Due to its expansive size and absence of tourist infrastructure, Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) is still a relatively untouched region in Thailand, but this no doubt works to its advantage for adventurous travellers. And not only is Buriram one of the more exciting provinces of Isaan Thailand, but it is increasingly easier to access every day, due to an unlikely boom in travel. And this came after Buriram City followed a rather ambitious path to establish itself as Thailand’s ‘City of Sports’, which did seem almost unimaginable for a city of roughly 200,000 people. And inevitably you will find that many of the near city tourist attractions in Buriram are focused on this development, following the local pride for sports teams and their venues and facilities. But through big investments, the local football team, Buriram United, have now dominated the top spot of Thailand’s Premier League for the past 4 years and counting.

As there’s really not much going on in Buriram City otherwise. Alternatively there is a small airport (Buriram) about forty kilometres out from centre, with cheap daily flights from Bangkok, and while it is a good 40 minutes drive to/from Buriram city centre, the airlines’ offer regular minivan shuttles to/from the city. But similar unlikely investment then continued with a Formula One Racetrack (Chang International Circuit), which has the potential for Formula One schedules in the future, and has already hosted (and continues to host) the Moto GP, despite its rather far-flung location. There is also a train connection from Bangkok leaving Hua Lamphong Railway Station, and this takes around 8 hours, through various classes of tickets. A lot of Buriram’s tourism is centred around their stadiums and venues, where Buriram United’s ‘Thunder Castle’ (iMobile Stadium) is the largest football stadium in all of Thailand. But I would personally suggest car hire for any visit to Buriram, as the best (near only) way to explore the top tourist attractions in Buriram, is by personal transport/car hire, given the more notable Buriram attractions are found in the wider province.

• Pin Buranaket Folklore Museum
• Mu Ko Similan National Park
• Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
• Chae Son National Park
• Ao Phang Nga National Park

So these venues have inevitably been hugely popular with domestic Thai tourists, with stadium tours, and an entertainment and recreational village built around them, and connecting between attractions. As expected the stadiums are outside of the centre (6km). A taxi would again be your best bet for travel. Before the excitement of sports and stadiums, the main tourist attraction in Buriram City was Khao Kradong Forest Park, found on top of a now extinct volcano around 10km from centre. This includes restaurants, nightlife, as well as tropical gardens, a replica building of Phanomrung Temple, and just a rather bizarre and NSFW children’s playground. The location is also near enough to the stadiums, and it maybe best to share a taxi between both these attractions in Buriram, starting with Khao Kradong, before jumping out at the stadium area. Because Khao Kradong Forest Park could easily be covered in under an hour, as most people are only interested in the big Buddha Statue ‘Phra Suphatbophit’ which sits on top of the mountain.

Not to forget the views from above. Fun fact, the site is named ‘Kradong’ after the Khmer (Cambodian) word for turtle shell, due to the shape of the mountain. Otherwise, if you plan to make the most of the visit, there is the surrounding national park with walks and a nature trail. The ruins of Phamonrung Historical Park make up part of a 225-kilometre roadway built by the Angkor Empire, known as the Khmer Highway, which leads from neighbouring Cambodia and includes the famous temples of Angkor Wat. Or, for the lazy like us, it is an easy drive to the car parks at the top. This historical attraction is found a fair distance from the city centre (65km and 1 hour), but it is no doubt the main draw to the province, and arguably the entire region of Isaan (an in-depth guide to Phanom Rung here). So these can be reached either by a 5-minute walk, give or take, following a set of 297 steps to reach the top at 265 meters.

The ancient site also hosts an annual festival to celebrate the morning sunrise when it aligns with the doorways of the old temple sanctuary. With savings of course. To reach it most visitors would base themselves at the town of Nang Rong which is a midway point when travelling from Buriram City. And tickets for either can be sold separately or as a joint ticket for the two sites. Phanom Rung is found on top of a now-extinct volcano next to the Thai-Cambodia border. Again, like Phanomrung, Prasat Muang Tam is dedicated to Lord Shiva, from Hindu religion, who would be the basis of ancient cultures here in these parts of Thailand, rather than the Buddhism practised in modern days. Prasat Muang Tam would be the second most significant Khmer site in Buriram Province, and is found not so far from Phanom Rung, meaning both should be visited on the same itinerary. To mark the occasion there are parades, performances and shows of traditional dress and culture to celebrate Shivan and the rich cultures which once presided over these ancient Khmer ruins (here for the Phanom Rung Festival).