Eastern · Thailand
Sa Kaeo · สระแก้ว
Rong Kluea border market to Cambodia, Pang Sida national park.
- Region
- Eastern
- Population
- 561,000
- Area
- 7,196 km²
- Stories filed
- 0
About Sa Kaeo
History
Sa Kaeo was split from Prachin Buri in 1993 as the main Thai border province with Cambodia, its Aranyaprathet–Poipet land crossing handling a constant flow of trade, labour migration, and Siem Reap-bound tourism that makes it one of the busiest border districts in Southeast Asia. The province's Khmer heritage is ancient: the Si Mahosot site near the Bang Pakong headwaters holds Dvaravati-period Buddhist monuments dating to the sixth and seventh centuries, long predating Angkor's height. Khmer military roads crossed these plains on the way from Angkor to Phimai and beyond.
Landscape & geography
Rolling plain rising gently toward low forested ridges along the Dongrek mountain escarpment that forms the Cambodian border. Pang Sida National Park in the north preserves a biological corridor connecting Khao Yai's forest block with the border ranges; its river valleys and waterfalls are accessible but little visited. The province is otherwise agricultural — rice, cassava, and sugarcane — with rubber plantations on the moister hillslopes near Cambodia.
Why visit
The Rong Kluea market outside Aranyaprathet is one of the largest border bazaars in Southeast Asia — a vast covered arcade of Cambodian gems, Vietnamese goods, electronics, and agricultural produce operating daily. The Aranyaprathet–Poipet crossing is the standard overland gateway to Siem Reap; Sa Kaeo is typically a transit point rather than a destination. Those who stop find Pang Sida's empty waterfalls and the Si Mahosot archaeological site worthwhile; the Khlong Namtao forest trail is good for birdwatching in the cool season.
Stories from Sa Kaeo
Articles, reviews, and itineraries tagged to this province.