Whether you’re planning a short sojourn in Siam or an extended expedition, there are plenty of ancient Thailand temples offering a glimpse into the nation’s storied history awaiting your exploration. From the UNESCO-listed ruins of Ayutthaya, a stone’s throw from Bangkok, to the vertigo-inducing wooden walkways of Wat Phu Tok, close to where the mighty Mekong forms a watery border with neighbouring Laos, there are plenty of temple ruins in Thailand.
Depending on the length of your stay and your planned itinerary, you shouldn’t have too much trouble planning an excursion to take in one or more of the best ancient temples in Thailand. Ruins dating from different periods dot the country’s landscape, and we’re going to highlight the best ones to enjoy on your next Thailand adventure.
The Story Behind Thailand’s Ruins
Thailand boasts a rich and varied history, and though it proudly claims to have never been colonised; the rise and fall of different kingdoms allow us to roughly divide the nation’s past into different periods. Its borders have been fluid – both literally and figuratively – throughout history, and this fact, together with the kingdom’s shifting capital city and other influences, affected the design and location of its temples.
Before the rise of strong Thai kingdoms, the Khmer Empire, for example, controlled vast territories that included parts of present-day Thailand. The Khmer Empire, centred in present-day Cambodia, exerted significant influence over much of modern Thailand, especially its central and northeastern regions, for several centuries. Many impressive ruins, particularly in areas like Phimai and Phanom Rung, are a legacy of the Khmer.
The Sukhothai Kingdom emerged from under Khmer influence and is seen as the beginnings of modern Thailand. This period is known for its distinctive art style and the development of the Thai alphabet. It also brought a flourishing of Theravada Buddhism, and there are several ancient ruins to visit from this era. Modern Sukhothai is around 400 km north of Bangkok.
The Lanna Kingdom was an independent kingdom built up around Chiang Mai. As a culturally distinct kingdom, it developed its own language and style of art and architecture. It was eventually incorporated into Siam, and visitors to northern Thailand can visit ruins in the Lanna style in and around Chiang Mai.
The Ayutthaya Kingdom emerged when the Thai king moved the capital farther south. The move was due, in part, to escape a smallpox outbreak, but the city is also strategically placed at the confluence of three rivers. Ayutthaya is located a short distance from Bangkok, and its UNESCO-listed temples are some of the most accessible and best ruins in Thailand.
Top 12 Ancient Thailand Temples & Ruins
Thailand’s UNESCO Heritage Ruins and Temples
1. The ruins of the ancient temples of Ayutthaya
Location: Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Central Thailand
Built: 1324 – 1710
Style: Mainly Ayutthaya Kingdom architecture
Highlight: The Buddha head entwined within the roots of a banyan tree at Wat Mahathat.
Ayutthaya was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351, though the region had been occupied by the Khmers in previous centuries. As the old city served as the capital of the Siamese kingdom for over 400 years, there are several ancient temples and ruins to visit in what is now Ayutthaya Historical Park. Much of the park is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s easily accessed from Bangkok by either road or river. Some temples predate the Ayutthaya Kingdom, some were destroyed by the Burmese during the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and some temples have been restored in the 19th and 20th centuries.
2. Sukhothai ancient temples ruins
Location: Sukhothai Thani, Sukhothai Province, Northern Thailand
Built: Mainly in the 13th and 14th centuries
Style: Sukhothai Kingdom
Highlight: Wat Mahathat
Sukhothai Historical Park lies a short distance from Sukhothai Thani, the capital of Sukhothai province in the lower reaches of northern Thailand. The UNESCO-listed park contains some of the best ruins in Thailand, with over 30 ancient temples. In Thailand you will find more than one Wat Mahathat – there’s one in the Ayutthaya Historical Park too – and the Sukhothai one is also the star of the show. Meaning ‘temple of the great relic’, Wat Mahathat features a main chedi shaped like a lotus, a photogenic seated Buddha statue, and sculptings of walking Buddhist disciples.
