Prasat Mueang Sing

Prasat Mueang Sing is a laterite Khmer sanctuary of the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, built under or shortly after Jayavarman VII, and its significance is geographical: it is the furthest west any Khmer temple has been found, roughly seven hundred kilometres from Angkor, on the Khwae Noi at what must have been the practical limit of the empire's reach toward the Burmese frontier. The site covers a walled city of around eighty hectares with earth ramparts and moats, of which the central sanctuary and one subsidiary structure have been excavated and partly restored. The style is Bayon-period Mahayana Buddhist, and a sculpture of Avalokiteshvara found here is among the finds displayed on site. A prehistoric burial ground within the walls, predating the Khmer occupation by a long period, has also been excavated and skeletons are displayed in situ. The site is open, unshaded and quiet.

What you actually see

• The central sanctuary - laterite Khmer construction, Bayon period.
• The walled city - eighty hectares of ramparts and moats around it.
• The prehistoric burials - skeletons excavated in situ, far older than the temple.
• The distance - seven hundred kilometres from Angkor, the westernmost known.

When to go

November to February, early or late - the site is open ground with almost no shade. Two hours covers the sanctuary, the burials and the walls.

Honest expectations

Only a small part of the walled city is excavated; most is grass and earthworks. Almost no shade. Ticketed with a higher foreign rate. English interpretation is limited.

Nearby

Sai Yok National Park is north-west; Kanchanaburi and the Death Railway sites are east.