Surin

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Surin Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 1-2 Days

Best Time: November to March Read More

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"The city of Elephants"

Surin Tourism

Surin, a city known for its sericulture and elephants, is now aspiring to become a global tourist centre. Visitors often drop in for 1-2 days from November to March since this city does not have too many things to do, and is often left quiet for the rest of the year. However, with the influx of tourists in Thailand, Surin has seen many changes recently. From food to shopping to historical monuments, this city has gained momentum over the years.   

Located in North Thailand, Surin is also called Soureen by locals who mainly occupy themselves with silk weaving or local art and crafts. The city is 5 hours away from Bangkok and contains 13 provinces. The historical monuments and culture that is seen in Surin mainly roots out of Khmer culture, an ethnic group that has been living in Northern Thailand for over 5 centuries. Nevertheless, this place offers an authentic as well as modern hospitality.  Therefore, for tourists who wish to explore a not-so-commercial area in Thailand, Surin may be a good place to visit.

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History and Culture

A lot of what is seen in Surin today can be traced back to the Khmer civilisation which is also known as Khmer-Surin. This ethnic group is known to have existed and lived in Thailand since the pre-Angkor era, even longer than the Thais. As a result, a lot of culture and history can be derived from Khmer. Their lives primarily revolve around rice, timber and silk. Due to frequent droughts and lack of groundwater in this region, Khmer mainly focus on small scale agriculture and live on soup and Prohok. Being influenced by Thai religion, the ethnic group follows Buddhism and believes in witchcraft and sorcery. Having said that, the rapid tourism that has spread across Northern Thailand has led to Surin turning into a more contemporary city that attends to both traditional Khmer and modern Thai ideas.

Places to Visit and Things to Do

Since the city is known for its silk and elephants, visitors can take a closer look at these things by visiting the following places:

1. Ban Tha Wang Silk is a weaving Village offers visitors the opportunity to experience the process of how pure silk is made in Surin. Surin elephant roundup One of the main festivals in Surin celebrated in mid-November. Here, elephants perform different activities. It is truly mesmerising to see so many elephants gathered together.

2. City Pillar Shrine
that was re-developed by the Fine Arts Department when a long pillar of Java Cassia was added to the respectable Shrine.

3. Surin National Museum
is the epitome of Khmer history, this museum has all that one needs to know about the province, its geography and archaeology. Wat Burapharam: An attempt at replicating the sacred Buddha image originally placed at Phitsanulok. Thus, for those who miss the national Buddha can come and see it here. 

4. Prasat Mueang Thi
is a small Khmer temple where officers are delighted to answer questions and provide in-depth information related to Khmer history and culture.

5. Prasat Sikhoraphum
is a Khmer temple built as a Hindu temple for Lord Shiva. This temple portrays the resemblance between Hindu and Khmer religion.

6. Save the Elephant Foundation
is an excellent opportunity for visitors who are animal lovers to contribute to the wellbeing of elephants in Surin. This organisation holds a 7-day project to educate people on animal tourism.

7. Trek to Phanom Sawai Forest Park which is a hilltop forest that has a Buddha, waterfall, pond and a variety of shrines. Therefore, it is best to trek up and spend the day there.

8. Shopping: Surin is well-known for the variety of Silk that is sold here. However, that is not all that visitors can purchase. There is cotton cloth, preserved radish, carved ivory, silverware, wickerwork and pork that tourists can shop for. Saran Waterpark is an amusement park, as well as a good, get away from the hectic street-shopping and sightseeing in Surin.

Travel Tips

  • It is highly advised to book the hotel rooms in advance as accommodation prices during in-season can rise by 20-30%.
  • Stay clear of touts who offer better deals at cheaper rates.
  • Trust online prices or directly call up the place.
  • Wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
  • Keep valuables safe at all times
  • Be careful, elephants roam around in the wild.
  • ID proof should be carried at all times.
  • Travel insurance is a must.

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Surin Photos

Surin
Prasat Ta Muen - Small Sacred Temple
Prasat Sikhoraphum - Khmer Temple
Statue of Phraya Surin Phakdi Srinarong Chang Wang

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FAQs on Surin

What is famous about Surin?

Silk shopping Elephant festival

What is not so good about Surin?

It can get very humid during the rainy season (July-October) and very hot from March to June. Fluctuating costs of accommodation Language can be an issue, especially at local places

What is the best time to visit Surin?

The best time to visit Surin is from November to March which are the dry months. During this season, visitors can easily roam around this city and be a part of the occasional Elephant Festival. Other months can be extremely humid or hot for tourists to truly enjoy this newly modernised city.
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What is the local food in Surin?

If one is looking for local food, the central market is the best place to go to. Surin surprisingly caters to more Western food than authentic Thai due to the extensive growth of tourism in Thailand. However, local Thai food can be found on the streets of this city or at restaurants such as Koka restaurant that offers one of the best noodle and chicken-rice, also known as Khao Mun Gai. Traditional Kap Kao can be found at Hole-in-the-wall joint. Other restaurants like Farang Connection, Noi Norbert Restaurant, Big Bite Restaurant, Sportsman Pub and Oasis Bar cater to fusion cuisines like Norwegian-Thai, Western-Chinese, German-Thai and English-Thai. All in all, visitors with any food preference can find something to pamper themselves in Surin.
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What are the places near Surin?

The top places near to Surin are Bangkok which is 345 km from Surin, Pattaya which is located 356 km from Surin, Siem reap which is located 172 km from Surin, Koh samui which is located 706 km from Surin, Chiang mai which is located 646 km from Surin

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