Nakhon Ratchasima

Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Khorat, is a northeastern province in Thailand. It’s a major gateway to Isan, a mostly rural region distinguished by Lao cultural influences. The Phimai Historical Park preserves an 11th–12th-century walled temple, similar in style to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, built by the Khmer Empire. Khao Yai National Park is a mountainous area with tropical forest, waterfalls, elephants and birdlife.

The province is at the west end of the Khorat Plateau, separated from the Chao Phraya river valley by the Phetchabun and Dong Phaya Yen mountain ranges. Two national parks are in the province: Khao Yai in the west and Thap Lan in the south. Both parks are in the forested mountains of the Sankamphaeng Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains. The total forest area is 3,193 km2 (1,233 sq mi) or 15.4 percent of provincial area.