Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [379]
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Getting Around
If you have time on your side, travelling in the northeast is rarely a problem: all large and medium-sized towns are linked to even the smallest villages by public transport, though in the remotest corners it may only run a couple of times a day. If you’re short on time, however, remember that distances are large in this part of Thailand and buses are often slow. Consequently, if you plan to visit remote sites, a hire car or motorcycle will save a great many headaches while also letting you get a closer look at the region.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA PROVINCE
Most visitors to Khorat, the original and still most commonly used name for Thailand’s largest province, are here to jump into the jungle at Khao Yai, Thailand’s oldest national park and newest World Heritage Site. Its large size and healthy ecosystems make it one of the best wildlife-watching sites in Southeast Asia and one of the most rewarding destinations 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 and a town known for staying on top of the latest styles. History aficionados can soak up the stone remains of the region’s Angkor-period heyday. Khmer temples still pepper the province and, while most have been reduced to amorphous piles of rubble, the restored complex of Prasat Phimai provides an evocative glimpse of times past.
Khorat city offers little as a destination, but with a solid selection of hotels and the northeast’s biggest and broadest dining scene, it makes a good base during your Isan sojourn.
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NAKHON RATCHASIMA (KHORAT)
pop 215,000
Khorat city 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 growing affluence, and Khorat’s one-time historic charm has been largely smothered under a duvet of homogenous development.
Khorat is a city that grows on you. Distinctly Isan, with a strong sense of regional identity, this busy centre is at its best in its quieter nooks (inside the east side of the historic moat, for example), where Thai life, largely untouched by the country’s booming tourist industry, goes on in its own uncompromising way.
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Information
emergency & medical services
Bangkok Hospital (0 4426 2000; Th Mittaphap)
Tourist police (0 4434 1777; Th Chang Pheuak) Opposite Bus Terminal 2.
INTERNET ACCESS
Walk two or three blocks and you’re bound to pass an internet cafe. Net Guru (Th Phoklang; per hr 15B; 8.30am-midnight) has longer hours than most.
MONEY
Bangkok Bank (Th Jomsurangyat; 10am-8pm) At Klang Plaza 2 shopping centre. Changes cash only.
Siam Commercial Bank (Th Mittaphap; 10.30am-8pm) Located on the 2nd floor of the Mall. It changes travellers cheques.
POST
Post office (Th Jomsurangyat; 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat & holidays) Has a stamp museum.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT; 0 4421 3666; 2102-2104 Th Mittaphap; 8.30am-4.30pm) Covers Khorat and Chaiyaphum Provinces.
Sights & Activities
Maha Wirawong National Museum
Despite an interesting collection of Khmer and Ayuthaya-period artefacts, including stone and bronze Buddhas, woodcarvings from an ancient temple and various dom-estic utensils, chances are you’ll have this interesting little museum (0 4424 2958; Th Ratchadamnoen; admission 50B; 9am-4.30pm Wed-Sun)