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Published: October 2nd 2012
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Thao Suranaree Statue
Aka Yamo, the statue commemorates the heroics of the female leader who saved the city from the assault by the advancing Laotian forces some 150+ years ago. This was enough to give her almost deity-like status, with worshippers paying their respects at almost all hours throughout the day. And a 4h bus ride later I was finally out of Bangkok, and into the heartland of Thailand known as the Isaan region. I arrived at Nakhon Ratchasima, aka Khorat, to resume the more typical backpacking routine that I had almost forgotten after my extended stay in Bangkok. I am somewhat wistful of the comfortable, static days I spent there, and even apprehensive as to whether I can get back into the groove of my pack-and-go days from not too long ago. Guess I'll find out soon.
Khorat is apparently Thailand's second largest city in terms of population, over two million, but they are really spread out across the sprawling suburbs of the province. The city centre itself is home to only a few hundred thousand, and it certainly felt like any other medium-sized Thai provincial city, not that different at all from the likes of Phitsanulok and Kanchanaburi. However, there seemed to be very few tourists here, and even the few falangs (Westerners) that I spotted seemed to be long-term residents. What was especially telling was the clear lack of English signs, and the default Thai that is spoken to me everywhere I go (Ok, yes I definitely look
Phimai Historical Park
About an hour away from Korat, in the unassuming small town of the same name, these Khmer-style structures pre-date even Angkor! They date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Simply magnificent, and Angkor all over again, without the hordes of tourists! like I might be Thai, but somehow in Bangkok, I still get greeted mostly in English in the first instance).
The city centre itself doesn't take long to be explored on foot, so I checked out also nearby Phimai some 60km and a 1h bus ride away, which boasts a historical park with a Khmer style temple complex built in the 11th and 12th centuries, that pre-dates even Angkor Wat! It was magnificent, made all the more brilliant when I thought about how similar it was to the Angkor-style structures, and yet how few tourists and visitors were there!
It was here at Khorat also that I got on the wrong bus for the first time on my entire adventure so far! I had intended to go to Dan Khwian, a ceramics hub not far (15km southeast) from Khorat, but somehow ended up in Dan Khun Tot (60km southwest) instead! I had gone to the bus terminal, and tried to read the destinations signs written in Thai. I'd read "Dan Kh... ..." on one of them, and hastily concluded that was the correct bay, even wondering to myself why they spelled Dan Khwian with the extra syllable at
Phimai Historical Park
The central tower, aka Prasat. the end! Too cocky about my half-baked Thai to ask the driver and ticket-seller to verify, I boarded the wrong minibus, and of course ended up in what seemed like No Man's Land to me! Fortunately there was an interesting shrine set before a picturesque lake to keep me occupied as I waited for the next bus back to Khorat. Fortunately also it wasn't too painful a mistake, and in all took just a couple of hours of my afternoon, and a couple of dollars.
But I think I've learnt my lesson now -- always double-check the destination that the bus is going to!
Stayed at the Sansabai Guesthouse.
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