Surin: Pilgrimage, Sanctuaries and Silk Craft

Surin brings together religious traditions, ancient sanctuaries and a vibrant silk-weaving craft. Traditional pilgrimages continue to this day in Phanom Sawai Forest Park; the Surin National Museum presents the province’s history in five thematic sections; and Ban Tha Sawang has a distinctive history of intricate gold brocade weaving. Annual festivals are held here, too. When planning your trip, it makes sense to first choose the themes that interest you and then select the location of your holiday rental to match those priorities.

Culture and History in Surin

The Surin National Museum collects archaeological and art-historical objects and presents the province’s history, from the past to the present, in five thematic sections. The archaeological exhibition includes prehistoric finds as well as artefacts discovered in Surin that date from the Dvaravati, Lopburi and Lan Xang periods. Visitors interested in different historical eras will find specific points of reference here: the exhibition connects early finds with objects from several later periods.

Phanom Sawai Forest Park has long been a pilgrimage site for people from Surin. They continue to make the annual ascent on the first waxing-moon day of the fifth lunar month. On the second peak, Yot Khao Ying (Phanom Sarai), stands Wat Phanom Silaram. A medium-sized Buddha image is located on the summit; two ancient ponds are considered to be the habitat of sacred turtles. Pilgrimage, religious site and landscape come together here.

Sanctuaries and Architectural History

The Hindu sanctuary of Sikhoraphum in Sikhoraphum District has five east-facing brick towers on a shared laterite base. One main tower stands in the centre, surrounded by four others. The Fine Arts Department has excavated and restored the site; the grounds have been landscaped, and the sanctuary is a tourist attraction. Check local operating information before your visit.

Prasat Ta Muen Thom is located in Ban Nong Khanna, Ta Mueang Subdistrict, on the Thai-Cambodian border. This Mahayana Buddhist religious site was built as a dharmaśālā—a shelter for travellers. A historical Kuy procession is also recorded: in the past, people from Ban Ta Klang and neighbouring villages travelled with candidates for ordination to Wang Thalu on the Mun River.

Silk and Gold Brocade

Mulberry trees are grown and silkworms raised by the villagers themselves in Ban Chan Rom; the silk is then woven with traditional patterns and colours. In Ban Tha Sawang, the Chansoma weaving group has preserved and revived the intricate gold brocade weaving once used in the royal household. The technique combines gold-braid patterns from this tradition with folk-weaving techniques.

Textiles from Ban Tha Sawang were selected for the shirts worn by the 21 APEC leaders and the shoulder cloths worn by their spouses at the 2003 APEC Summit in Thailand. This gives the local weaving tradition significance beyond its patterns and production: it is connected to a specific historical occasion.

Festivals and Travel Planning

The Buddhist Candle Festival, featuring alms-giving by elephants, is held annually in Surin Province. Another festival, held annually in Chumphon District, celebrates eels, jasmine rice and the Red Cross. Its programme includes eel-catching and eel-sizing competitions, jasmine rice competitions, rice threshing and pounding, traditional rice cooking, a silk-fabric competition and a boat race with no more than eight rowers. Traditional dance, mo lam and folk music performances round out the competitions. If you want to plan your trip around one of the festivals, check the event dates before making arrangements.

Specific place names can help guide your choice of holiday rental: the museum and Phanom Sawai Forest Park offer different points of interest from the sanctuary in Sikhoraphum or the weaving traditions of Ban Chan Rom and Ban Tha Sawang. Focus your search on the places that interest you most, and if you are travelling for a festival, take its date into account.

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