• Introduction
• First Stop: Cambodia
• Second Stop: Thailand
• Seeing More of Southeast Asia
• Making it Happen

Second Stop: Thailand

Thailand has more than 2,000 Khmer ruins, including some spectacular hilltop sites along the Dangrek Mountains forming the border with Cambodia. One of these temples is believed to have inspired Angkor Wat, and the Classical Era (11th to 12th century) carvings at others rival those of the Angkor structures. Stepping out among these archaeological sites you’ll have an entirely different experience: Instead of tourists, you’ll find a few local families having lunch or sometimes no one at all.

Road conditions and tricky border relations make driving to Thailand from the Angkor region pretty much impossible. But it’s easy to arrange a car and driver from Bangkok (and the ambitious can pack in a side trip to Ayutthaya, the Thai capital during the Khmer Empire’s decline). Highway conditions are excellent along the 136-mile route to Nakhon Ratchasima, also called Khorat, northeast Thailand’s largest city and a gateway to the region.

Scholars believe the dynasty of King Jayavarman VI originated in this area (Suryavarman II, the builder of Angkor Wat, was a descendent), which may account for the many temples, including the lovely early 11th-century Prasat Phimai at the end of the Royal Road from Angkor Thom. Today, it’s about an hour’s drive northeast of Khorat, near the Mun River. Some say Prasat Phimai was the model for Angkor Wat, but it’s unique in its use of contrasting layers of white and red sandstone, and the sanctuary is surrounded by galleries of bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Ramayana, a Hindu epic. 

The magnificent temple Prasat Phnom Rung is 70 miles southeast of Khorat. Once serving as the halfway mark on the Royal Road, it occupies a peak (phnom is Khmer for hill), with sweeping views of the Khorat plateau and the Cambodian plain to the south. Here you’ll find carvings from the height of the Khmer Empire’s Classical Era. The approach to the temple is awe-inspiring: Long causeways lead to five sets of stairways lined by nagas. Like Angkor Wat, the main sanctuary is tiered with multi-headed guardian nagas and antefixes. 

A few miles away, at Prasat Muang Tam, see full moats and ponds – features that have silted over or disappeared from most other temples. Four lotus-filled ponds lie inside the walled temple, each with a surround carved like the body of a rearing naga. Much of Prasat Muang Tam leans crazily, and the temple has none of the majesty or intricate decoration of Prasat Phnom Rung, but it’s still very beautiful.

One of the most alluring temples, Preah Vihear, was closed to visitors until recently while the Thai and Cambodian governments argued over ownership (a situation exacerbated by UNESCO’s naming it a World Heritage Site). Limited visits are now allowed. Another haunting treasure, Ta Muen Thom, on the lowland border, remains under dispute. Both temples have been wantonly looted and are pocked with bullets from 20th-century wars.

As daunting as this two-pronged journey may sound, taking a detour from our tumultuous world and being able to stand before these elegant stone temples, silent amid tropical forests, is a gift. 

See Bangkok Travel Guide | See Hanoi Travel GuideSee Angkor Travel Guide