Reader’s E-mail:
I am thinking about staying in Nakhon Ratchasima for 1 night before catching an early train up to Nong Khai. Is there worth seeing there?
Reply from Thailand Info
The are two main tourist attractions in Nakhon Ratchasima City which are Suan Rak Park and Wat Pha Narai Maharat.
Suan Rak Park
Suan Rak park is the creation of the municipal Government to make Nakhon Ratchasima (or ‘Khorat’ as it is known locally) more attractive. I like this park and I think as local government initiatives go this is a pretty good one.
Ya Mo statue in Suan Rak ParkSuan Rak park is located in the centre of the city, between the old and the new parts of the town. The park gets a lot of Thai visitors who come see the the ‘Ya Mo’ (Grandmother Mo in Thai) statue. Ya Mo is a legendary Thai figure, a bit like the French Joan of Arc, who led an uprising of the local town’s people to drive out the occupying Cambodian army. The park also has a museum and a lake. Its pleasant to stroll there.
Location of Suan Rak Park
Wat Pha Narai Maharat
The other major attraction is Wat Pha Narai Maharat, which is a temple in the middle of a lake. It houses some very old sandstone Vishnu statues of historical significance, but the main reason tourists come here is to see the massive water monitor lizards which live on the temple island and on the lake. I think the monks must feed them because there are dozens of them and some have grown very large – by my reckoning over 1.5 metres long. They are easily visible most of the time from the temple.