3. Si Satchanalai Historical Park
Location: Sukhothai Thani, Sukhothai Province, Northern Thailand
Built: Late 12th to 14th centuries
Style: Khmer Empire & Sukhothai Kingdom
Highlight: Wat Chang Lom’s elephant sculptures
Si Satchanalai Historical Park is only an hour’s drive from Sukhothai Historical Park, and it is also UNESCO listed. The area was under Khmer rule until 1239, after which it became an important part of the Sukhothai Kingdom. Khmer-influenced Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat is seen as the biggest and most important historic temple at Si Satchanalai, but the park is home to plenty more temple ruins. In Thailand elephants are always crowd-pleasers, and the 39 elephant sculptures that surround the bell-shaped stupa at 14th-century Wat Chang Lom never disappoint.
4. Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park
Location: Kamphaeng Phet, Kamphaeng Phet province, Central Thailand
Built: Mainly 15th and 16th centuries
Style: A mix of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya styles
Highlight: Reclining Buddha statue at Wat Phra Kaeo
Also a short trip from Sukhothai Thani, Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is the third great reason for anyone looking to explore ancient temples in Thailand to head to Sukhothai province. Kamphaeng Phet is immediately below Sukhothai, and the boundary between the two provinces can be seen as the divide between northern and central Thailand. The park’s temples were built during the Sukhothai and early Ayutthaya periods, and a blend of styles is on show. There are several temple ruins to explore, with the statue of the reclining Buddha at Wat Phra Kaeo among the impressive sights.
Echoes of Angkor: Khmer Ruins in Thailand
5. Ancient Phimai historical Khmer temple ruins
Location: Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Isan
Built: 11th to 13th centuries
Style: Khmer Empire
Highlight: The white-sandstone Prang Phimai
Phimai Historical Park boasts some of the finest examples of Khmer ruins in Thailand. The temple of Prasat Hin Phimai bears a resemblance to the picture of Angkor Wat that features on the Cambodian flag, but visitors here are much more likely to be rewarded with photographs without the crowds. The temple has Buddhist and Hindu influences, reflecting the religious transition of the Khmer Empire, and it was built orientated towards Angkor Wat.
6. Phanom Rung Historical Park
Location: Ta Pek, Buriram province, Isan
Built: Between the 10th and 13th centuries
Style: Khmer Empire
Highlight: The dramatic volcano-top setting
Phanom Rung Historical Park is situated on the rim of an extinct volcano in Buriram province, not too far from the present day’s Thai-Cambodian border. The ancient Hindu temple complex, dedicated to Lord Shiva, was built over several phases from the 10th to the 13th centuries. The temple’s volcano-top setting symbolises Mount Kailash, Shiva’s heavenly abode, and the stairway up to the pink-sandstone central prang (402m elevation) represents the connection between the earthly and heavenly realms.
7. Prasat Muang Tam – The Water Temple
Location: Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province, Isan
Built: Late-10th and early-11th centuries
Style: Hindu Khmer style
Highlight: The water features at the corners of the inner sanctuary
Isan, or northeastern Thailand, is the best place to see Khmer ruins in Thailand. Prasat Muang Tam is another fine example, and it is also in Buriram province. As with some of the other ancient temples in Thailand, the exact dates are uncertain, as the ruins show a combination of different styles. Prasat Muang Tam combines two different Khmer styles of architecture: the Khleang and Baphuon styles. It was also built as a Hindu temple, and its most striking feature is the presence of four L-shaped ponds at each of the four corners of the inner enclosure, filled with water lilies.
Lanna’s Ancient Temples of the North
8. Wat Chedi Luang
Location: Old City, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Built: 1391-1441 (Lanna Kingdom period)
Style: Classical Lanna architecture .
