The first step into the hotel, I shout Wow!... The first step into the room, I shout Oh!... I am totally jealous and wondered why my beloved football team doesn't do like this. In order to call this hotel correctly, we need to call it Amari Buriram United not Amari Buriram. It is a hotel of Thai Premier League Champion. The team that the Chairman has announced that he will lead the team to be a top football team of Asia in the near future.

I have got to tell you firstly that I am not a big fan of Buriram United because they always beat my beloved team up. hahaha However, I respect how their management team has built up and developed this uninteresting province where it is full of rice field but nothing else to become this far. It might not sound real but they work it through the football aspect which is the key to drive this province to be fruitful. The economic is growing, local people live better and happier.

I have heard a lot about the hotel via my friends who work in tourism and football industry and have stay there that the hotel is fabulous. Especially those who are the big fan of football game, they are really into it. I have always wanted to come and experienced it myself. Even though I have been here in Buriram and been here for a football match, I have never made it to stay here. And finally, I make it in the middle of November.

The room rate at Amari Buriram United is not that high compared to Amati Hotels in general. But luckily, I have pretty good connection with the hotel through my friend so I have got the full package. I intend to take my wife to feel the atmosphere of the champion of Thai Premier League here as well as visit the beautiful Ancient Khmer temples. Buriram is known as a city of 2-era castle, the Khmer castle and the Thunder castle of Buriram United. For me, I like to call it a city of 3 stone castles. If you want to know which are these three castles, please follow me!

The trip of 3 days and 2 nights has begun. We have arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon. Amari Buriram United is located right next to the i-mobile Stadium. If you are standing and facing toward the stadium, the hotel will be on your right-hand side. The hotel is a 2-storey building. This Amari hotel is completely different from other Amari hotels as being the Thailand's only football-themed hotel. You will feel it right after your step into the hotel because there is a huge logo of Buriram United F.C.

The Lobby is simply beautiful. And for me, a person who love watching football for my entire life, this is amazing.

We are here in the middle of the week. There is no football match going on so the hotel is very quiet. This is perfect for a total relaxation.

We then go through the Lobby to Kick Off Restaurant. It is designed in blue and orange color theme which are the two colors representing Buriram United F.C. All TV channels are sports especially football and car racing.

From the restaurant, we walk through the door to go outside where there are swimming pool and grass field. I feel like I am standing on the football field but mini size. We can really play football here, we just need the football goal. It is very unique. (some photos below are from late morning the next day which are more beautiful actually)

We are staying in a Deluxe room located on the lower floor at the right wing. Once we get into the room, my wife screams like crazy because there is a photo of her favorite football player, Mr.Charyl Chappuis, on the wall. hahaha Actually, he has moved to join another football team already but I guess it is not easy for the hotel to update the football player of Buriram United every year. So if you like Mr. Charyl Chappuis, you are still able to enjoy his photo here in this room of the hotel. For those who are the big fan of the captain of our national football team, you also have got to come to this room.

I am right now lying on the bed imagining that how cool it would be if this whole hotel is actually in my beloved football team theme. And I realize how lucky all fans of Buriram United are for having this. Buriram United works so well in the match and also out of the match.

Apart from the football theme hotel is and all amenities and facilities up to Amari standard, the hotel also has prepared some welcome refreshment for their guests in the room .

The bathroom is spacious and comes with all toiletries and basic bathroom amenities.

The room on the lower floor has an access to the swimming pool directly.

We have spent our time rolling on the bed until it is getting dark. Then we have come out to chill by the pool and also don't forget to get some photos during this golden light time.

Since we are staying here already so I guess it would be a good idea to ask the hotel in case we can see other room types, and it is a yes. They let us see other two room types because the hotel is not busy. The first room type is this Grand Deluxe. Grand Deluxe room is bigger than Deluxe room.

The second one is this Two Bedroom Suite. There are two bedrooms and one living room. Those who want to be close to the Chairman of Buriram United have got to stay in this room. hahaha Moreover, this room is overlooking i-mobile Stadium. You know how fantastic it is to be able to see the football stadium right from your bedroom. I am pretty sure those football fan understand what I am talking about.

For dinner, we want to go local and I have already spotted where we will go. It is a Seraa Kraw Night Market next to i-mobile Stadium. There are tons of food selection here including those iconic night market stuffs like fried, grilled, and roasted meat. There are even hot pot and iced-cocktails here. So we are having fun walking around and filling us up. In other words, if you are staying at Amari Buriram United, you don't need to be worried that finding something to eat will be difficult.

The most beautiful football stadium in Thailand (I confirm). It looks very magical at night.

I slept very well last night. I even dreamed that my beloved team finally get to win Buriram United! Well, it is time to go and explore the breakfast at Kick Off Restaurant now. It is good that there are not many guests in house. Therefore, the breakfast buffet line is pretty full. Actually, I have never been disappointed with the breakfast at any Amari hotels anyway. Their breakfast is always good.

