Rao Su Monument

Rao Su Monument commemorates the Thai civilians, police officers, and soldiers who died between 1979 and 1980 defending construction of the Lahan Sai-Ta Phraya road through Non Din Daeng against attacks by the Communist Party of Thailand. More than 100 people were killed securing the route, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej personally granted the memorial its name — “Rao Su,” meaning “We Fight.” It’s a free roadside stop rather than a destination that needs half a day.

Buriram residents built the memorial over the course of a year, between 27 August 1979 and 26 August 1980, funding and constructing it themselves. It depicts a group of armed citizens and soldiers standing together in defense, and it sits directly beside the road it was built to protect — a stretch that was one of the most contested pieces of ground in Thailand’s rural counter-insurgency campaign of the late 1970s. Non Din Daeng’s district motto still names the monument first among its attractions, ahead of Prasat Nong Hong and Lam Nang Rong Dam nearby.

This isn’t a manicured tourist attraction — there’s no ticket booth and no scheduled tour. What you get is a memorial standing where the fighting actually happened, in a district still shaped by that history: the road it guards now carries ordinary traffic between Buriram town and the Cambodian border area, and Non Din Daeng markets itself around the “we fight” spirit the monument represents.

Insider Tip: Pair the stop with Lam Nang Rong Dam a short drive away — it’s a reservoir with a small beach popular with local families, giving the visit a second, more relaxed stop rather than just the monument on its own.

Because it’s an open, mostly unshaded site beside a rural highway, visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst heat, and bring water — there’s no cafe on site. The monument works best as a five- or ten-minute stop if you’re already driving the Lahan Sai-Ta Phraya road, rather than a dedicated day trip; Non Din Daeng itself is a small district town with limited tourist infrastructure. Modest, respectful clothing suits the memorial’s purpose, though there’s no enforced dress code.