Thailand

Prasat Muang Tam is a Khmer temple located in Thailand's Buriram province (Isan), near the Cambodian border. Its architecture resembles that of the wonders of the monumental complex of Angkor. Its magnificent millennia-old gates and the four basins of its outer enclosure will transport you directly to a historical era reminiscent of Cambodia. Recently restored, the monument showcases the capabilities of local craftsmanship while taking you on a journey through time.

Temple origins

During its restoration by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand, unprecedented discoveries were made. Two statues were unearthed and are now on display at the National Museum in Bangkok. No inscriptions allowing the dating of the new findings have been discovered. However, the style of the lintels from that time period helps identify their approximate construction period. Mixing the style of the Khleangs with that of the Baphuon—two buildings and a temple located in the monumental complex of Angkor in Cambodia—experts estimate that Prasat Muang Tam was probably built between the 10th and 11th centuries.

Materials

Located at the foot of a volcano that has been extinct for 900,000 years, the temple is made of sandstone and laterite. These very resistant stones give the monument an immeasurable charm while allowing, through their good disposition, its preservation over the centuries.

Laterite is the stone that gives the unique and specific red color to Khmer temples. Sandstone, on the other hand, is a relatively common stone. Its porous aspect allowed lichen to grow on the temple walls, giving it a more authentic, ancient, and wild appearance.

A place of worship for Hindu deities

The temple was mainly dedicated to Shiva, but researchers nevertheless found fragments of a Vishnu statue. These two deities are the main ones in Hinduism. They are part, with Brahma, of the Trimurti, meaning that each of these deities represents one of the three divisions of the supreme deity. Together, they symbolize the cycle of creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), and destruction (Shiva) of the universe.

• Shiva, which means "the one who brings happiness," is often considered the god of yoga because he holds universal, supreme, and absolute knowledge and is capable of seeing "beyond knowledge." He is primarily the god of darkness, whose role is the destruction of the universe.
• Vishnu, who corresponds to the protector of the universe, is known for his many avatars that appear during periods of chaos on Earth. This Hindu deity is generally represented as a blue man with royal ornaments on each of his four arms. He is also depicted with numerous attributes, the most common of which are the club, the discus, the conch, and the lotus.

How to get there?

The best way to get there is to stay in Buri Ram or Surin and take a bus or taxi from one of these cities. The journey will take between 1 and 2 hours, depending on the means of transportation used. Note that the buses stop a few kilometers from the site, so you will still need to arrange for a taxi for the remainder of the journey.

We also recommend visiting Ta Phraya National Park, located about 1 hour by car southwest of the temple, which encompasses a great diversity of species in terms of fauna and flora.

Practical information

Hours: Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: 100 THB for foreigners and free for Thais

You can purchase a combined ticket to visit two temples: Prasat Muang Tam and Prasat Phanom Rung. They are separated by 8 kilometers, and the ticket price is 150 THB for foreigners and free for Thais.