Don Tuan Khmer Ruins

Perching on a cliff of the Phanom Dong Rak mountain ranges, Don Tuan Khmer Ruins is at Ban Phum Sron, Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket province. It is located not far from Thai-Cambodian borderline and 38 kilometers away from Kantharalak downtown. It is very convenient to get there because there is an asphalt road and parking spaces. To make the most of your visit to any attractions, local myths or legends should not be neglected as they offer a mean by which you can truly appreciate the destination. Speaking about myth, there was a very attractive woman who suffered from oversized bosoms. She had to use gold necklaces to support them. After her story spread to the Khmer Kingdom, the Khmer King demanded that the woman be taken to his palace. Ta Leng, whose hometown is similar to that unfortunate woman, tried to block the seizure and got into the fight with the King’s soldiers. He was killed and his body was left in the forest where Don Tuan Khmer Ruins is located. Prang Don Tuan Khmer Ruins is a small Khmer sanctuary amidst assorted big and small trees. It was built in the 15th or 16th Buddhist Century. The floor plan is a square shape of which the equal width and length of 7 meters. Its 4 corners are indented and the sanctuary faces west. A close observation reveals that the lower body was made of laterite, while the upper body relied on brickwork. In the front stand 4 sandstone pillars. Archeologists assume that these pillars were built to support the mandapa roof. Just a little further there are 4 sandstone pillars which seem to be “Gopura” (or arched gate). In the southeast side of the pagoda, pieces of sandstone laying in a rectangular shape were discovered. It was estimated that they were the floor of “Bannalai” (assembly hall). The pond, an essential element of the sanctuary, was found 400 meters away and currently looks like a ridge. Contact: tel. 04451 4447