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Quick answerNakhon Ratchasima is a city in Thailand, with 126,391 people inside the city limits in 2019. The wider metropolitan area had about 0.5 million people in 2019. It is best known for the Gateway to Isan, the Thao Suranari Monument and the Phimai Historical Park (nearby). Its official language is Thai, and its currency is the Thai baht.
Nakhon Ratchasima, usually called Korat, is the largest city in north-eastern Thailand, with about 126,000 people in the municipality and about 466,000 in the urban area (2021). It stands on the western edge of the Korat Plateau and is the gateway to Isan.
Key facts
| Country | Thailand |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 126,391 (2019) |
| Population (metro) | 466,098 (2019) · Urban area, 2021 |
| Elevation | 180 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Asia/Bangkok |
| Language | Thai |
| Currency | Thai baht (THB, ฿) |
| Coordinates | 14.98056° N, 102.1° E |
Overview
Nakhon Ratchasima, commonly known as Korat, is the capital of Nakhon Ratchasima province and the largest city in north-eastern Thailand. The city municipality covers 37.5 square kilometres and had 126,391 registered residents in 2019, while the wider urban area held 466,098 people in 2021, making it Thailand's third-largest city by urban population. It sits at the western edge of the Korat Plateau, about 180 metres above sea level and 250 kilometres north-east of Bangkok.
Korat was founded in 1656 as a stronghold on Ayutthaya's north-eastern frontier, guarding the route into Laos. Its heroine is Thao Suranari, known as Lady Mo, who is credited with freeing the city from an invading Lao army in 1826; her statue stands in the city centre. The railway reached Korat in 1900, and the city became the rail hub of the north-east.
Today Korat is the gateway to Isan, the Lao-speaking north-east, and a centre for agriculture, retail and manufacturing, including disk-drive factories. Its landmarks include the Thao Suranari Monument, the city wall and moat, Terminal 21 mall and the nearby Phimai Historical Park, a Khmer temple complex.
What Nakhon Ratchasima is known for
- Gateway to Isan
- Thao Suranari Monument
- Phimai Historical Park (nearby)
- Korat Plateau
- Terminal 21 Korat
Landmarks
- Thao Suranari Monument
- Korat city wall and moat
- Terminal 21 Korat
- Phimai Historical Park
- Wat Sala Loi
- Nakhon Ratchasima Railway Station
- Central Korat
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Nakhon Ratchasima?
About 126,000 people live inside the Nakhon Ratchasima municipality (126,391 in 2019). The wider urban area had about 466,000 people in 2021. That makes Korat the third-largest city in Thailand by urban population, after Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and the largest city in the north-east.
Where is Nakhon Ratchasima located?
Nakhon Ratchasima is in north-eastern Thailand, on the western edge of the Korat Plateau, about 250 kilometres north-east of Bangkok. It is the gateway to Isan, famous for the Thao Suranari Monument and the nearby Phimai temple. Its coordinates are 14.98° N, 102.10° E.
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Keep exploring
- Thailand — the country Nakhon Ratchasima is in
- Bangkok — another city in Thailand
- Hat Yai — another city in Thailand
- Chiang Mai — another city in Thailand
- All cities in Thailand
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Nakhon Ratchasima
- Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), via Wikipedia — Nakhon Ratchasima
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.