Prasat Hin Phimai Historical Park

Located in Nakhon Ratchasima province, the Historical Park of Prasat Hin Phimai houses the most important and best-preserved Khmer temples across Thailand. The historic site is similar to the world-famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia, although smaller in size, 1020m x 580m, but still considerable and it demonstrates the importance of the ancient city at the time of the Khmer Empire. The site is located at the northern end of the ancient Khmer road once led Phimai to the capital Angkor, this was the most important of the great arteries paved built by the Khmer, about 240 km long. The name Vimayapura, which means city of Vimaya, developed later into Phimai in Thai language, appears in an inscription on a stone slab on the front door of the building, but also in other structures, some historians believe it was a religious figure. The site was built in richly carved sandstone and brick; it has some special characteristics that differentiate it from similar buildings of same Khmer period. The first is that the temple was build faces to south, while all the others usually was faced to east, the second is that even if the Khmers at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple, as Buddhism on the plateau of Korat was already widespread in the seventh century. Some stone inscriptions trace the temple of Phimai between the 10th and 11th century, during the reigns of Jayavarman V and Suryavarman I, but some archaeologists dates the construction of the first buildings of Phimai in a period between the late 11th and the end of 12th century, during the reigns of Jayavarman VI and Jayavarman VII. In any case, the Phimai historical remains are older than those of Angkor Wat. The architectural style that distinguishes Phimai is the Baphuon, which prospered at the time, but some features are similar to those of Angkor Wat, which became popular at a later period.
Admission fee & Opening hours: The site is open daily from 07:30 to 18:00, admission fee is 100 THB.
Getting there: Park is in the centre of Phimai city. The closest big town to Phimai is the provincial capital Nakhon Ratchasima, far 61 Km. To reach Nakhon Ratchasima you can use bus, train or private car. Busses to Nakhon Ratchasima from Bangkok leave from the Northern Mo Chit Terminal, with departures every 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3,5 hours and the ticket costs from 150 to 200 THB, depending on the class. Trains from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima depart from the Hua Lamphong Station, are less frequent of buses, ten per day, employing more time, and the cost is similar for a seat in 2nd class, more expensive classes with bunks for sleeping. Buses between Nakhon Ratchasima and Phimai depart from both terminals of chief town every 30 minutes between 05:00 and 19:00, the journey take about 1.5 hours, and cost 50 THB with air con or 39 THB with fan.
Path Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima - Phimai Historical Park: To reach Phimai from Bangkok follow Highway 1 until Saraburi, about 98 Km, then turn right into Highway 2, Thanon Mittraphap, untill Nakhon Ratchasima; 40 km after Nakhon Ratchasima, at Tambon Than Prasat, turn right on Highway 206 that leading to Phimai Historical Park. The total distance from Bangkok is 350 Km.Read More