Highlight: Massive ruined chedi (once 80+ meters tall)
The name Wat Chedi Luang can be translated as “temple of the big stupa”. The temple sits in the old town of Chiang Mai and is famed for its huge stupa (also known as a chedi in Thailand). Unfortunately, the original 82m tall stupa collapsed following an earthquake in 1545. It was rebuilt with help from UNESCO and the Japanese government at the end of the last century, but the results are not universally acclaimed. This is mainly due to the new stupa being in a Central-Thai style rather than the original Lanna style. The temple was also once home to an Emerald Buddha, but it was moved to Luang Prabang in 1551. A copy of the original Emerald Buddha was installed in the temple in 1995.
9. Wat Phra That Lampang Luang
Location: Lampang, Lampang province, northern Thailand
Built: 15th century
Style: Classic Lanna style
Highlight: The large, bell-shaped chedi, said to house a hair relic of the Buddha
Of all the ancient Thailand temples, many see Wat Phra That Lampang Luang as being the finest example of Lanna-style architecture. It is also praised for its sombre atmosphere, as it’s a little off the beaten tourist tracks and is less visited than temples in and around the bigger cities. Lampang province sits between Chiang Mai province and Sukhothai province, and its temples are ideal for those looking for an authentic Thai experience. Wat Phra That Lampang Luang also features an ornate entrance, and you can also see bullet holes in the railings, which are said to have been fired by Thai folk hero Nan Thipchang.
10. Wat Lai Hin Luang
Location: Ko Kha, Lampang province, northern Thailand
Built: circa 1471
Style: Lanna-style architecture
Highlight: The intricate carvings in the wooden structures
Also in Lampang, Wat Lai Hin Luang is another impressive example of classic Lanna-style temple building. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but it is believed to date from around 1471 with additions and renovations at later dates. As with nearby Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, Wat Lai Hin Luang offers a peaceful and authentic temple experience away from the madding crowds. The viharn (main assembly hall) has a slightly bent, multi-tiered roof and is much praised for its intricate carvings.
Iconic and Hidden Temples: Offbeat Thailand Ruins
11. Phra Pathom Chedi
Location: Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Pathom province, Central Thailand
Built: circa 4th century
Style: Dvaravati style
Highlight: It’s one of the oldest religious sites in Thailand
This impressive chedi is 50 metres tall, and while there’s no precise historical record of its original construction, archaeological findings suggest that Phra Pathon Chedi dates back as far as the 4th century. Historians suggest the chedi was a principal place of worship in ancient Nakhon Pathom, which was the largest settlement of the Dvaravati culture. Visitors can also make the short trip to the chedi’s neighbour, Phra Pathommachedi, which is the second-tallest stupa in the world, reaching just over 120 metres.
12. Wat Phu Tok
Location: Na Saeng, Bueng Kan province, Isan
Built: 1969 – 1974
Style: n/a
Highlight: Its unique location, carved into a ‘lonely mountain’
Phu Thok means “lonely mountain” in the local Isan dialect, and the 359 m high hill rises from the flat surrounding terrain. The temple is truly unique, and its construction was due to a monk called Luang Pu Juan. It was not built in any particular style, per se; its form was shaped by the mountain. There are seven levels to the temple, which represent the seven levels of meditation in Buddhism. The levels are linked by precarious wooden walkways, and vertigo sufferers may not be over enamoured with the idea of reaching the top level. The sixth level is said to be the most rewarding, but be aware that around half the floor space here is made up of wooden planks anchored to the mountainside. How high will you go?
Explore the Map: Ancient Thailand Temples & Ruins
If your Thai geography is not up to scratch, you can use our Ancient Thailand Temples map to help figure out where each of the temples are in relation to one another. Thailand is roughly divided up into four broad sections: Central Thailand (think Bangkok), Southern Thailand (think beaches), Northern Thailand (think Chiang Mai), and Isan (also referred to as Northeastern Thailand). And if you’re looking for a ready-made Thai adventure that takes in a number of the temples above, the best of Bangkok, and some southern sun, check out our Incredible Thailand itinerary and leave the geography to us…
