Nakhon Ratchasima is more commonly referred to by its shorter name of Khorat is 135 miles to the north east of Bangkok, close to the border with Laos. It is the capital of the province with the same name and along with Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, and Khon Kaen is considered to be one of the Big Four of Isaan.
In the old days Khorat marked the border between Siam and Laos, now it is regarded as the gateway to Isaan. At the time that the ancient capital of Siam, Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese, a Royal Prince tried to set himself up as ruler here, however King Taksin sent generals to overthrow him and he was executed in 1768.
Khorat is connected to the nations capital by road, rail and even air. The local Nakhon Ratchasima Airport was for a while purely a cargo airport, however passenger planes are flying once again.
Khorat has its own breed of feline, the Khorat Cat is a natural breed, known locally as Si-Sawat, which means the colour of swat seeds. They became known in the West as Blue Siamese.
