Buri Ram to be one of most livable cities in the world

Buri Ram Governor Seri Srihatrai said that the issue was discussed at a workshop of local administrators and members of local villages to push for provincial development for the fiscal years 2016 and 2017.

During the meeting, factors to achieve this aim were also discussed. They include human resource development, balanced income, healthy people and environment, good social conditions, community empowerment, and efforts to free the province from crime. These factors will be used as a guideline for developing happy and peaceful villages in the province.

Located 412 kilometers from Bangkok by car and 376 kilometers by train, Buri Ram borders Cambodia to the southeast and is notable for its age-old civilization, especially monuments and artifacts in the Khmer style.

With a population of 1.58 million, it is one of the largest and most populated provinces in the Northeast. Most of its residents, more than 80 percent, are engaged in agriculture, mainly rice farming. Apart from rice, major cash crops include tapioca, jute, and sugar cane, and various kinds of fruit, such as mango, guava, sweet tamarind, and pomelo.

Buri Ram is famous for beautiful Thai silk, and local people are well-known for their skill in cloth weaving. It is an enchanting province consisting of important Khmer-style sanctuaries, and in particular, the warm hospitality of the people. The rich heritage of art and culture is also reflected in local products, especially those hand-made by villagers.

In 2014, the province was named one of Asia’s must-see sights in a poll by influential travel website Agoda.com in its annual "Fresh Destinations” list. Buri Ram has also been listed among the 12 fascinating provinces, recommended by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), as part of the "Discover Thainess” campaign.

The most famous attraction that has made a name for Buri Ram is the hilltop Hindu shrine of Phanom Rung in Nang Rong district. Known as Prasat Phanom Rung, this Hindu sanctuary was left unattended and in ruins for many centuries until 1944, when the Thai Department of Fine Arts declared it a national protected archaeological site. Major renovation was carried out for 18 years to restore it as close to its original state as possible.

In fact, Buri Ram boasts several interesting historical sites that should be made better known to the world at large. One of them is the Mueang Tam Sanctuary, a complex of old monuments, which is about 18 kilometers from Prasat Phanom Rung.

Both Prasat Phanom Rung and Mueang Tam Sanctuary are major attractions in Buri Ram, which aims to develop itself as one of the world’s livable cities.