Nang Rong is simply the nearest town and the most conveniet base to the Phanom Rung Historical Park and can therefore be a convenient place to stay for one wishing to visit Phanom Rung. That said, the fact that Nang Rong does not experience any tourism and is simply a perfectly normal Thai town makes it an interesting place to stay to experience the “real” Thailand. A full range of services and a good selection of hotels make it a friendly and comfortable one.

The largest and best-restored Khmer monument in Thailand, Phanom Rung has a knock-me-dead location. Crowning the summit of a spent volcano (the name is derived from the Khmer words for ‘big mountain’), this sanctuary sits 200m above the paddy fields, and the Dangrek Mountains on the Cambodian border are clearly visible to the southeast. The temple was erected between the 10th and 13th centuries, the bulk of it during the reign of King Suriyavarman II (r AD 1113–50), which was the apex of Angkor architecture.

Attraction Details :

This is a grand and majestic Khmer site over a thousand years old. Built on an extinct volcano, it is originally a Hindu religious site and later became a Buddhist one. During the 15th-18th Buddhist century, several additions were made.
The first thing visitors see when they arrive at the site is the grand stairway from the foot of the hill up to the top. Most of the buildings of the sanctuary are made of laterite and sandstone, all with elaborate designs. The buildings are lined all the way to the main pagoda. This layout is according to Hindu belief of the layout of the heaven of the god Shiva.The main pagoda is a large one with a square base and facing east. The designs on the pagoda, columns, doorway, and lintels are exquisite, most telling a story of gods in Hinduism. From these designs and the architecture, it is surmised that the pagoda, the stairway and the Naga bridge were built during the 17th Buddhist century. Each building has descriptive designs telling people the purpose for its construction, its usefulness and the beliefs of ancient people.

The complex faces east and four times a year the sun shines through all 15-sanctuary doorways. The correct solar alignment happens during sunrise from 3 to 5 April and 8 to 10 September and sunset from 5 to 7 March and 5 to 7 October (some years are one day earlier.). The park extends its hours during these events, and locals celebrate the Phanom Rung Festival, around the April alignment, with ancient Brahmin ceremonies and modern sound-and-light shows. Camping is allowed during this time. Below the main sanctuary, after the long row of gift shops, an information center houses artefacts found at the site and displays about both the construction and restoration, which took 17 years. You can pick up a free informative brochure or arrange a guide (free, but tips are expected) here. Those who don’t want to climb can use an upper parking lot, but the brochure isn’t always available there.

Getting to Phanom Rung by car is easy. Visitors can proceed from Nang Rong to Prakhon Chai (Highway No. 24) and upon reaching Ban Tako, there is a 12-kilometer road to Phanom Rung. From Ban Tako, a motorcycle service is available to take visitors to the site (fare according to agreement).

Phanom Rung is located about 28 km south-east of Nang Rong which takes about 30 min to get there.

Is open daily from 06.00-18.00 hrs.



Admission fee is 100 Baht.