Looking for the top things to do in Surin? The grand old city has been around since the 16th century and continues to be full of life throughout its streets. From ancient temples to colorful markets, there’s something for everyone here.
Surin is the perfect destination for travelers looking for an authentic Thai experience. Take a stroll through the bustling streets and witness traditional dance performances, explore intricately-crafted Buddhist temples, or watch artisans work on vibrant silk products. Everywhere you go in Surin, you’ll find something new and exciting that brings to life its unique culture.
The city is also home to Thailand’s best regional food and drink. Enjoy spicy local cuisines like Pad Krapow Gai (stir-fried ground chicken with basil) or sweet desserts like Khao Niaw Mamuang (sticky mango rice). Wash it all down with one of Surin’s signature drinks, such as Mae Hong Son tea or perhaps even a coconut cocktail!
For those wanting an outdoor adventure, Surin also boasts endless opportunities for nature lovers; take a trip along the Mun River or hike up Pha Taem National Park for incredible views of the jungle below. With so much to see and do here, your time in Surin will be magical!
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Top 10 BEST Things to do in Surin on Your First Visit
Visit the White Buddha at Phanom Sawai Forest Park
The Phanom Sawai Forest Park features a large white Buddha that can be seen from the first peak.
The lush, dense forest comprises three peaks showcasing hill houses and large ancient ponds. The first peak, Yot Khao Chai, is 220 meters high, with a cement brick staircase leading to the temple.
As you reach the peak, you can see habitats of sacred turtles and a memorial on the Rattanakosin Bicentennial shrine with a replica of Buddha’s footprint.
Aside from Buddha’s image, the main attraction of Phanom Sawai Forest Park is the 1,080 bells that you can hit for good luck. The park is refreshing and surrounded by nature; that’s why it is a perfect tourist retreat.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
2. See the Elephants at Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village
You better head to the famous Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village if you want to see some action and skilled baby elephants. This village is one of the most popular Surin tourist attractions.
This particular landmark is where the ethnic group Kui lives alongside wild elephants. These groups of people are skilled in capturing, training, and raising wild elephants. The tour showcases training techniques demonstrated by the Kuis, the museum, and a chance to ride on an elephant.
The trip’s highlight is witnessing baby elephants perform tricks for the crowd. You can also visit the museum to learn the history of the Kui tribe and see the complete skeleton of an elephant and its organs.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Learn About Khmer Art at Surin National Museum
The trip to Surin wouldn’t be complete without visiting the National Museum. This was built to gather the history of the Surin province and its ancient tribes.
The museum features the province’s natural history and ethnology of Thai-Khmer, Thai-Laotian, Thai-Kuy, and Thai-Khorat. Recovered elephant hunting tools were also preserved in the museum, as well as handicrafts and other artifacts.
For tourists who don’t speak Thai, there are guided tours for foreign nationals. Most exhibitions have English translations to aid non-Thai visitors.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!
I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!
- Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
- Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
- Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
- SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
- GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
- My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
- Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.
Wander around Ban Phluang Temple
You can find the unfinished sanctuary in the Prasat district of Surin. The half-completed sandstone tower stood still for centuries in honor of Indra—the guardian of the east. Locals say this medieval site was built to worship Indra in the 11th century.
The temple showcases the art of sculpture, with human and animal designs carefully carved on sandstone. The rectangular laterite foundation is one of a kind, indicating a plan that was never executed during ancient times.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Appreciate the Five-Brick Prang Tower
Another Surin attraction is the Sikhoraphum Sanctuary which features the sculpture of Apsaras or Thailand‘s female dancers. Built around the 12th century, this five-brick Prang tower depicts Angkor Khmer and Bapuan’s history and art.
The site has an impressive monument, finely constructed from the base to the roof. If you want to avoid the crowd at Bangkok temples and pagodas, you can visit Surin’s five-brick Prang Towers instead.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Witness Traditional Cloth Weaving
Take a closer look at Surin’s famous gold-brocaded silk used in the royal household in ancient times. Visit Ban Tha Sawang, or APEC woven textile village, to witness the weaving skills of locals.
The name APEC came after the recognition of the tailor-made shirts of 21 APEC leaders in 2003. The village was recognized for the combined style of alternate gold braid weaving designs and high-quality silk. After immersing yourself in Surin’s weaving culture, you can purchase ready-made clothes as souvenirs.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?
Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!
The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.
I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.
Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.
7. Be Amazed by the Surin Pillar Shrine
Every province in Thailand has a city pillar shrine with an interesting story revealing its history. In Surin, the pillar shrine is considered a tourist spot because of the grand monument and unique structure.
If you run out of things to do in Surin, you can visit the pillar shrine and discover what lies inside. You will be surprised how intricate the details depict the culture of Surin’s ancient living.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Try Fried Frog at Surin Pochana
Never miss out on the fried frog dish with Thai basil served at Surin Pochana. The restaurant serves classic Surin fare, including Karma Curry. Fried frogs are selling like hotcakes in this eatery, and you want to try them for the experience.
