Information about Surin

Surin is located around 450 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Provinces or Mahasarakam and Roiet can be found on the North. On the South, it's Cambodia. Sisaket is at the East and Buriram covers the west side of Surin province.
        
According  to the census on July 31 in 1986, Surin had a total population of 1,172,835 which amounts to the tenth of the Thailand and the seventh of Isaan. The area of the province is 8,785 square kilometers and under the provincial administrarion has around 1,746 villages.

Geographical  Features

Surin is mostly a plateau but 12% of it's are hills or rivers like The Moon River, The Chee River, The Huay Sanaeng Gully, The Huay Kaew Gully, The Huay Raharn Gully, the Huay Thaptan Gully, The Huay Rawee Gully and The Huay pluppla Gully.

There is an old  Thai saying about the lack of water in Surin “Go to Buriram to get drinking water and go to Surin to drink that water.” The province is surrunded by many forests where you will find all kinds of trees normally found in central Thailand.

At the very beginning of the second half of each November, its the famous Elephant  Round-Up. It attracts world-wide visitors.

Local products (source: Tourism Authority of Thailand)

Sweetened Chinese Radish
Surin is production base of quality sweetened Chinese radish (Hua Chai Po) which is distributed to countrywide.

Silk
Silk cloth is widely woven in Amphoe Khwao Sinarin and Ban Sawai in Amphoe Mueang. Surin’s silk is unique with Khmer’s influence, using the best small thread, dyed with natural dye, and delicate weaving. ‘Hol Cloth’ is considered Surin’s the best silk cloth, it is mostly dyed in grey, red, white, green, and yellow.  It is said that ‘Hol’ cloth can carry water. Production of Hol Cloth needs quite a long time and it used in very special occasion such as wedding and merit ma.

Silver ornament
Surin’s famous silver ornament is Pakuam , silver bottons which is made from thin silver sheet filled up with lac for the ease of carving. Most Pakuam are carved in natural pattern, such as flower or sun pattern. It is blackened for showing its carving.

Rattan basketry
Surin is famed for basketry made of ‘Wai Hang Nu’, the small shiny rattan which can be found by swamp. It will be divided into four round lines before being plaited. It is available in many shapes.