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Phimai Boat Races

Phimai Boat Races and Phimai festival 

             The annual Phimai Festival and Boat Race in Nakhon Ratchasima is a wonderful event. It attracts a lot of tourists to join every year. The highlight of the event is the traditional long-boat races which compete in a race that has been taking place here for many years. 

             Other attractions include light and sound presentation at the Phrommathat Ground of the Phimai Historical Park that will tell the story of the glorious period of King Jayavarman VII. There are also the Korat cat competition, Khon or classical Thai mask dance from the Fine Arts Department, a traditional arts and crafts fair, and other cultural performances

Phimai Historical Park

Phimai Historical Park

            The Phimai historical park (Thai: ปราสาทหินพิมาย) is Ancient Khmer complex temples which located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. As the enclosed area of 1020x580m is comparable with that of Angkor Wat, Prasat hin Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer empire. Most buildings are from the late 11th to the late 12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon and Angkor Wat style. However, even though the Khmer at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple,[1] as Buddhism in the Khorat area dated back to the 7th century. Inscriptions name the site Vimayapura (which means city of Vimaya), which developed into the Thai name Phimai.

How to get to Phimai historical park
Phimai historical park is located in the small town of Phimai in Nakhon Ratchasima province, almost 300 kilometers North East of Bangkok. To reach Phimai by public transportation involves several steps.
The first one is to get to Nakhon Ratchasima town. You can get there either by air conditioned bus from Bangkok’s Northern bus terminal Morchit or by train from Bangkok’s Hualamphong station which takes around 5 to 6 hours. Both have multiple connections with Nakhon Ratchasima every day. The second leg of the journey involves taking a local bus from Nakhon Ratchasima to Phimai which is about 60 kilometers. Buses leave multiple times per hour, the journey takes around 1 hour.




Opening hours & admission
Phimai historical park is open daily from 8 am until 6 pm. Admission is 100 Thai Baht per person. Phimai national museum is open daily from 9 am until 4 pm. Admission is 30 Baht per person.

Sai Ngam (Banyan Trees) In Pimai

Sai Ngam (Banyan Trees) In Pimai

           At Sai Ngam, the banyan trees cover an area of about 35,000 square feet and more than 350 years old. The aerial roots of the banyan tree have grown down into the soil to prop up the plant and those roots have turned into hard, woody stems that look like tree trunks. 

There are many banyan trees with branches and leaves twisted and are naturally woven as a big shed.

Inside the area people can walk and sit down to relax.

            A lot of tourists come during the weekend and there are food vendors, selling local foods and drinks. Also, there are many small shops selling souvenirs.

Next to the banyan tree there is a large pond with fish in it. At the nearby stalls, you can buy fish food to feed the fish or you can buy small

fishes to release into the pond.

Pra Suphan Kanlaya Shrine and Chao Mae Sai Ngam Shrine is the sacred shrine where people and visitors come to pray and respect all day.  The entrance to the banyan tree in Phimai town is free. The gates are closed at about 6pm.

Sai Ngam (Banyan Tree) The map

Tew Pai grilled duck

Location: 139/1 Phimai-Talad Khae Road, Phimai Subdistrict, Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

Details: Tew Pai grilled duck is the most restaurant one in Phimai district. There are grilled duck, papaya salad and more menu of Thai food with very good taste.

This restaurant opened about 19 years now. It called Tew Pai, because before there were so many Bamboos.

Tel:  044481033, 044287500,

Shopkeepers: Sithsak  and Nanyaphorn,  Che Not and Hea Due

 

Phai Mai National Museum

Phai Mai National Museum 

Phimai National Museum is located on Tha songkran Road nearby the Moon River, Nai Muang sub-district, Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima province. It takes about 300 metres from Prasat Hin Phiamia and about 59 kilometres from Muang district. This museum was opening ceremony of Phimai National Museum on August 4^th, 1993 by the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

This museum was open site museum, collecting art objects from Prasat Hin Phimai and its neighboring sites, and under the supervision of the Archaeology division.  

