Nakhon Ratchasima
(2002 pop. 210,000). Nakhon Ratchasima city, also known as Khorat, is situated in northeastern Thailand 177 kilometers north of Bangkok. It is located in the second largest province in the nation. Nakhon Ratchasima is the provincial capital and the most affluent city in the region. The city is located on the Mun River and is near the mountain pass connecting this region with the central plains of Thailand.
Established in the seventeenth century, near the ruins of the ancient Khmer dynasty (c. eleventh century), the city was formed by the combining of the settlements of Sema and Khorakpura. The remains of the old city can be seen today in its walls, gates, and moat. It was in 1890 that the city began a period of rapid growth with construction of a rail line from Bangkok. During the U.S. war in Vietnam, Nakhon Ratchasima's Royal Thai Air Force Base served as an operations center for the U.S. military.
Today Nakhon Ratchasima is considered the center of the Khorat Plateau, with government, the provincial economy, and transportation based there. The region is known for copper, livestock, rice, maize, and tobacco. The city remains a rail hub, since the line from Bangkok splits here with lines to Ubon Ratchatani and Nong Khai.
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