100-Year-Old Wooden Bridge

A wooden footbridge just under a kilometre long threads through the rice paddies of Ban Khok Krachai, in the Khon Buri district of Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), about 65km southeast of Korat town. Local farmers built it more than a century ago to move between fields and carry produce home, and it’s still walked by villagers as well as visitors today. Entry is free and it’s open daily, roughly 06:00 to 19:00.

The bridge sits low over the paddies on wooden posts, with plank decking that’s been replaced and repaired many times — the supports underneath are now concrete in places, though the walking surface stays timber. A rice-field fire in January 2024 broke the structure in several spots; the community and district office rebuilt it, and it has been back in regular use and photographed since. Watch out: some stretches have no handrail, and the planks get slick after rain — walk carefully, especially with kids.

What draws people out here is the setting rather than the engineering: a near-straight line of grey wood cutting through green (or, after harvest, gold) paddy fields. It’s a favourite for Korat locals doing a short countryside drive, and works as a stop for visitors heading toward Khao Yai via the southeastern approach through Khon Buri, since it isn’t directly on the main Korat-to-park road. Hat Chom Thong, a freshwater reservoir beach in the same district, is a reasonable pairing if you’re exploring Khon Buri further.

Insider Tip: Go before 8am. Later in the morning the light flattens and it’s hotter for the walk; at dawn in the cool season a light mist often sits over the fields, and the bridge is usually empty of other visitors.

There’s no food or drink for sale at the bridge itself, so bring water, especially in the hot season (March–May). The nearest facilities are in Khon Buri town, about a 15-minute drive. Sturdy, closed shoes are worth it over sandals — the wood can be uneven and there’s nothing to hold onto on some sections.