Weekend in Buri Ram

A modern, spotless shrine right by the clock tower roundabout. Locals come to pay respects and spin the fortune wheels. The building is painted in cream and gold, with a small gard

Tip: Best visited early evening when the lights come on. The gold leaf on the pillars stays bright because people polish it after offering. No entry fee, but buy a small garland for 10 baht to place on the altar.

A covered day market running along a soi off the main road. It sells everything: ripe papayas, cheap clothes, and buckets of sticky rice. The food section at the far end is where o

Tip: Go for the fried chicken (kai thawt) stall near the spice corner—20 baht for a leg. The woman running it has been there 20 years and uses a secret tamarind dip. Buy and eat standing up, as there are no seats.

A two-storey museum inside a former provincial hall, with exhibits on Buri Ram archaeology, Khmer history, and local folk culture. Displays include sandstone lintels, pottery, and a recreated Isaan wo

Tip: It's free on Thai national holidays. Otherwise entry is 30 baht. Most labels have English translations, but ask the elderly guard at the entrance—he speaks good basic English and knows the best local temple stories.

A volcanic hill turned forest park, with a giant Buddha statue at the summit. A paved road winds up through dry dipterocarp forest, and you can drive, cycle, or walk. The summit gives a full view of B

Tip: Skip the middle of the day—it's baking hot. Go just after 4pm. The Buddhas glow in the late afternoon light, and you can buy cold young coconut from a mobile vendor at the top for 20 baht.

An 11th-century Khmer stone temple complex perched on an extinct volcano. The main sanctuary sits at the top of a long staircase, looking across the rice fields to Cambodia on clear days.

Tip: Entry is only 50 baht for Thais, but foreigners pay 150 baht. Come at sunrise—around 5:30am—to catch the light through the doorways and dodge tour groups from Korat.