Are you planning to travel to Surin, Thailand in the near future? A quiet town, its one claim to fame is its annual Elephant Roundup, which takes place in November (book a room in advance). Surin is well-known for its elephants. Surin’s people have a long relationship with elephants and they have become the provincial icon. Throw in plenty of Khmer ruins, beautiful silk, and aromatic jasmine rice and they all make Surin an interesting destination. I want to share with you most everything you need to know to prepare you for your visit to Suri, Thailand!
Tips for Travel to Surin, Thailand
The land of big elephants, prestigious silk, beautiful rosary, many Khmer ruins, sweet radish, fragrant rice, and rich culture. Dive into more detail in these helpful articles:
- Surin Elepahant Festival– The Surin Elephant Festival is a 3-day event that takes places in November every year, and it’s a truly awesome sight seeing hundreds of elephants all gathered together
- Elephant Graveyard– This resting place is the Elephant Graveyard at Wat Pa Arjiang in Ban Ta Klang elephant village in Surin province.
- Things to do in Surin– Surin is a fairly quiet town, but there are a few things in the city and province that are worth checking out.
- Chong Chom Border Market– It sells a range of goods, including clothes, kitchen equipment, tools, electronic and electrical goods, food, secondhand bikes, DVDs, handbags and lots more.
Where to Stay in Surin
Surin offers great accommodation that fits most any budget. I recommend you check out all the Surin options on Agoda, the most reliable place to search for Thailand hotels online. You can also get an in-depth review of the hotels that I stayed in Surin, which include plenty of pictures:
- Maneerote Hotel– It is just a short walk from the day market and also the night market, but around 2-3 km from the bus and train stations. It was a great choice though and we’ll definitely be staying there again next time we’re in Surin.
- Majestic Twin Hotel– The hotel is about a 5-10 minute walk from the city center.
- TK Mansion– It’s in a great location right next to the night market. It seems to be aimed more at long-stay guests, although daily bookings are also available.
As mentioned above, there are hotel and hostel options that should fit any preference and budget, so don’t be afraid to look around to find what suits you!
Things to See and Do in Surin
Here are a few articles that will help you get the best out of Surin:
- Phanom Sawai Forst Park– The park is noted for its three peaks, Buddha statues and views of the surrounding countryside. The three peaks are Phanom Srei, Phanom Preah and Phanom Krol.
- Erawan Museum– The museum is known because it has a gigantic 3-headed elephant perched on an equally large pedestal. The elephant is said to weigh over 250 tons. There is a museum in the base and a small temple with lots of religious objects inside the elephant.
- Phanom Rung Historical Park– Are two Khmer temple complexes that are well worth a visit. They’re situated in Buriram province in Thailand’s northeast, also know as Isaan
Where to Eat in Surin
Here are a few places that we tried, there are a few vegetarian options and coffee shops that we reccomend:
- Coffee Shops in Surin– Surin is a small town but despite its small size it has some great coffee shops. They are often hidden away though, so here’s a guide to what’s available.
- Vegetarian Restaurants in Surin– Being a fairly small town, and we didn’t find many vegetarian restaurants there. But here are the ones that we did find. They’re all shophouse style places and very cheap.
How to get to Surin
- Bangkok to Surin by Bus– We usually prefer traveling but train, but the Nakhonchai Air bus is so comfortable that we often get that instead.
- Ubon to Rhatchathani to Surin– We usually try to get at least a 2nd class aircon train when in Thailand, but for our journey from Ubon Ratchathani to Surin, the most convenient train was 3rd class only. The journey time is only just over 2.5 hours, so it’s not so bad for such a short amount of time. The carriages have fans, and the open windows create a bit of a breeze, so it’s not as bad as it might sound.
- Bangkok to Surin by Train– Getting from Bangkok to Surin by train is very easy, as trains run regularly on the Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani route. We opted to get the early morning sprinter train that leaves Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station at 05:45. The train was due to arrive in Surin at 12:09, but it was close to 13:00 when it arrived. Most trains I’ve used in Thailand have been late.
Helpful Surin Resources
In addition to all the information you can find here on Renegade Travels, these are additional resources you might find useful:
- Official Surin Website – The official page for the city and any other travel information.
- Lonely Planet Islands & Beaches – An excellent resource for all of Thailands best beach resorts, including Hua Hin
Finally, if you’re looking for an extremely comprehensive look at Thailand, our first recommendation is to grab a copy of the Lonely Planet Thailand guide. You can purchase the physical book (which is quite thick) or the electronic version, which is much easier to travel with.
Enjoy your visit to Surin!
