Northeast Thailand (Isan) · Surin

Surin travel guide: elephants, silk and Khmer temples

Surin is known as Thailand's elephant province. TAT describes the long bond between elephants and the local Kui (Suay) people, celebrated every November at the Surin Elephant Round-up. Beyond the festival, the province has silk-weaving villages, Khmer temples and an easy-going night market, and very few foreign visitors outside festival week.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 1 October 20263 min read

The five brick towers of Prasat Sikhoraphum on a raised base at the end of a path — Prasat Sikhoraphum, Surin.

Suggested time: 2 days
Where to stay: Surin town
Season and timing: November to February, the cool season, which TAT recommends; the Elephant Round-up is held in November.

The short answer

Visit for the Elephant Round-up in November if you can, and book well ahead. At other times, spend two days: Prasat Sikhoraphum and a silk-weaving village on one, Ban Ta Klang elephant village on the other, with evenings at the Surin night market. TAT recommends the cool season, November to February. Surin is reached by train, bus or car from Bangkok.

The Elephant Round-up

Every November, the Surin Elephant Round-up honours the way of life of the Kui people and their elephants, as TAT explains. The programme typically includes a parade and a vast breakfast buffet for the elephants in front of the Phraya Surin monument, then the main show at the elephant stadium, with parades and demonstrations.

Dates, tickets and programme change each year; check TAT or the provincial site before booking. Choose operators and events that treat the animals well.

Ban Ta Klang elephant village

The villagers of Ban Ta Klang were originally Kui people skilled at catching, training and raising elephants, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory. The village's elephant study centre was set up to bring wandering elephants back home and supports them through cultural tourism, with a museum and shows.

Visit with care: watch from a respectful distance, follow the keepers' instructions and avoid activities you are not comfortable with.

The carved brick towers of Prasat Sikhoraphum glowing in low evening sun — Prasat Sikhoraphum in the late afternoon.

A weaver working at a wooden loom in a silk workshop at Ban Tha Sawang — Silk weaving at Ban Tha Sawang.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

Koi pla and moo yang

TAT recommends Isan dishes such as koi pla, a spicy fish salad, and moo yang, grilled pork, with sticky rice.

Where to look: Local restaurants and the night market.
Fit it into your day: Dinner in town.

Koi pla is sometimes made with raw fish; ask for a cooked version.

Kalamae

A sweet caramel candy made fresh and wrapped in dried banana leaves, as TAT describes.

Where to look: Markets and souvenir shops.
Fit it into your day: A gift or a snack.

Very sweet.

Surin night market snacks

Spicy Isan snacks and sweets from the evening stalls.

Where to look: The Surin night market, 17:00–23:00 according to TAT.
Fit it into your day: A casual dinner.

Stalls vary.

Khmer temples

Prasat Sikhoraphum has five towers on a raised base surrounded by a pond on three sides, as the directory describes; TAT notes carvings of Shiva, Ganesh and Vishnu on the main tower, dated to the 12th century. Near the Cambodian border, Prasat Ta Muen Thom is thought to have been a rest stop on the ancient road from Phimai to Angkor.

Check the current border-area situation before visiting the frontier temples.

A length of handwoven silk with yellow, blue and pink patterns — Handwoven silk from Ban Tha Sawang.

Silk and local products

TAT highlights Surin's silk and weaving villages such as Ban Tha Sawang, where you can watch artisans and buy directly from weavers. The province is also known for its Hom Mali jasmine rice and kalamae, a caramel sweet wrapped in banana leaf.

Ask before photographing people at work.

The ruined laterite and sandstone chapel of Prasat Ta Muen among trees — Prasat Ta Muen near the Cambodian border.

Surin town

In town, the monument to Phraya Surin, the city's first ruler, shows him holding an elephant hook, and Wat Burapharam has murals of the life of the Buddha, according to TAT.

In the evening, the Surin night market, open from 17:00 to 23:00 according to TAT, is the place to try Isan snacks.