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, some five hundred kilometres west of Angkor in a straight line, 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 to look for

• 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 - some five hundred kilometres west of 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.

Before you go

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.

Key facts