Wat Bon

Wat Bon is a pile of bricks and stone that was probably a Khmer prang. It has not be reconstructed or, as far as I can tell, even investigated. It is located in Phutsa, Nakhon Ratchasima.

I rode my bicycle to Ban Phutsa which is about 11K north of my house. This is the Lam Takhong River.

I asked some of the local residents what this place was called and they said, "Wat Bon". No idea how it got that name.

The pile consists of lots of bricks and hunks of sandstone.

I'm sure that the bigger pieces have been moved quite a bit.

Lots of recent stuff piled on top to show respect.

Wat Bon is a few hundred meters from the restored Khmer Prang at Wat Prang Torng.

Probably a support for a wooden post.

These people live in the neighborhood. They were kind enough to offer me ice water and a chair and to answer my questions.

These stone fragments are in a pile at nearby Wat Suriya Yen. The big stone in the upper photo was probably the top stone for the Wat Bon prang. The curved stone at the lower right was probably part of the support for the top stone. In the lower left is a Sema stone, probably added after the Khmer empire collapsed and local Buddhists began using the site as a place of worship.

This communal spirit house is located just outside of the grounds of Wat Prang Torng.

Prasat Ban Prang

Prasat Ban Prang is a recently reconstructed Khmer Prang (tower) in the Khong district of Nakhon Ratchasima. It is located about 60 kilometers north of Korat City.

We took a short cut on a bad road.

The prang sits in a very open space surrounded by a moat.

It has a weird brick porch appended, off-center, to the eastern side.

The entrance is on the east side, as usual. The prang is constructed of large sandstone blocks and some brick. There is no laterite stone. Some blocks were recreated to complete the reconstruction. No attempt was made at aging them.

The top stones were not included in the reconstruction, so the interior is open to the sky.

The weird off-center porch.

I have no idea what this is. Perhaps to support a post for a wooden portico.

The lintel is gone. Probably gracing the fireplace mantel of some rich guy in Chicago.

I think this is the top stone.

This ring of stones would have supported the top stone.

Many pieces left over.

Moat in the foreground.

This huge rectangular reservoir is adjacent to the prang. It was probably built by the Khmer. The current community has no need of such a huge pond.