Locals love eating exotic foods, including insects marinated with chili sauce or tadpole casserole with delicious sweet basil and lemongrass. Before you go, indulge in local cuisine to immerse yourself in Thai culture.
Aside from the fried frog, you can also try the herb-stuffed frog dish called gopyatsai and pad chaa krawan or sizzling stir fry.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Stop by Khewa Sinarin for Surin Handicraft
If there’s a village dedicated to weaving silk, there’s also a village specializing in making ancient silverware and other handicrafts. You should check out Khewa Sinarin to see various handmade accessories, including belts, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and silverware.
The Khewa Sinarin village makes a unique design called Luk Pakueam, or making a silver plate into a plain round shape. This is a unique pattern that originated from the Surin locals.
Tourists can purchase ready-made accessories in the village that serve as souvenirs from the trip.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
What are my favorite travel must-haves?
As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!
- Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
- Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
- Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
- Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
- Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.
Explore the Surin Green Market
Wondering what to do in Surin after visiting the famous landmarks and sites? Before you go, visit the Surin Green Market—the city center market that sells a variety of food and items. This is where tourists can find local produce and indulge in Surin cuisine.
The market is the gateway to Surin culture, from colorful fruit arrangements to herbs, spices, and exotic food. If you’ve spare time, you can discover many things in this market.
Where to stay in Surin? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Best Time to Visit Surin
To make your trip memorable, visit Surin during the annual festivities such as the Jasmine Rice festival, Eel Festival, and Buddhist Lent Candle Festival. Expect a marvelous celebration and lots of fun activities during the annual festivals in Surin province.
The most popular festival in Surin is the Elephant Alms-giving annual festival featuring monks riding elephants. Monks receive alms from the crowd as they follow the procession path. This festival gives importance to the monks who dedicate their lives to teaching good values to people.
There are chanting contests, altar-arranging contests, and other ceremonies that highlight Thailand’s culture. Tourists can participate in the festival and join in the fun.
With this list of things to do in Surin, you are now set for a fun and memorable vacation in Thailand. Off you go on a new adventure.
Getting to Surin Province
The overland distance from Bangkok to Surin is approximately 346 km or 215 miles. If you’re coming from Bangkok, you can reach Surin via bus, train, or private vehicle.
Bus stations are conveniently located on Jitrbumrung Road, a main east road. The travel time from Bangkok to Surin is roughly six hours, and you can catch first-class government buses between 7:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 23:00. The one-way fare cost is 333 baht, while buses operated by Nakhon Chai Air cost 350 baht.
For hassle-free travel that goes straight to Surin, you can travel via train. Surin is a main stop on the Northeastern line, with a travel time of about nine hours from Bangkok. Depending on the seat, fares range from 73 baht for third-class seats to 350 baht for first-class seats.
Trains from Bangkok depart at 5:45, 06:10, 10:05, 15:20, 18:55, 20:30, and 21:50, and the last trip is at 22:25.
Driving a private vehicle may be faster, around 5 hours and 30 minutes to 6 hours maximum. This option is only applicable to tourists with an international driving permit. You can find several car rental companies in Bangkok with competitive daily rates.
Planning to visit Thailand soon? Start here!
- How to plan your trip: A Step-by-Step Guide on Planning a Trip to Thailand
- When to visit Thailand: Find out here when to visit and plan your trip according to season
- Itinerary examples: 1-Week Itinerary, 2-weeks in Thailand Itinerary
- How much does it cost to travel Thailand? Read this guide on how to budget your trip!
- How to pack for Thailand? Read this guide to learn what to pack!
- Where to buy groceries in Thailand? Read this guide!
- How to get around Thailand? Read our transportation guide!
- List of places to visit in Thailand: Places to Visit in Thailand, Southern Thailand, Central Thailand, Northern Thailand, and Isaan
- Points of interest in Thailand: Things to do, Cities to Visit, Islands to Chill in, Best Beaches, Surfing Spots, Diving Spots, Best Hiking Destinations, Where to go Camping, Waterfalls to Chase, Temples to Visit, Romantic Destinations, Honeymoon Destinations, National Parks, Unique Experiences, Thai Cuisine, Fine-dining Experience, Attractions to Visit, Tourist Spots, Vacation Spots, Heritage Sites, Family Travel, Adventure Travel, Backpacking Experience, and Beautiful Resorts
- Cultural overview: Thai Customs, Culture and Traditions, Temple Etiquette, Tipping in Thailand, Things to Know Before Your Visit, What NOT To Do in Thailand, Facts about Thailand, Festivals in Thailand, How to Wai, Useful Thai Phrases, and How to Greet in Thai
- My Favorite Places in Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Lanta, Pattaya, Koh Samet, and Koh Samui
