Rating: 4.4/5 (5 votes)

Opening Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08:00 – 17:00

 

Ban Noi Sanctuary, Sa Kaeo Province is located in Moo 4, Phak Kha Subdistrict, Watthana Nakhon District, Sa Kaeo. This Khmer-style monument reflects the artistic influences and ritual practices of ancient communities along Thailand’s eastern frontier. Key features include a double enclosure with an outer earthen rampart and an ancient moat (now silted), plus an inner area comprising the main prang, a library (banalai), and a rectangular ritual pond lined with laterite steps on all four sides.

 

The site plan orients the sanctuary to the east in line with Khmer cosmology. There is a single entrance pavilion (gopura) on the eastern side. Inside the gopura, the space is divided into three rooms: one each to the north and south, with the central chamber serving as the ritual axis.

 

The outer enclosure is an earthen wall measuring roughly 81 meters wide by 58 meters long, with traces of a surrounding moat beyond the berm. The inner enclosure is built of laterite to about 2.20 meters high, demarcating the sacred precinct.

 

At the center stands the main prang on a laterite base about 1 meter high. Remnants of brick walling survive on the north and south sides above the base. In front of the prang lies a laterite element in the shape of a “winged crescent step,” likely the stair landing to the prang entrance.

 

Northeast of the inner enclosure sits a pond measuring approximately 15.50 by 20.50 meters. Its rim is lined with laterite steps on all four sides. Water remains in many seasons, indicating the pond’s role in ritual practice and as a community water source.

 

In the southeast corner within the inner enclosure is a laterite building about 4.50 × 9 meters, presumed to be a library (banalai). Although the western doorway and some wall sections have collapsed, its position corresponds with typical Khmer sanctuary layouts.

 

Evidence of illicit digging has left a large pit and piles of brick debris behind the inner wall. About 500 meters to the northwest of the sanctuary lies another mound with numerous laterite blocks, believed to be an ancillary structure or a contemporary settlement area.

 

Overall, the materials and layout (east gopura – library – ritual pond – inner enclosure) align with late-period Khmer religious architecture, characterized by extensive use of laterite with brick and a clearly defined sacred compound.

 

Access is via Highway 33 (Watthana Nakhon – Aranyaprathet). From Watthana Nakhon, drive about 10 km; roughly 800 m before the Phak Kha Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO), turn left at the sign and continue on a laterite/gravel road for about 2 km. The road is rather narrow; drive slowly, especially in the rainy season.

 

Visiting etiquette: dress modestly; respect the archaeological area; do not climb or remove laterite or brick elements; avoid walking on the architectural bases; and carry out all trash to help preserve this community heritage.

 

Getting There Take Highway 33 (Watthana Nakhon – Aranyaprathet). From Watthana Nakhon, drive about 10 km. Around 800 m before the Phak Kha SAO office, turn left at the “Ban Noi Sanctuary” sign and continue on a laterite/gravel road for about 2 km. The road is narrow and may be slippery during the rainy season.