Visit Phimai National Museum (Phimai)

Opened in 1964 under the supervision of the Archaeological Division, the Phimai Museum began as an open museum, collecting artifacts from Prasat Phimai, the city's Khmer temple and its surrounding sites. In 1975, it was supervised by the Thailand National Museums Division and became the Lower Isan Regional Museum. It traces the history of the city back to the time when the region was part of the Khmer Empire with archaeological evidence: statues, temple lintels, old clay pottery, ancient stone and bronze tools... The objects and statues on display belong to the Dvaravati and Khmer styles. The centrepiece of the museum's collection is the stone statue of King Jayavarman VII. In my opinion, it is a must to know the historical context before visiting the Khmer temple which is not very far.