These photos were taken in May 2009 at the Thao Suranari Monument in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. As you may know, Nakhon Ratchasima is commonly called “Khorat,” and it is an important crossroads for travelers heading into the northern and eastern parts of the Isan region by land.
I had visited Khorat twice in the early 1990s, once on my way to Udon Thani and once when I traveled to Ubon Ratchathani. So this trip was my first time returning to the city in more than ten years. I believe Khorat has developed even further since then, but even in 2009, I felt that the city had already changed so much that I could hardly find any trace of what it looked like in the early 1990s. However, the Thao Suranari Monument was still standing in the same place, just as it had been before.
Thao Suranari is regarded as one of four brave women in Thai history. Her real name was actually Ya Mo (Grandma Mo). Thao Suranari is the name she was given by the king. He gave her this name meaning “brave woman” because she saved Khorat from the invasion of the Laotian army.
By the way, the other three women are Sri Suriyothai (a queen from the Ayutthaya period whose life has been made into a movie), Thao Thep Satri and Thao Sri Sunthon (sisters for whom the Heroines Monument in Phuket was built).
I cannot describe the story of her life in more detail here, but she was certainly a great woman. Even though she left this world about 200 years ago, her statue is still always surrounded by worshippers. I think Thao Suranari is more than just a statue – I think she has also become the pride of the people of Khorat today.
