Surin Province Guide: History, Towns and Local Products
Surin is the province of elephants. Every November its town fills for the Elephant Round-up, and in the village of Ban Ta Klang the Kui people have trained and lived alongside elephants for generations.
This guide also looks at Surin's Khmer temples along the Cambodian border, tours its districts and lists the silk and jasmine rice that its villages produce.
Surin
Elephants, Khmer Temples and Royal Silk
An Isan province on the Cambodian border where Kui families have lived with elephants for generations and weavers make silk fit for state occasions.
By the SnapSellGo Thailand Desk · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Made in Surin
What the province is known for. Local producers are joining SnapSellGo now.
The "Known for" cards describe what Surin is famous for; real listings take their place as soon as producers publish.
Why Surin is the land of elephants
The Kui, an ethnic group of southern Isan, were known for catching and training wild elephants. Their villages, such as Ban Ta Klang in Tha Tum district, still keep elephants today. Since 1960, the town has held an Elephant Round-up each November, with parades and shows that draw visitors from across the world.
Surin borders Cambodia, and much of its population speaks Khmer. Khmer sanctuaries dot the province, from Prasat Sikhoraphum, with its five brick towers, to Prasat Ta Muen in the Dangrek hills on the border. Its weavers are just as famous: silk from Ban Tha Sawang, woven with gold thread on multi-shaft looms, has been chosen for state occasions.
Elephant Round-up
Held in Surin town every November since 1960.
Khmer temples
From Sikhoraphum to Ta Muen on the border.
Tha Sawang silk
Gold-thread silk woven on complex looms.
Jasmine rice
Grown on the plains of southern Isan.
How Surin came to be
Surin's timeline runs from Khmer sanctuaries to a festival that made it famous worldwide.
- 11th–12th centuryKhmer sanctuaries such as Prasat Ta Muen are built along the Dangrek hills.
- 12th centuryPrasat Sikhoraphum is built, with five brick towers.
- 1960The first Elephant Round-up is held in Surin.
- TodayKui villages such as Ban Ta Klang keep living with elephants.
Seventeen districts on the Cambodian border
Surin has 17 districts and about 1.4 million residents. These are the most visited.
| District | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Mueang Surin | The Elephant Round-up and the silk village of Ban Tha Sawang. |
| Tha Tum | Ban Ta Klang, the Kui elephant village. |
| Sikhoraphum | Prasat Sikhoraphum and its five towers. |
| Phanom Dong Rak | The Ta Muen temples on the Cambodian border. |
| Chom Phra | Silk weaving villages north of town. |
When to go: festivals and seasons
Surin's year peaks in November. Here are the dates to plan for.
Local products and what OTOP means here
Under OTOP, every product is linked to the sub-district where it is made, and Surin's most prized is silk. In Ban Tha Sawang, weavers make yok thong silk with gold thread on looms with hundreds of heddles, while other villages weave mudmee and the Khmer-style silk of the border.
The plains of southern Isan grow Hom Mali jasmine rice, and Surin's markets sell rice, silk and crafts from the Kui and Khmer villages.
Real products from Surin makers appear in the carousel at the top of this page as soon as they are listed. Sellers pay no commission on SnapSellGo, only a yearly shop fee.
Short on time? Ban Ta Klang, then Prasat Sikhoraphum. Visiting in November? The Elephant Round-up. Into history? The Ta Muen temples on the border. Buying local? A length of Tha Sawang silk.
Questions people ask about Surin
When is the Surin Elephant Round-up?
Every November in Surin town, usually over a weekend in the second half of the month. It has been held since 1960.
Who are the Kui people?
An ethnic group of southern Isan known for their long tradition of catching and training elephants. Ban Ta Klang in Tha Tum district is their best-known village.
What is Tha Sawang silk?
A luxury silk woven with gold thread in Ban Tha Sawang, near Surin town, on looms with many shafts. It has been used for state occasions.
Which Khmer temples are in Surin?
Among others, Prasat Sikhoraphum with its five brick towers and the Prasat Ta Muen group on the Cambodian border.
Sources: Wikipedia entries for Surin province, the Surin Elephant Round-up, Kuy people, Prasat Sikhoraphum, Prasat Ta Muen and Thai silk. Dates tied to the moon shift a little every year, so confirm them before you book. Cover photo: Prasat Sikhoraphum by JJ Harrison, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.