Phanom Rung

Travel guide

This spectacular temple sits atop a 383m high extinct volcano and is the closest thing to Angkor Wat you will see in Thailand.

As with the Khmer ruins of Phimai (near Khorat), it is suspected that Phanom Rung may have been a prototype for what eventually became Angkor Wat. Once built it was also used as a resting spot for pilgrims making their way from Angkor to Phimai.

The temple is the largest and best restored in Thailand (the restoration took 17 years to complete) and was originally built between the 10th and 13th Centuries. The entire complex is built facing the east which, as with most Hindu monuments, usually face towards the dawn.

The long promenade leading to the main temple is the best of its kind in Thailand and is the site of a large festival in mid April.

Once at the western end of the promenade you reach the first naga bridge which is sided by spectacular five headed nagas. They are still in good condition and are identical to those which are found at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

At the top of the stairs is the gallery which leads into the primary sanctuary. The sanctuary has gallery entrances from the north, south, east and west, all of which display spectacular and intricately carved masonry depicting Hindu legends.

The lintel above the eastern entrance is the most famous. After being stolen in the 1960s it resurfaced in a display at the Art Institute of Chicago where it looked like it was going to stay, but thankfully it was eventually returned to its rightful home in 1988 -- only after supporters of the cause had raised over US$200,000 to 'facilitate' its return and had mounted a high profile campaign, the highlight of which was the album released by the band Carabao titled Thap Lang (Lintel). On the cover of the album was a picture of the Statue of Liberty holding the lintel and the song went along the lines of Take back your Michael Jackson, just give us back our Phra Narai!.

The central prang was built in a typical Khmer style has been very well restored and is particularly photogenic in the mornings for those who make the effort to beat the tours and get there early.

Near the site, there is a small museum with some sculpture from the site along with an interesting photographic essay of the restoration and a small selection of literature.

During early April a festival, the Phanom Rung Festival, is held here with traditional dance and fireworks along with a spectacular light and sound show in the evening.

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Phanom Rung Transport
By christay2009 (dabbler - 1 review)
Written on 11th December, 2009 after a visit to Phanom Rung in November, 2009
A quick note on getting to/from Phanom Rung from Nang Rong...

I got to the Market at 7:30 and presumed I had got the wrong one [which turned out to be correct] as there were no songtheaw in sight. I ambled over to the other market to find, again, no songtheaw's at all. I spotted another foreigner [rare in Nang Rong] and thought i'd ask him if he knew anything. It turned out he lived in Nang Rong [the only expat, apparently] and worked as a teacher on placement. He said that usually around 11:00 the place is full of songtheaw but he didn't know if any went to Phanom Rung.

A couple in my guesthouse had told me they went to the main bus station and caught a local bus/coach then jumped off at a cross road. From there you have to make your own way. I decided to head down to the bus station, after waiting for 45 minutes for the bus I was on my way.

The bus dropped me off after about 30 minutes, I immediately held out a hand and instantly managed to catch a ride to the foot of the hill with a soldier on his way to the Army base [also at the base of the hill]. I wasn't sure how far up the hill it was so started walking. It's pretty steep and, as it turns out, pretty far. I managed to hitch a ride after two failed attempts and sat in the back of a pick up with a little girl and her brother.

On the way back I managed to hitch a ride just by waiting for 5 minutes outside the carpark at the bend just before the slope of the hill. This guy took me to where the bus dropped me off, from there I had to thumb another lift to the main road [again with Thai army]. At first attempt I managed to get a ride back to Nang Rong with a man going to Bangkok.

If you are lucky, the couple I mentioned were, when you get off the local bus someone will pull over if you start walking and offer you a ride. This happened there and back in their case! Lucky! This is a cheap way to see Phanom Rung. Just pay for the first bus and the entrance - the rest is free.

Other options: The easiest way to travel would be to hire a motorbike although this obviously isn't as cheap but it means not having to (potentially) wait around! If you have cash to splash you can hire a man with a car to take you to Phanom Rung for [we were quoted] 800 Baht. He will take you there, wait for you and bring you back. If there are four of you then this might not be a bad option.

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