Prasat Muang Sing is a unique temple is quite unlike anything you’ll find in the historical cities of Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and Chiang Saen (Chiang Rai).
Hidden deep in the jungle of Kanchanaburi province stands an ancient Khmer style temple. Imagine those iconic scenes of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, scale it down, remove the crowd, and much of the overgrowth. Then you’re left with Prasat Muang Sing.
Even if you think you’ve visited plenty of temples around Thailand, I still highly recommend visiting the Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park.
History of Prasat Muang Sing
The temples at Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park were originally built somewhere between the 12th and 14th century, during the Lopburi Period while under the influence of the Khmer Empire.
The location of Prasat Muang Sing importantly indicates the westernmost influence of the ancient Khmer Empire.
For centuries the entire temple complex lay hidden below thick jungle overgrowth. While known of by historians in the early 20th century, it was only uncovered from the jungle in 1916 when railway line works were ongoing between Bangkok and Nam Tok stations.
To this day, the temple remains an off-the-beaten-track destination to visit. Certainly, a spot that most visitors to Kanchanaburi miss.
Exploring the temple grounds is very peaceful. Unlike visiting Ayutthaya’s temples or Bangkok’s temples, you’ll hardly even find a handful of visitors here. Definitely no tour buses.
Points of significance within the temple
There are 4 key monuments within the temple to be aware of.
- main building complex including walls, gates and the radiating Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara statue
- smaller building complex which has mostly been destroyed over time
- ruins of a further two smaller ancient buildings
Separate from the temple you’ll find a prehistoric burial site, which is thousands of years old and proves very early human existence in the area. Settlements dating back way before Thai and Khmer Kingdoms were even concieved.
I suggest allowing two hours to thoroughly explore the Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park. You’ll find lots of information explaining the history behind the temple and the burial sites mentioned here which is worth reading.
Where is Prasat Muang Sing located?
Prasat Muang Sing is located in the Kanchanaburi’s western Sai Yok district. It’s a roughly 50km drive from the town centre of Kanchanaburi, and halfway to the Saiyok National Park.
This is the exact Google Map location for the temple grounds, in case you’re driving there as I did.
How do you get to Prasat Muang Sing?
The best way of getting to Prasat Muang Sing is by renting a car or chartering a songtaew.
These remote parts of Kanchanaburi lack public transport, so they’re really only accessible by private transport. To date, I’m not aware of any tours visiting the temple either.
Chartering a songtaew will cost around 1000 THB (USD 40) for a full day. You can split this between a group of 6-8 people to reduce the cost per person if on a budget. It’s also worth combining this trip with other nearby attractions like Hellfire Pass, and the Sai Yok National Park.
Personally, I drove to Prasat Muang Sing and stayed in nearby Sai Yok for 4 days. You can rent cars in Bangkok for under $40 per day, which gives you the flexibility to explore much more of the rural Kanchanaburi too.
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Accommodation in Nearby Saiyok
Saiyok is a great place to spend the weekend. It is one of my favorite places to visit nearby Bangkok.
There are nice boutique hotels and resorts around the area, where you can spend a night by the river, completely surrounded by the jungle.
Only a 10-minute drive from Prasat Muang Sing you’ll find the Tanyan Resort and Spa with raft houses right on the River Kwai Noi. For just 1200 THB per night, you can get yourself a comfortable double bed raft house.
Nearby Destinations in Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi and Sangkhlaburi both have lots of great attractions to visit. Some of these are well known, while many others are well off the beaten tourist trail.
- The waterfalls at the Erawan National Park are one of the most iconic attractions in Kanchanaburi. It’s either a full day trip from Bangkok, or certainly worth a half day from Kanchanaburi itself.
- Jungle trekking to Kratengjeng Waterfall is a great way to get really off the beaten track. It’s located halfway between Kanchanaburi and Sangkhlaburi with a discreet signpost and national park gate.
- Way our west near Myanmar you’ll find the impressive Mon Wooden Bridge in Sangkhlaburi. It’s definitely worth spending a couple of nights out here to explore this lesser seen part of Thailand.
