Phanom Rung and Phimai: Fees, Hours, Khmer Temples

Phanom Rung and Phimai are the two great Khmer stone temples of northeast Thailand, and the Fine Arts Department runs both as historical parks. The short answer: Phanom Rung (Buriram) is open 06:00 to 18:00 and Phimai (Nakhon Ratchasima) 07:00 to 18:00, every day including public holidays, and each charges foreigners 100 baht and Thais 20 baht. Phanom Rung is the one to see for its hilltop setting and the sunrise alignment, Phimai is the easier one to reach, and if you have a car and two days you can do both.

We read the Department's own park pages on 2026-10-16. They are clear and agree with each other, but many blogs still print other numbers (40, 150 or 200 baht), so the table below shows the official figure and where it comes from.

Verified facts

We did not find an official fee for the separate national museum in Phimai town, so check its hours and price when you get there.

Phanom Rung: the temple on the volcano

According to the Fine Arts Department, the park sits on the top of an extinct volcano in Ta Pek subdistrict, Chaloem Phra Kiat district, Buriram. Inscriptions and ruins show people lived here from about the 10th century CE. The central sanctuary was built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple to Shiva, mirroring Mount Kailash, and later became a Buddhist site. Wikipedia gives the whole build as the 10th to 13th centuries and notes that the Department spent 17 years restoring it, from 1971 to 1988, when Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn opened the park on 21 May 1988.

What to see, in order:

1. The processional walkway. About 160 metres of laterite paving lined with seventy sandstone posts topped with lotus buds, according to the Department's and Wikipedia's descriptions.
2. The naga bridges and stairway. Five-headed naga balustrades mark the symbolic crossing from earth to heaven; lotus ponds sit beside the steps.
3. The central sanctuary. A cross-shaped tower with porches in all four directions. Look at the lintels and pediments over each door.
4. The Phra Narai lintel. Above the eastern doorway, a carving of Vishnu reclining on the cosmic serpent. It was taken from the site in the 1960s and turned up at the Art Institute of Chicago. After a public campaign it came home in November 1988 and went back in its place on 7 December 1988, per Wikipedia.
5. The libraries and Hindu-Buddhist details. Two later brick libraries stand inside the compound.

The sunrise alignment

Thai media quote the park head saying the sun lines up with the 15 doorways of the temple only four times a year: sunrise on about 3-5 April and 9-11 September, sunset on about 5-7 March and 6-8 October. In 2025 more than 200 people gathered on 5 April, and cloud blocked a full view, which is a reminder that the weather decides. The next sunset window is in March 2027. A festival around the April sunrise brings processions, so crowds are large; Thairath reports visitors waiting from 05:30, so arrive early and confirm the dates with Buriram province, because they are quoted from a news report, not from the Department's page.

Prasat Muang Tam

The combined 150 baht ticket also covers Prasat Muang Tam, a smaller Khmer temple at the foot of the mountain with a water-filled moat and four brick towers. It is cheap, takes about an hour and is worth adding if you are already there. Wikipedia notes that Phanom Rung, Muang Tam and the Plai Bat sanctuaries together were submitted to UNESCO in 2005 as a tentative World Heritage listing.

Phimai: the biggest Mahayana temple in Thailand

The Department's English page describes Phimai as a Mahayana Buddhist temple about 1,000 years old, at the centre of a walled town measuring 565 by 1,030 metres with the Mun River to the north and east. The name probably comes from "Vimaya" in a Khmer inscription dated 1108 CE. The big restoration ran from 1964 to 1969 as a joint project with the French government, using anastylosis (numbering each block and rebuilding it in its original place). The park opened officially on 12 April 1989.

Wikipedia adds that the temple faces Angkor and was linked to it by the ancient Khmer highway. Highlights:

1. The main prasat. The central sanctuary tower, with carved lintels around the doors.
2. The galleries and gates. Cloistered galleries and the southern gateway, with the inscription frame cited above.
3. Prang Brahmadat and Prang Hin Daeng. Smaller towers inside the compound.
4. Meru Brahmadat. A large brick monument in the town area, outside the sanctuary walls.
5. The old town walls and gates. You walk into the park through what remains of the ancient city.

Getting there

The booking box opens the 12Go Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) route page, which lists bus, train and taxi operators (we opened it in a browser on 16 October 2026). It covers transport to Korat city only, the easier base for Phimai; it does not reach Phanom Rung and sells no temple ticket. It is a partner link, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Compare getting around in Thailand getting around, and read the wider region in the Isaan travel guide and the Isaan hub. Khao Yai is the usual neighbour, see Khao Yai.

A simple two-day plan

1. Day 1: Train or bus to Korat, car or bus to Phimai, visit the park in the cool first hours, overnight in Phimai or Korat.
2. Day 2: Drive to Phanom Rung (check the day's distance on a map and leave early). See the temple, add Muang Tam, then continue to Buriram or return.

If you only have one day from Bangkok, the park nearer your route is the sensible choice; Phimai is easier without a car.

Dress code and manners

The park head asks for modest dress and no alcohol on site. Phanom Rung was a Hindu shrine and is still a place where Thais make offerings, so keep your voice low, do not climb on carvings and do not sit on the steps. The wider rules are in Thailand temple etiquette.

When to go

The cool dry season (November to February) is best for walking in the open. Phanom Rung has no shade on the stairs, so go at 06:00 any other time of year. April and September to October are the alignment periods. See Thailand best time by region.

Costs

Plan a whole trip budget with Thailand budget per day. If you want mobile data for the drive, see Thailand eSIM vs SIM.

Safety

• Heat. Carry water; there is little shade on the Phanom Rung stairs.
• Rural roads. Avoid night driving; see Thailand safety, scams and health.
• Border areas. Check current access for temples near the Cambodian border; these two parks are well inland.

FAQ

Prices, schedules and entry rules change. Figures here are approximate as of 2026; always confirm on the official or operator page before you book. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.