Phanom Rung Historical Park, Thailand

About Phanom Rung

Phanom Rung Historical Park is located in Buriram Province in the Chalerm Prakiat District and the Tapek Sub-District. The sandstone and laterite Hindu temple dates back to the 10th to 13th centuries. The temple was originally dedicated to Shiva and built by the Khmers. Phanom Rung houses the largest and best restored Khmer monument in Thailand; it took 17 years to complete the restoration.

I lived in Buriram for two and a half years and the site holds a high esteem with the people of Buriram. I was consistently told by locals that the temple is rumoured to have been a prototype for the later built Angkor Wat in nearby Cambodia. It continues to be an off the beaten path destination in Thailand for foreigners but it’s an incredibly popular destination for Thai nationals.

If you have time to visit one attraction in Buriram, I highly suggest going. The site is generally busy with local tourists and the weekends are the busiest. An ideal time to visit would be before 10:00 am. The car parking lot has food and souvenir vendors. Nearby hotels are located in the town of Nang Rong.

Phanom Rung Festivals

Four times a year, the sun shines through all fifteen doorways of the temple. The dates are as follows:

Sunset on March 4-6 at approximately 5:58 pm.
Sunrise on April 1-5 at 5:56 am.
Sunrise on September 8 – 10 at 5:58 am.
Sunset on October 5 – 8 at 5:53 pm.

The park extends its hours during these times. Please note, the date and time of this natural phenomenon may change due to the seasons.¹ In leap years, the dates begin one day earlier.

Every year in April, during this natural phenomenon, the site hosts its “Walking up Phanom Rung Hill” festival.² The festival includes traditional ceremonies in addition to a light show and fireworks.

How to Get to Phanom Rung

Buses leaving from Buriram City are available at the main bus terminal. Take a bus to Tapek and wait for either a songtao to Phanom Rung or hire a motorcycle taxi. Should you take a motorcycle taxi, it’s recommended that you coordinate for them to wait for you during your visit as finding one to take you back may be difficult. Please note, songtaos run more frequently on weekends. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi for the entire day.

Hours: 6am – 6pm

Admission: 40 Baht