Home Destinations Asia Thailand Isan Sights Prasat Khao Phra Wihan

Prasat Khao Phra Wihan Review

Read our Isan sights reviews. Or post your own.

Prasat Khao Phra Wihan

Address: Khao Phra Wihan National Park, Hwy. 221, Kantharalak District, Jangwat Si Saket, Prasat Khao Phra Wihan, 33110
Phone: 045/816071
www.dnp.go.th

Category: Religious Sites
Location: Prasat Khao Phra Wihan

Write a review

Fodor's Review:

It's not only the ruins of Khao Phra Wihan that make this a must-visit, but also the ruins' beautiful, remote, and eerie location, as well as the interesting history of the spot, both ancient and recent. The 1963 resolution of a contentious territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, the World Court awarded these spectacular mountaintop Khmer ruins to Cambodia. Ironically, however, even after the border was redefined, the temple, which sits on a cliff high above the rest of Cambodia, could only be accessed from a Thai road. The site later became a Khmer Rouge stronghold, and even after the Cambodian government opened the ruins again in the early 1990s, access to the area was only intermittent until the fall of Pol Pot in 1998. In 2008, protests broke out over the wording and monitoring of the UNESCO treaty between the two countries, and Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on the border, killing several soldiers. At this writing, though there have not been further outbreaks of violence, the ruins are closed, but signs point to the dispute being resolved soon. Check with the TAT before venturing out.

The long period of neglect now forms part of Khao Phra Wihan's unique allure. Admire the ornate 12th-century Khmer lintels in red laterite honoring Shiva and other Hindu icons, and you will revel in the fact that the temples have for the most part not been reconstructed. As you wander through the temple complex, which proudly stretches along a misty bluff for more than a kilometer, you'll step over column fragments that seem to have crumbled only days earlier.

Aside from the steep entrance fee, crossing the border into Cambodia presents no obstacles other than showing your passport at a checkpoint. They won't stamp it, as no visa is required to make this trip. You'll leave your car at the Thai side of the checkpoint, which has a basic information booth, restrooms, and such, then walk across the border for about a kilometer along a paved road. The road gives way to an area of lavalike sandstone before descending into a large market area where fried bananas, drinks, and replicas of brand-name consumer products (from watches to cigarettes) are sold. The ruins are spread over four levels, with the access to the first level having the steepest ascent (after this the going gets a little easier). You pass gopura (gateways) and naga-lined terraces on your ascent through this compound, which was adapted to suit the landscape, utilizing the natural bedrock of the mountain to form the base of causeways and courtyards. The principal temple structure is on the steepest level, perched on a cliff that plunges into thick rain forest. It's a long climb to the top, but the effort is rewarded with a truly breathtaking view of the jungle beyond. On a clear day you can see not just Cambodia and Thailand but also Laos.

You'll also see some grim reminders of the Khmer Rouge regime that killed 1.7 million people over the course of two horrific decades in Cambodia. A cannon that was once used by Khmer Rouge guerrillas to patrol the jungle from the cliff top is still relatively intact; behind its shield, you can operate a crank that raises and lowers the barrel. Minefields in the brush outside the temple area have been cleared through French efforts, but it's still not a good idea to wander in the unmarked areas outside the site itself and its access paths.

Cost: B400
Open: Daily 7:30-4:30, last entry at 3PM

Find more sights in Isan »