Thailand is more than Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai. In fact, there are a great many fascinating out-of-the-way places that regular visitors know and love, which you might like to consider adding to your itinerary when you’re planning your next trip to Thailand.
About 260 km outside Bangkok, the ancient city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known by its historical name of Khorat, is famous for its several heritage sites that reveal the roots of traditional Thai culture. Once the gateway to the country’s northeast, the city was a major centre of the vast and influential Khmer kingdom, which stretched across much of Southeast Asia, between the 9th and 15th centuries. Life moves at a relaxed pace here, compared to the main tourist centres. Just south of Nakhon Ratchasima, in a lush river valley, is the delightful market village of Dan Kwain, well known for the fine quality of its ceramics and distinguished by the individuality of its products.
Near Nakhon Ratchasima, there are dense forests, mountains, and rivers with spectacular waterfalls. Khao Yai National Park, listed as a World Heritage site in 2005, undulates over magnificent mountain ranges...