Archeological evidence suggests that in Sung Noen District, 32 km west of present-day Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) there were two ancient towns called Sema ("Bai sema" () are notable artifacts of the Khorat plateau)[REF] and Khorakapura.
The city is commonly known as "Khorat" or "Korat" (Thai: โคราช), which is a short version of the ancient Khmer name "ankor raj".