In addition, in 1975, it was sponsored by the Nationa Museums division and established to be the regional museum of the Lower Isan.  From 1989 to 1993 the Fine Arts department received a budget from the Royal Contribution Project or the Gree Isan Project to develop Phimai National Museum. The Permanent exhibition and its building, the museum office, auditoriu, study collection, storage area, guest house, and other facilities are now completed.

The museum is the center of cultural heritage in northeastern of Thailand, emphaxizing artifacts from the lower Isan, such as Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram, Surin and Sisa Ket. The interesting art objects belong to Davaravati Khmer art styles. The Davaravati style can be seen on Sima or boundary stone while the Khmer Style is evident in stone carving of lintels, pendiments, pillars and antefixs. The master piece of the museum collection is the stone status of King Jayavarman VII of Angkor Thom which was found in Prang Bhramadhatta, Prasat Phimai.  

Highlight Antique

King Jayavaraman ѴӀӀ

The last of the Great khmer kings. He built

Angkor Thom and the Bayon at Angkor,Cambodia.

Sandstone 13^th century A.D. discovered at Prang Bhramat,

 Prasat Phimai Nakhon Ratchasima province

Lintel depicting the churing of the ocean of milk

         Sandstone Angkor Wat Artstyle 12^th century A.D. from Prasat Ku Suan Taeng. Ban Mai Chaiya Phot, Buri Ram province.

Shell-Stone and glass Beads

Exhibition

Exhibitions are divided into three parts

         Part1: Second floor exhibition. This exhibition shows the development of communities in the lower part of northeast Thailand from prehistoric to recent periods.
        Part 2: Ground floor exhibition. This exhibition shows the archaeology and history of the town of Phimai. It includes the town environment, the construction of Prasat Phimai during the 11th - 13th centuries, and evidence of the flourishing religion, culture and economy of the time.
        Part 3: Outdoor exhibition. This displays sandstone objects used in the construction of Khmer temples such as Prasat Phimai. These include lintels, door columns, motifs, lotus bud-shaped crowns (the apex of the tower) and miniature tower.

Red Slopped and Burnished Pottery                                                          

2500-1500 years before present Excavated

from Ban Prasat, Nakhon Ratchasima province

Boundary Stone

Dvarati art (10^th-11^th century A.D) From Chaiyaphum.

How to get to the Phimai National Museum.

         From Nakhon Ratchasima, take State Highway No. 2 or Mitraphap Road (Nakhon Ratchasima - NongKhai). Turn right at the intersection at Talat Khae and proceed for another 10 kolometres. Cross the bridge over the Mun River and The Phimai National Museum will be on your left hand side.

Service 

Open: daily from 09:00am – 4:00pm

Admission fee: 30Baht

Services: Museum tour and bookshop

Tel: 044-471167

Doem Temple

Doem Temple

             

   

   

            Doem temple is an oldest temple in Phimai district archeologists believes that Doem temple may be as old as Phimai historical park. There are very important place because Doem temple was kept three principle of Buddha image that The Find Art Department decided to take the Buddha image off from the castle for the reason that many piece of antiques were steal. So, the find art department distribute The Buddha image to five temples around district there are Kao Pratuchai temple, Mai Pratuchai temple, Saploeing temples, Burapapimon temple and Doem temple. And Doem temple was collect to kept three principles Buddha image cause nearest the castle. And if some of you interesting to visit these beautiful Buddha image the temple was locate about 700 meters west from the castle between the backdoor of Phimai historical park and ghost door

Three principles Buddha image in Doem temple

  

The first Buddha image

      From interview some of native Phimai said they met only head of Buddha image in the castle (Phimai historical park). Then Luang Phakdikanthasima was found the new body of Buddha image and provided to live in Doem temple  

            “Vimai” or “Vimaya” is the name of Buddha image that native Phimai called. So, not strange if the name of Phimai district will slight different from this Buddha image. Because native Phimai very respect them

  

The second and third of Buddha image

  

This is another Buddha image that live with “Vimaya” Buddha image the name of they was called from theirs body it is “Red monk” and “Black monk”. There are as important as “Vimaya” monk. These Buddha image was also found in the castle. But in complete of body than “Vimaya” monk 

This three of Buddha image were very holy. Until many of people was came to respect them