It is said that if one is interested in Korat’s history the best place to visit is old Korat town where one can witness one of its four key gates which have been standing here for the past three centuries. Visit this historical marvel in a Korat car hire; whether travelling alone, with family or friends, we have car hire deals for all occasions and needs. If disembarking at Korat airport, get a car hire booked in advance for a timely transfer.
Old Korat used to be surrounded by city walls with four gates which back then used to act as the entry points. Out of these gates, three have been renovated or restructured, but one remains in the original form still bearing the stones, bricks and plaster that were used originally at the time of its creation. It is named Pratu Chum Phon and is of great historic importance.
Korat City Gates’ History
The city walls and gates were built in mid 17th century during the reign of king Narai when Korat was an outpost town with the main purpose of protecting kingdom’s borders from the invaders. It is said that this gate on the west plus the wall that enclosed the city was built by French engineers in 1656 and was constructed using stones and bricks plus a watch tower that was made as per Thai style standards with a tiled roof.
These following are the other gates which though are at the original places in the east, north and south directions but are actually replicas of the original gates:
Phon Saen Gate lies to the north on a road named Prajak Road.
Phon Lan Gate is located on the western side of the moat nearby a bazaar and a temple called Night Bazaar 2 and Wat Bun respectively.
Chainarong Gate, located on town’s southern side, lies on Chainarong road which is close to Punjadara Hotel.
Pratu Chum Phon gate is also closest to the shrine dedicated to the bravest women in Thailand- Thao Suranaree.
