Thailand Province Detail: Nakhon Ratchasima

-Nakhon Ratchasima-

Nakhon Ratchasima is a city in the north-east of Thailand and gateway to Isan. It is the capital of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Nakhon Ratchasima district. As of May 31, 2007, the city has a population of 147,437, which makes it the third-largest city in Thailand.
The city is also commonly known as Khorat or Korat, which is a short version of the ancient name Angkor Raj.It is located at the western edge of the Khorat Plateau and historically marked the boundary between the Lao and Siamese territory, however now is considered a gateway to the Northeast.

Archeological evidence has discovered that there were two ancient towns that later became named Sema and Nakhon Raj which currently are in Sung Noen district, 30 km west of present-day Nakhonratchasima (Khorat). The province was once part of the Khmer empire. In the years from 1656-1688 King Narai moved the city to its current location. The city was attacked by Anouvong, the King of Vientiane, in 1827 in an attempt to halt growing Siamese control of Laos. A prominent legendary figure at this time wasThao Suranaree a local heroine who has been honored with a statue in the center of downtown Korat; she is credited with having saved the city from Anouvong's army. The old town of Khorat west of the Thao Suranaree monument was designed and built by a French engineer who is believed to be the same one who built Naraimaharaj Palace in Lopburi.The French-based design is reflected in the city's moat system that surrounds the innermost of the city.

Tourist Attraction

The statue of Thao Suranaree (Khun Ying Mo) marks the centre of the city, between the old town to the east and the newer development to the west.