Map of Nang Rong ProvinceClick on any of the icons for more information.
Buriram province lies at the heart of the Korat plateau, between Nakorn Ratchasima and Surin provinces. There is not much to see, except for some of the most impressive Angkor era ruins in Thailand. The temple atop Phnom Rung hill is one of the largest and best preserved religious sites dating back to the tenth century.
The province remains somewhat 'remote' even to this day. It is not easy to get to the sights of the area, but for those with a keen interest in such things, it's well worth it. One thing worth emphasizing is that, if the ancient Khmer temples are your destination, you want to head to the town of Nang Rong, and not the provincial capital. One of the problems with the Thai practice of naming provinces after the biggest city in them is that it's easy to confuse the city with the province, and in the case of Buriram province, we're talking about an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers. Phnom Rung and Muang Tam may be in Buriram province but they're more than 60 kilometers from Buriram city.
There's little of interest in Buriram city for the typical traveler. Visitors to the province wanting to see Phnom Rung and the other Khmer sites are better off staying in Nang Rong.
There is an Isan cultural center located in the local university, but at last report it was operating on eratic hours. Like most provincial cities, Buriram hosts annual festivals but they are not as well known or popular as those in nearby provinces, such as Surin's elephant round-up or Ubon's candle festival.
Map of Nang Rong The old town of Nang Rong is the best place to base yourself for a visit to Phnom Rung, Muang Tam and the other sights of Buriram province. Phnom Rung is only about 20 kilometers from Nang Rong.
There's not much to the small city. There are a few places to stay, some reasonably good restaurants along the main highway and near the lake, and not much else.
The long low hill, the remains of a long-dormant volcano, rises up more than 200 meters from the broad flat plain of the Korat plateau. It's no wonder that the Khmer chose Phnom Rung ("Rung Hill") to build a temple dedicated to the supreme deity of Shiva. Prasat Hin Phnom Rung is arguably the most impressive Angkor era temple in Thailand.
Construction of the temple at Phnom Rung began in the tenth century and continued through the thirteenth century.
If Prasat Phnom Rung is meant to be the ethereal home of the gods in heaven, the temple of Muang Tam seems to serve a more earthly purpose. Inscriptions found call on the goddess of the waters to protect the temple, as well as dedications to the goddess of rice. The temple may well have been simply the place of worship for the local community that served the temple on the mountain, and the many pilgrims that came through to visit the important place.
