Surin

Located 434 kilometres from Bangkok, Surin occupies the centre of the southern Khorat Plateau, with the Mun River crossing the north and the Dangrek Mountains forming the Cambodian border in the south. Nearly 50 percent of the population are Northern Khmer, a legacy of the province's centuries as part of the Khmer Empire, and dozens of temple ruins dot the countryside. Approximately 25 percent of Thailand's domesticated elephants are raised in Surin, primarily by the Kuy people who have maintained mahout traditions for generations; the annual Surin Elephant Round-up each November draws visitors from around the world to witness parades and demonstrations involving hundreds of elephants. The province is celebrated for hand-woven silk cloth, and jasmine rice is its primary agricultural export. Martial artist Tony Jaa, of Kuy descent, was born in Surin and helped bring international attention to the province's heritage.