Sisaket

Si Saket (ศรีสะเกษ) is a town in Southern Isaan, Thailand.

Background

With a long history, the area around Si Saket has had a strong culture and a prosperous economy since the Khmer era over one thousand years ago. Moreover, many ethnic tribes settled here such as the Suay, Lao, Khmer, and Yer. Si Saket became a town in 1759 during Ayuthaya period. In the reign of King Rama V, or around a century ago, the town moved to its present location.

With plenty of Khmer Ruins, Si Saket is an interesting destination to visit. It is also the gateway to visit the world famous Preah Vihear ruins, a cliff-top Khmer sanctuary most of which is just across the border in Cambodia. However, it can can be visited without requiring a Cambodian visa. The province grows a wide variety of fruits, such as rambutan and durian. These are typically available at the beginning of rainy season around May. Much of the local population are near-subsistence farmers earning an average of about 100 baht or $3 per day.

Get in

By car

From Bangkok, use highway 1 (Payolyothin Road) then highway 2 (Mitraphap Road) from Saraburi. Neat to Korat (Nakhon Ratchsima) take highway 24 (Chock Chai-Det Udom) to reach Sisaket City. This route is 571 kilometres.

By bus

Buses and air-conditioned coaches leave the Northeastern Bus Terminal (Mor Chit 2) in Bangkok for Sisaket daily. The journey takes 8 hours. For more information, call 0-2936-2852-66 and Sisaket Bus Terminal at 0-4561-2500 or visit www.transport.co.th

By train

Ordinary, rapid, and express trains regularly leave Bangkok and Bang Sue Station for Sisaket. The route is 515 kilometres. For more information, call State Railway of Thailand at 1690, 0-2220-4334, 02220-4444, and Sisaket Railway Station at 0-4561-1525 or visit www.railway.co.th

For getting around in Sisaket City, tricycles are readily available. Moreover, there are buses from downtown Si Saket (Amphoe Muang) to other towns (Amphoe) as well as provinces nearby.

By plane

The nearest airport is at Ubon Ratchathani - airport code UBP which is served by Air Asia and Thai Airways International (or subsidiary companies).

Get around

There are neither meter-taxis nor tuk-tuks, but you can hire a motorbike-taxi or take a samlor (three-wheeled bicycle-taxi).

See

• Pra That Ruang Rong - a beautiful wat (temple) about 4km outside of Si Saket. By car/motorbike/motorbike-taxi: Follow the street towards Surin over the bridge and take a right towards "Rasi Salai", when you see the road-sign. Then turn right when you see the large blue sign depicting "Pra That Ruang Rong". Another minute and you will have arrived. The whole complex takes about 90 minutes to visit. Open only in the daytime. Truly worth a visit if you are in the area!

• Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew (more commonly known as Wat Lan Khuad or "Temple of a Million Bottles") - a bizarre yet entirely serious Buddhist temple complex constructed entirely out of glass bottles. Even the pictures on the walls are assembled from bottle caps. The temple is some 61km south of Si Saket, in the small town of Khun Han, and is a worthwhile detour if visiting Preah Vihear with your own transport.

Eating / Restaurants

Si Saket is in the heart of Isan. You will find excellent Isan food anywhere in the area. There are quite a few good restaurants in Si Saket. But maybe the best offer in town is the lively evening market adjacent to the railroad on the south side of the train station. There you will find a wide variety of cooked, baked and BBQ-ed food for a very reasonable price. The evening market opens at 5 p.m. and closes at 9 p.m.

Drink

There are a few places you can go to in the evening/nightlife, one of the most famous being Sugars on Lak Muang Road. Then you could go off to the Nona disco on Kuang Heng road, and last but not least to the I-Bar at the Prompiman Hotel on Lak Muang Road, not far from the train station. In the I-Bar you can meet the trendy young locals and listen to live music. Dress properly, no beachwear, or you will be refused at the door.

Sleep

• Kessiri Hotel

• North-East Hotel

• Prompiman Hotel

• SP-Boutique Hotel

Accessible Out of Town

• Anlong Veng — to the south in Cambodia
• Preah Vihear — ancient Khmer temple, about two hours to the south
• Surin — about two hours to the west, known for the annual Elephant Roundup
• Ubon Ratchathani — provincial capital of Ubon Ratchathani Province, about an hour to the east

Routes through Sisaket

Nakhon Ratchasima ← Surin ←

W  E

→ Ubon Ratchathani

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