Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [392]
Tours
Pirom, at Pirom-Aree’s House (right), offers a wide range of tours, from a half day in Ban Tha Klang and the craft villages (per person 1400B with four people) to a three-day Isan immersion experience (per person per day 2400B with four people). Tours to all the well-known Khmer temples (and many others) are also available. Prices are very high but the tours are good.
Saren Travel (0 4452 0174; 202/1-4 Th Thesaban 2; 8.30am-6pm Mon-Sat) offers customised day tours in and around Surin Province from 1600B.
Sleeping
Hotels fill up fast during the Elephant Round-up and prices skyrocket, so book as far in advance as you can.
Pirom-Aree’s House (0 4451 5140; Soi Arunee, Th Thungpo; s/d 120/200B) The location for this long-time budget favourite, 1km west of the city, is inconvenient but very peaceful. Simple wooden rooms (all with shared bathroom) in two new houses and a shady garden overlook a rice paddy. Aree cooks some pretty good food and Pirom is one of the best sources of information on the region you’ll meet.
New Hotel (0 4451 1341; 6-8 Th Tanasan; s 160-330B, d 180-440B; ) This place, right smack outside the train station, is so old the name’s almost ironic, but it’s clean and convenient. Take a room in the front half of the building and you’ll get a real sit-down toilet.
Kritsada Grand Palace (0 4471 3997; Th Suriyarat; r 400-450B; ) Sitting on a quiet side street behind city hall, this newly opened property is a bit hard to find, but that makes for a very quiet downtown location. Rooms are rather plain, but good value. Wi-fi in the lobby only.
Treehouse Resort (08 9948 4181; sboonyoi@gmail.com; Hwy 226; r 350-1000B; ) This peculiar place, under slow-mo construction since 1998, is a combination of Gilligan’s Island and your grandparents’ dishevelled basement. If this sounds good to you, you’ll love it. It’s 3km from downtown, right on Surin’s outskirts. Khun Boonyai, the cheerful owner and creator, prefers that you book a day in advance; in return, he’ll pick you up in town for free when you arrive.
Maneerote Hotel (0 4453 9477; www.maneerotehotel.com; 11/1 Soi Poytango Th Krung Si Nai; r 650-750B; ) This newish hotel west of the markets is a shiny, solid three-star, though it’s a little out of the way. It has a few nice decorative touches, and wi-fi spreads throughout the building and is free in the lobby.
Surin Majestic Hotel (0 4471 3980; 99 Th Jit Bamrung; r 900-1200B, ste 1800-4500B; ) The city’s top digs sits alongside the bus terminal in the heart of town. The rooms are nothing special, but good for the price (the junior suites are actually a very good deal) and the hotel has plenty of extras, like a fitness centre. There’s wi-fi in the lobby only.
Eating & Drinking
Petmanee 2 (no roman-script sign; 08 4451 6024; Th Murasart; dishes 20-60B; lunch) This simple spot south of Ruampaet Hospital and next to Wat Salaloi (look for the chicken grill in front) is Surin’s most famous purveyor of sôm·am and gài yâhng. The sú 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. The smaller original is around the corner.
Surin Chai Kit (no roman-script sign; 297-299 Th Tanasan; dishes 25-60B; breakfast & lunch) This no-frills spot whips up a tasty breakfast; try a plate of pan-eggs and Isan sausages. The owner wears a welcoming permagrin and gives fa·ràng customers a handy city map. It’s a short walk south of the train station, past the fountain.
Larn Chang (0 4451 2869; 199 Th Siphathai Saman; dishes 35-200B; dinner) Tasty and low-priced Thai and Isan dishes are served in and around an old wooden house overlooking 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; unfortunately the service