hwy 24. Any vehicle bound for Kap Choeng or the border can drop you nearby (25B, 30 minutes).
reviewed
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Prasat Phumpon
The ruined Prasat Phumpon in Amphoe Sangkha, dating from the 7th or 8th century, is the oldest Khmer Ъrah·sàht in Thailand. However, that’s its only claim to fame and you’ll likely be disappointed by this simple brick prang if you’re expecting something magnificent . Amphoe Sangkha is 9km south of Hwy 24 on Rte 2124; veer right through the village at the fork in the road.
reviewed
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Larn Chang
Tasty and low-priced Thai and Isan dishes are served in and around an old wooden house that overlooks a surviving stretch of the city moat. (The moat is now known as Sŭan Rak, 'Love Park', and couples come here to hold hands at night.) The food and the setting are lovely, especially at sunset. It's a longish walk south of the centre, on the east side of the park.
reviewed
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Farang Connection
Also behind the bus station, this aptly named, British-owned place meets many travellers’ needs. The menu is a thick list of foreign favourites like chicken tikka masala, Wiener schnitzel and BLTs, and the liquor list is just as global. The Thai food is pretty good too. There’s an internet cafe upstairs and a small book exchange in the pub across the road. Wi-fi is free.
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Prasat Sa Kamphaeng Noi
About 8km west of Si Saket on the way to Kamphaeng Yai (on the north side of the highway in a temple with no sign in English) is Prasat Sa Kamphaeng Noi. Like many other Khmer ruins in the area, Angkor King Jayavarman VII made it a healing station. It had sat as a jumbled pile of rubble for ages, but is finally being re-erected. Still, it’s very modest.
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Surin National Museum
Displays at this well-executed museum focus on the province's Khmer ruins and Surin's three ethnic groups: Lao, Khmer and Suai, the region's renowned elephant herders. It's 4km south of town on Rte 214; catch pink sŏrng·tăa·ou 1 (10B) at the bus station or the clock tower by the fresh market (đà·l àht sót). At the time of press, an admission fee of 100B looked likely to be introduced in the near future.
reviewed
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Tak Khun Ampai Panich
The city's principal attraction is this restored wood-and-stucco Chinese-style shophouse built in 1925. It now houses an OTOP shop selling locally produced silks and crafts and a little upstairs museum (admission free; 9am-3pm) with a few antiques. It's about a 10-minute walk southeast of the train station.
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Petmanee 2
This simple spot south of Ruampaet Hospital by Wat Salaloi (look for the chicken grill in front) is Surin's most famous purveyor of sôm·đam and gài yâhng. The súþ nòr mái (bamboo shoot salad) is good too. There's no English, spoken or written, but the food is so good it's worth stumbling through an order.
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Elephant Study Centre
To see Surin’s elephants during the low season, visit the Elephant Study Centre in Ban Tha Klang, about 50km north of Surin. A little museum discusses elephants and elephant training, and some of the performers at the annual festival live here in traditional Suai homes sheltering elephants and humans together.
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Sisaket
For something special, try Sisaket, a nice garden spot with thatched-roofed tables. Their speciality is steamed fish with chilli paste. The menu’s in Thai only, but the staff speak some English. A túk-túk from the centre should cost 40B to 50B; if the driver doesn’t know the restaurant, tell them ‘Nŏrng Utai’.
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Prasat Muang Thi
If driving out here, you may as well take a 400m detour off Rte 226 for a peep at Prasat Muang Thi, 15km from Surin. The three remaining brick prang are in sad shape (one looks like it’s ready to topple), but they’re so small they’re actually kind of cute.
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Surin Chai Kit
This no-frills spot whips up tasty pan-egg breakfasts. The owners wear welcoming permagrins and give fa·ràng customers a handy city map. It's just to the right of the Sang Thong Hotel.
reviewed
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Sumrub Tornkruang
This unexpected place, tucked away behind the bus station, is classy in a totally Thai way. Prices are reasonable for the properly prepared Thai (and some Isan) food.
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Surin Agriculture Service Centre
This is a sericulture research centre 4km west of town. It is the easiest place around to see the entire silk-making process, from larva to loom.
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Night Market
There's a lot of culinary razzmatazz in this large market south of the train station.
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Coffee More
This bright modern place just south of the train station has some of the best coffees in town, plus ice cream and other snacks.
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Ban Chok Silver Co-Operative
Ban Chok Silver Co-operative, south of the main road, creates unique silver jewellery.
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