Jayavarman VII
Statue of the greatest Khmer king.
Broichmore — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Broichmore — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Broichmore — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ddalbiez — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ddalbiez — CC BY-SA 3.0
A quiet, modern museum a few steps from Phimai temple, gathering the remains of the Khmer temples of southern Isan, north-east Thailand, so it completes and explains a visit to the temple. Its red-roofed buildings stand around a small lotus lake, with large stone pieces shown in the open air in the garden. Its most famous piece is a seated statue of King Jayavarman VII, the greatest Khmer king and builder of Angkor Thom, found at Phimai, alongside carved door lintels with scenes from Hindu and Buddhist myth, Buddha images from many periods, and prehistoric pottery from the region's early cultures. Labels are in Thai and English. The fee is about a hundred baht for foreigners, and it usually opens from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays like most Thai national museums, so plan your day. The halls are air-conditioned, a good break from the midday heat. Visit before or after the temple and allow an hour. Anyone who enjoys Khmer history will understand the temple better after seeing the original pieces here.
Statue of the greatest Khmer king.
Myths in stone.
Around the museum buildings.
North of Phimai Historical Park, Phimai town
Usually on Mondays and Tuesdays; the rest of the week it opens from about nine to four.
