Roi Et

Overview

Roi Et sits in the middle of Isan, Thailand’s northeastern plateau, and its name tells you something about its history. The Thai phrase means “one hundred and one” — a reference to the ancient walled city of Saket Nakhon, which once had eleven gates and eleven vassal settlements. By the time of the Thonburi Kingdom, the city had been abandoned and the gate count had grown in the retelling to 101. The province was re-established in 1777 by settlers who appealed to King Taksin, and the old name stuck.

Today, Roi Et town is built around Bueng Phlan Chai, a large artificial lake at the city centre. A golden walking Buddha stands on an island in the middle of it, connected to the shore by a causeway, and the city pillar shrine sits in the same parkland. Locals walk, run, and cycle the lake path in the early mornings — it’s a good-natured, functional place that doesn’t structure itself around tourism.

Outside town, the province has a lot to offer if you’re willing to drive. Ancient Khmer sanctuaries, a silk-weaving village with royal patronage, one of the region’s great temple complexes on a natural cliff, and the Thung Kula Ronghai plain — the source of Thailand’s best-regarded jasmine rice — all spread across the roughly 8,300 square kilometres of flat Chi River basin and low hills to the north.

Top Things to Do

Bueng Phlan Chai and the Walking Buddha is the natural first stop in the city. The lake at Roi Et’s centre is a proper urban park — boats to hire, a running track, playgrounds, and the small island at the heart of it all where a gilded walking Buddha stands among gardens and the city pillar shrine. It’s especially pleasant in the cool-season evenings when half the city seems to be out walking.

Wat Burapha Phiram holds Phra Phuttha Rattana Mongkhol Maha Munee — a standing Buddha begun in 1973 and completed in 1979, rising 59.2 metres, or 67.55 metres including its base. It is the tallest standing Buddha in Thailand. The scale becomes apparent as you approach across the temple grounds; the surrounding galleries and smaller chedis make the composition work as a whole, not just as a single oversized monument. Entry is free.

Roi Et Tower is a 101-metre observation structure opened in the early 2020s, designed in the form of a wot — the traditional Isan panpipe instrument — and the number 101 is deliberate. From the observation decks on floors 28 to 34, you get a 360-degree view of the city, the lake, and the flat rice-farming plains stretching to the horizon. Cultural exhibits on Isan heritage are installed throughout the interior.

Ku Ka Sing is the best-preserved Khmer temple complex in the province, about 30 km from the capital. Three prangs on a single laterite base, enclosed by a wall with gopura on four sides and a U-shaped moat beyond, dating to the late 11th century in the Baphoun style — the same architectural period as parts of Angkor Wat. It sees very few foreign visitors. Ku Phra Kona, closer to town (around 10 km northeast), is another 11th-century Khmer sanctuary with three brick prangs dedicated to Shiva; the restoration has been less faithful to the original, but the carvings and setting reward a visit. Prang Ku (Nong Ku Castle) is a third Khmer arogayasala — a hospice-temple from the 12th–13th centuries — with a main prang, library, enclosing wall, and a pond outside the perimeter.

The Silk Weaving Village of Amphoe Na Pho is where families produce mudmi silk using traditional techniques, with support from the Royal Folk Arts and Craft Centre. Mudmi is the tie-dyed silk characteristic of Isan — the threads are resist-dyed before weaving, producing patterns in the fabric itself rather than printed on top. You can watch weaving in progress and buy direct from households at prices far below Bangkok.

Pha Nam Yoi and Wat Pha Nam Thip Thep Prasit Wanaram is a temple-and-cliff complex in Nong Phok district, about 60 km from the city. A seasonal waterfall runs down the face of the cliff (Pha Mok Mi Wai — “Cliff where the Clouds Never Fade”), and the temple above it includes the Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon — a white-and-gold chedi 109 metres tall including its spire, one of the largest in Thailand. The cliff edge is a sunset viewpoint. A shuttle bus runs from the car park to the temple.

The Thung Kula Ronghai plain covers most of south and central Roi Et — a flat, sodium-rich basin where Khao Dawk Mali 105 jasmine rice has been grown for generations. The variety holds GI protection — registered in Thailand since 2006, with EU recognition following in the 2010s. Driving across it in harvest season (October–December) gives a sense of the scale: paddies to the horizon in every direction, with rice mills operating round the clock. The town of Suwannaphum, at the plain’s northern edge, is a base for exploring this part of the province and hosts its own celebrated Bun Bang Fai rocket festival in early June.

Where to Stay

Roi Et city has a reasonable spread of mid-range hotels, mostly within walking distance of the lake. The HOP INN is a reliable budget-friendly option with consistent standards across the Thai chain. The town is compact enough that location matters less than in larger cities — almost everything you’ll want to visit in the centre is within a short ride of any hotel in the downtown area.

There are no resort complexes or international chains here. For the Khmer ruin day trips and the Pha Nam Yoi visit, Roi Et town is the natural base — both circuits can be done as day trips with an early start.

Getting There

The fastest option from Bangkok is the Thai AirAsia daily flight from Don Mueang Airport to Roi Et Airport (IATA: ROI) — roughly one hour in the air. This makes Roi Et feasible as a long weekend destination from the capital without the seven-to-eight-hour bus journey. There is no train service to Roi Et; the nearest stations are at Surin (south) and Khon Kaen (north), both requiring an onward bus of around two hours.

Within the province, a hired car or motorbike is the only practical way to reach the Khmer ruins, the silk village, and the Pha Nam Yoi cliff complex. The city centre and Bueng Phlan Chai are manageable on foot or by songthaew.

Best Time to Visit

Roi Et follows the standard Isan pattern: wet season May through October, cool dry season November through February, hot season March through April. The cool season is the clear best window — comfortable for outdoor sightseeing, pleasant evenings at the lake, and good conditions for driving around the province. The Khmer ruins at Ku Ka Sing are especially rewarding in the early-morning cool of January or February.

The hot season is manageable if you time sightseeing for before 10am and after 4pm. May and June bring the Bun Bang Fai rocket festivals across the region — a pre-monsoon rain-calling tradition rooted in Isan’s agrarian calendar. Suwannaphum’s festival, held on the first weekend of June, is considered one of the most impressive for its parade and decoration.

During the wet season, the Thung Kula Ronghai plain turns vivid green as planting begins, and the light in the early morning over the paddies is striking. But rural roads can flood in September and October, so check conditions before attempting the outer circuits.