Surin Province

Surin is a province located in the south of the Isan region, roughly 450 km from Bangkok. It is a major silk weaving area, but is also famous for its annual elephant roundup. The residents are a cultural mixture of Lao, Central Thai, Khmer and Suay peoples, resulting in an interesting blend of dialects and customs. The famous elephant roundup occurs in the third week of November and is performed by the local Suay people. The Suay have for centuries been experts in this field, since the days that domesticated elephants were very much in demand. The show highlights the work carried out by these massive beasts and includes tricks performed by the elephant and his mahout. As is usual in the northeastern region, there are plenty of ruins from the Khmer period of the 11th and 12th centuries to be found scattered around the province.

Places of Attraction

Prasat Sikhoraphum 
This temple is situated 34 km to the northeast of town, along Route 226 towards Si Saket. The taller central prang stands at 32 m-high and has doorways that are finely decorated with Hindu deities. Dating from the 12th century, and built in the Angkor Wat style, it was initially a Hindu shrine. It was converted to a Buddhist temple in the 16th century.

Prasat Pluang
Head south from town, along route 214 to Prasat. At about 2km past Prasat, cross route 24 and turn to the left. The sanctuary is placed on a high laterite platform and is believed to date from the late 11th century. In the 1970's, excavations by the Fine Arts Department revealed that the temple was never completed.

Prasat Ta Muan Thom
This temple is located 60 km south of town, in the Kab Choeng District, on the Thai-Cambodian border. It was built in the 11th century, during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. This was once an important place, situated along the road that linked Phimai to Angkor in Cambodia. There is a 30m long staircase that leads down into Cambodian territory.

Elephant Village
The elephant has very much been part of Thailand's history: from the days when kingdoms where fought over by elephant-mounted soldiers, to the necessary agricultural and logging work they were trained for.
However, today the numbers of these animals has dwindled. No longer used in military actions and seldom used in agriculture, the importance of the pachyderms has declined.
At the village of Ban Tha Klang, about 40 km north of Surin, a programme has been set up to take care of these massive beasts. With the help from conservationist agencies, a natural environment has been created for them.