This is Phimai, the Khmer historical park in Thailand (our experience)

El Phimai Historical Park is one of archaeological setss most interesting of Thailand.

It is located in the region of Isan, in the northeast of the country, one of the least visited areas despite its numerous attractions.

Phimai It is located about 175 kilometers from Khao Yai national park, and just to visit both places it is worth including the region of Isan on a journey of a few days from Bangkok.

The fact that it is the least known part of Thailand It doesn't mean it's the least interesting.

Not being on the busiest routes, a tour of Isan allows us to discover a Thailand very quiet in which we can look out into a traditional lifestyle very attractive.

Where is Phimai Historical Park in Thailand

El Phimai Historical Park It is located in the center of the city of Phimai, in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, which is also known as Khorat.

La modern Phimai It is a relatively small city that is surrounded by the Mum River and some of its tributaries.

In October or November a boat racing festival in the waters of rivers and canals.

En Thailand These festivals are common in those months in the cities that are next to the rivers.

It is the end of the rainy season and then the flows are higher and there can be races and parades of large barges, something more difficult when the rivers carry less water.

Despite the attraction of the historic park, it is likely that in the visit to Phimai Let's only find Thai visitors.

Interesting facts about the history of Phimai, the Khmer civilization in Thailand

The first thing that catches your eye when you arrive at the historic park is the architectural style.

It is more similar to that of Angkor Wat , the famous archaeological center of Cambodia, than that of others thai ancient cities , the Ayutthaya o Sukotai.

This is because this complex known as Prasat Hin Phimai Belongs to the Khmer civilization, like of Angkor.

This civilization, centered mainly on the lands of present-day Cambodia, lived through different eras of splendor, and in fact formed one of the most important empires in all of Southeast Asia.

During its expansion it conquered many territories, including those that correspond to the northeast of the current Thailand.

In fact, ancient Phimai It was linked to the great capital of of Angkor through a route that linked different important cities. This Khmer Route had its extremes precisely in Phimai y Angkor Wat .

One theory claims that actually Phimai served as model for the construction of Angkor.

Although there is no absolute certainty, it is believed that the Phimai religious complex It was built in the first half of the 11th century, exactly a thousand years ago, as a hindu religious center.

For two centuries there were different modifications in the architecture and its use, so that in the first third of the 13th century, it was a center dedicated to mahayana buddhism.

This period corresponds to monarch Jayavarman VII, the khmer emperor most powerful of all time.

Characteristics of Phimai Khmer architecture

To give a little meaning to the visit of any of the Khmer archaeological remains of Thailand, you have to know some of their common characteristics.

As normally happens in Khmer religious complexes, the complex has a rectangular plan in the center of which is the main structure, called pranga whirlpool bath, pyramid tower that protects the most sacred image.

The prang They have four chambers that serve as entrances. The most important one is usually the eastern one, the one that faces the sunrise.

Parts of these chambers or gopuras They are adorned with reliefs that represent different aspects of mythology.

There are Hindu scenes that are usually representations of the Ramayana or of the main deities such as Shiva y Vishnu. The buddhist reliefs, later, refer to moments in the life of Buddha.

Originally the prang would keep a representation of the Shiva lingam, which symbolizes the creative force, but over time it was replaced by a buddha statue.

This is the experience of visiting Phimai in Thailand, the best thing to see

With the experience of our recent visit, we can tell you that when you approach PhimaiAt first it will seem like an austere architectural complex, but you will soon find a thousand different details, especially a large number of reliefs that represent different scenes.

The entrance is through the south door through a staircase flanked by a balustrade highly decorated with nagas, demigods shaped like multi-headed snakes.

It is a kind of bridge and crossing it represents the passage from Earth to Heaven.

A curiosity is that, as we have already said, in Khmer compounds the main entrance is usually oriented towards the east, but in this case it is towards the south.

This south gate allows us to cross the wall and access the enclosure, an immense rectangle measuring 1030 by 565 meters.

Then comes into view the main sanctuary, prang 28 meters high, which is built with white sandstone, quite different in color from other structures in the complex.

It was restored after 20 years of work that has restored much of its original splendor.

It can be seen that it has a cruciform plan and a conical tower crowned by a stone lotus flower bud. All the prang It is full of reliefs.

At the southern entrance Shiva performs the dance that announces the end of the world and creation of a new order. This image, very powerful in the hindu religion, shows that this is the main entrance to the temple.

Other reliefs represent scenes from the Ramayana, many of them battles.

Other calmer images, such as those of Buddha protected by a Naga of seven heads, reflect the moment of change from the Hindu to the Buddhist faith.

to the right of prang main one, as you enter, there is another smaller one, built with red laterite. It is a later addition and is supposed to be the work of the king Jayavarman VII, from the 12th century.

Inside there is a seated king statue in a position very similar to those in Buddha in many performances. It is a copy since the original is saved in the Phimai National Museum.

In addition to the main venue, it is advisable to explore the city in search of other interesting places.

In said National Museum there is a good collection of statues and reliefs. Here you can see many of them better than if they had been put back in their original place, several meters high, on lintels and towers of the prang.

Other places to find on a walk through the city are Meru Bhramathat, chedi brick from the 18th century, and Pratu Chai, the best preserved gate in the wall. By crossing it you could follow the route to Angkor.

If you have a little time, you should go to Sai Ngam, The largest banyan tree in Thailand. It is located about four kilometers away.

Visiting hours for Phimai Historical Park

The Phimai Historical Park Visiting HoursIn Thailand, they are every day, between 8 am and 18 pm, and the ticket price is 100 THB (2,70 euros).