Signage

The introductory sign for the small and remote site at the 11th century Prasat Ban Prasat

One of the most obvious areas where the Thai authorities have the edge over their Cambodian counterparts is the signage in and around the temple sites. Not only does every single site, however minor, have a main introductory sign giving its basic history, but at the larger sites like Phimai and Prasat Phnom Rung, there are individual signs below each significant lintel, pediment and structure. Though the indoor museum at Phimai was closed for my visit, the smaller but perfectly formed museum at Phnom Rung was open and displayed as much information as anyone would want about the site and its historical significance. The Thai Department of Fine Arts in charge of ancient sites has obviously had longer to organize itself but there's a few things that Apsara and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture can learn from their neighbours in the provision of information. It starts with the neatly presented ticket stubs, the colourful free 12-page pamphlets available in different languages and goes through to the signs at the temples that I mentioned above. In addition, each of the sites I visited was well-maintained and tidy, even the smaller sites way off the beaten track, and again, the road signage to each of these smaller sites was well developed and plentiful. I'm sure this is on the to-do list of the Khmer authorities and the sooner it materializes the better.

The ticket stubs for Phimai, Phnom Rung & Muang Tam and Prasat Ban Phluang & Prasat Sikhoraphum

The 12-page pamphlets for Phimai, Phnom Rung and Prasat Muang Tam

A sign showing the archaeological sites in the vicinity at the Phnom Rung museum

Kick off

Two obliging monks at Phimai

It's early Saturday morning and I'm off to work soon. I returned home yesterday afternoon feeling a bit snookered and after doing the chores, I had an early night after enjoying my usual Indian takeaway from the Mount Everest restaurant (on Sihanouk Boulevard if you have never been) - those guys know how to make a gorgeous welcome home meal. I'll kick off the Thailand photos from my Khmer temple-hopping adventures soon but there's nearly 1,000 pics so it'll take me a while to sort the wheat from the chaff. In the meantime, he's two obliging monks at Phimai, it was our first stop on our temple tour and where you get the first inkling that the Thais have really made an effort to beautify the temple sites, and have succeeded extremely well. There's an argument that the temples are more realistic if left in a more natural state but the Thais obviously don't agree and put a lot of time and effort into the upkeep of the trees and greenery around the temples, to complement the stonework.

Phimai makes the top 10

Just a very quick post as I'm in Khorat (or Korat) and I'm off for a shower and change of clothing after a hot and humid day visiting Phimai and Phanom Wan. Tim and I arrived in Bangkok just before midday yesterday and after some minor hassle we got a mini-bus to Korat, in the northeast region of Thailand. We bedded down at the San Sabai Hotel, which was clean and tidy enough, and had a steak dinner at Chez Andy, though there's a lot more to the day than I have time to tell you at the moment. First thing this morning, the driver we booked never showed so we spent a couple of hours arranging a new car and driver before finally heading out to Phimai. Incredibly clean and tidy, Phimai is a large temple complex built when the Khmers ruled most of the area that includes Isaan and southern Laos. Its Khmer influences are unmistakable. I'll post some photos when I get back to Phnom Penh in a few days. Suffice to say I was like a pig in shit, seeing this temple for the 1st time. It still retains a substantial amount of original carving alongside some additions added when the Thai authorities reconstructed the temple. It was busier than I expected with at least two groups of foreigners visiting the site, as well as a party of monks. My impression - I liked it, it was beautifully looked after, the lintels and carvings in situ were very good and it would likely make it into my top 10 Khmer temples. Next up was the Phimai National Museum until we found the gates locked with the closed sign hanging upside down. Undeterred, we legged it over the gates, smiled at the security guard and his dog and visited the open-air section of the museum, but couldn't persuade the guard to open up the indoor section. Well at least we saw some of the excellent collection of Khmer iconography on display. After lunch we headed back to Khorat, with a small detour to the quiet-as-a-mouse Phanom Wan which paled against its bigger neighbour. But a nice diversion nonetheless. Then it was back to Khorat, some bargaining with the car rental company for today's car and the next two days, and a welcome shower. Tomorrow Phanom Rung and Muang Tam are the highlights with an overnight stop in a swanky hotel in Surin at a rock-bottom price. I'm looking forward to it.