The program after breakfast is to visit two more stone castles today after visitting the one from Modern age yesterday. We are going to Phanom Rung Stone Castle (Ancient era) and Lowland Castle. Phanom Rung Stone Castle is about 60-kilometer far from the hotel. We are going to drive on Highway Number 219 through Prakhon Chai District which is shorter than driving through Nang Rong District about 10 kilometers.

We have arrvied at Phanom Rung Stone Castle almost 11 AM. There are not that many people now. This is my third time here actually but the first time for my wife. And she seems to be very impressed with this enormous pink stone castle.

I guess I don't have to tell you all its rich story. All I want to tell you is that you should come and experience it yourself once in a lifetime. You will be amazed with this enormous heritage site which is full with history and culture. And if you would like to see the original Narai Buntomsin, you then really need to come here.

I am going around taking photos with no hurry.

After spending enough quality time here at Phanom Rung Stone Castle, we are now ready to move on to Lowland Castle. Lowland Castle is only 7-kilometer away from here. According to its location which is down below the Mountain where Phanom Rung Stone Castle located, that's why it is named Lowland Castle. This castle is also in Phanom Rung Historical Park area.

Lowland Castle is beautiful for its 4 big ponds known as Barai in Thai located at all four corners inside the cloister. There are 5-head King of Nagas at every corner of the ponds. They are very unique and different because they don't have any accessories like others. If you look at them from far, they look like big snakes rather than the King of Nagas. I have heard this kind of art is from Baphuon. If you are interested in this, you should look for more detailed information.

Not far from these two stone castles we have visited, there is an interesting Wat Khao Ungkarn. Its red ordination hall and carved boundary marker of the temple made of basalt or Lava stone are very unique and beautiful. We are thinking whether we should go there or go back to the hotel to enjoy the swimming pool. And we have ended up going back to the hotel. Here are some photos of Wat Khao Ungkarn taken from my last trip there in case you want to see how pretty it is.

We have been in the pool and enjoyed it for a long while. Tonight we are going to have a special dinner at Kick Off Restaurant. How can we not love Amari, every time we stay with them, there is always a romantic arrangement.

The Executive Chef has prepared numbers of signature menus of the hotel for us. They are Sausage with Local Buriram Sauce, Pizza Thai Isaan Sausage, and Healthy Green Salad. They are served with two different kinds of cocktails.

Look at all these menus and imagine how happy we would be! They are all very delicious and of course we finish them all. The ambiance of the restaurant is also very nice. My wife like it in overall very much and that makes me very happy.

It is hard for us to leave Amari hotel everytime we stay with them. We have packed our stuffs after the breakfast and leave our luggage with the porter. We will come back to get them later because there are still some places we want to go.

Even though I have taken some photos of i-Mobile Stadium (name according to the sponsor) or also known as Thunder Castle (official name) at night already, we haven't been inside the stadium yet. So let's go and see since it is free to get in everyday when there is no football match.

It is very beautiful worth being a Thai Premier League Champion. They are the only team in Thailand that has developed their own football stadium to be a well-known tourist attraction. It is not that easy though to come this far.

To come all the way to visit i-Mobile Stadium, you will also able to visit Chang International Circuit on the back of the stadium. You can visit this standardized motorsport race track everyday when there is no racing program. Luckily, today there is some racer having a test drive so I have got a chance to enjoy it. And I have got to say that this test drive is already exciting, how is the real race would be.

Let's continue with another symbol of Seraa Kraw city! It is Khao Kradong Volcano Forest Park which is not far from Amari Buriram United. You might be excited after hearing the word volcano. It is actually an extinct volcano that hasn't had an eruption for at least one million years and is not expected to erupt again as same as Khao Phanom Rung and Khao Ung Karn. Therefore, there is nothing much left to see. Anyway, at least we would like to climb up 297 steps to the top to pay homage to Phra Suphattharabophit, an important Buddha image of the province. You can also drive to the top but walking might offer a better experience.

Si Lai Der (in northeastern Thai dialogue) = Slider, is very cute dialogue. I want to give a big applause for the creator. To slide on this slider is to learn how the lava actually flows.

And this place used to be the crater. Can you imagine how it was, back in million years ago?

Lastly, we have ended this trip with a quick stop at this famous restaurant in Buriram, Ped Yang Khu Mueang Restaurant. As you can tell from its name, the original recipe is from Khu Mueang District. However, we don't need to go there since the 5th branch of Ped Yang Khu Mueang is just right across street from i-Mobile Stadium. We have ordered one whole Roasted Duck with Crispy Skin, Spicy Minced Duck Salad and Papaya Salad with White Pork Sausage. The famous roasted duck is good because I like it this style, very dry and crispy. For those who like soft roasted duck might not like it though.

This is our trip at Amari Buriram United, 3 Stone Castles and a City of Thai Premier League Champion. It is unbelievable how this small province that used to have only the rice field has turned into a fun tourist attraction including a unique theme hotel with great service.

It used to be said by someone from abroad working in football industry that football game is magical and powerful, it can develop and change the community. Today, it seems to me that Buriram United has proved the above statement is completely true...

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