Travel Tip 2026 -
Visiting Khmer temples in Thailand
18.07.2026 The Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia is considered the most famous in the world.
Before the pandemic, more than 2.2 million tourists visited these ancient Khmer temples each year, drawn by their unique architecture and impressive bas-reliefs. Few people know that this region belonged to Thailand until 1907. Visitor numbers have plummeted since last year’s armed border clashes. Border crossings into Cambodia from Thailand remain closed.
The two countries share a long and at times turbulent history.
You can also visit picturesque Khmer temples in Thailand. They're of excellent quality and, unlike Angkor Wat, can be explored without the crowds. One example is the region around Buriram, just over 200 km northeast of Bangkok.
Prasat Mueang Tam
This sprawling complex lies south of Buriram, about 6 km east of Phanom Rung, which sits atop a 400-metre extinct volcano. Mueang Tam was built in the 11th century, before the better-known Phanom Rung.
A Khmer complex of captivating beauty
The complex is surrounded by a wall, with a gate in each of the four cardinal directions. The main entrance is to the east.
Inside are four pools used by pilgrims for ritual purposes.
The lintels are beautiful reproductions. The originals are in the National Museum in Phimai, for good reason. Valuable reliefs were stolen from both here and, especially, Phanum Rung decades ago (some of which have since been returned by American museums).
Phanum Rung – Khmer temple on a volcano
The Hindu temple complex lies 65 kilometers south of Buriram, about an hour’s drive away, on a 400-meter-high extinct volcano rising above the vast plain.
The view is fantastic! For me, this majestic temple is the most beautiful Khmer-era building in Thailand.
It was built during the heyday of Angkor Wat, between the 11th and 13th centuries, and its importance is clear from the fact that a royal road connected it directly to the Khmer Empire’s capital. The complex is dedicated to the god Shiva. The central main temple was built during the reign of Suryavarman II, the greatest Khmer king.
Climbing the temple hill via its wonderful staircase is both moving and meditative. The complex was built with a 6-degree deviation along the east-west axis.
Getting there
The best way to explore these Khmer temples is to combine them with other tourist highlights. They’re particularly well suited as part of a trip to Khao Yai National Park.
BUS: Bangkok from Mo Chit 2 to Buriram. Then continue by taxi for around €12.
BY PLANE: Fly to Buriram, then drive a rental car 95 km to Phanum Rung.
TRAIN: From Bangkok, for example, take the SRT SP21 to Buriram (about €10), then travel 65 km by rental car or taxi (about €20). There are also buses.
The Phra Narai Relief
Art theft during the Vietnam War
This famous relief above the central temple’s eastern entrance disappeared in the 1960s. In 1968, it suddenly turned up at the Art Institute of Chicago. For years, the museum claimed it had acquired the impressive relief, dedicated to the god Vishnu, in good faith. Following a major campaign against art theft, it returned it to Thailand in 1988. Its arrival in Bangkok was broadcast live on television!
A celebration of the sun
Mystical moments
At the same level, 15 archways run through the entire complex, connecting its various temple sections.
They are planned so precisely that on a specific day in early April and early October, the rising sun shines exactly through the portals for 15 minutes. It’s incredibly impressive!
The same thing happens on certain days in March and September at sunrise.
Phanum Rung - Jewel of Isaan
Just a stone’s throw from Khao Yai National Park, 65 km south of Buriram, and breathtakingly beautiful! You’ll also be rewarded with a stunning view.
