Shrine to Ajahn Chah

Wat Nong Pah Pong, near Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Taken on: 9th May, 2009. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See Bodhidharma's Eyes's page of Flickr

Read more about Phimai

Some 800 years ago, Phimai was directly connected by a road to Angkor Wat and the centre of the once vast and powerful Khmer empire. The outpost was considered an integral part of the empire, seeing a steady stream of traders and religious travellers passing through its gates.

Today, Phimai is not quite so grandoise, but it remains a charming little town nevertheless -- afterall, how many Thai towns have an ancient set of ruins sitting in their midst? The main attraction is Prasat Phimai Historical Park, and though it's not as impressive as the ruins of Angkor or even Phanom Rung, the fully restored ancient ruins and surrounding gardens are a sea of tranquility in the midst of the sleepy but still vibrant Phimai town.

The area immediately surrounding the ... Read our complete Phimai travel guide

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