Out and About Thailand: Kam Talay Soh

I cycled out to Kham Talay So village again to see if I could find anything new of historical interest. It now seems clear that some sort of Khmer structure was built at the site of Wat Kam Talay Soh about the 11th century. It was most certainly a Hindu structure. Buddhist elements were added about the 13th century after the fall of the Khmer empire.

On the way to Kam Talay Soh. This near Ban Tung Kradon

Pumping water from a can to a rice field

Lam Takhong River near Ban Tung Kradon

Sugar Palm trees line derelict canal. The road leads to Kam Talay Soh village.

Isaan Panorama

Kam Talay Soh village is the only one I've seen where pavers are used for the streets

Buddha image at Wat Kam Talay Soh

This new building will protect an old, wooden Ubosot (ordination hall).

The white walls are the new structure. The wooden poles are part of the old Ubosot; probably two or three hundred years old.

11th Century Buddha image. Part of a series.

These Buddha images probably would have adorned the top of a wall.

The wooden Buddha image on the left is very old. The gold images are recent.

The modern but clumsy concrete block work conceals a beautiful old brick altar.

New Buddha image seen through the window of the new building.

This stone was probably quarried and carved in the 11th century. It was probably the top landing of some steps leading to a Khmer Prang (tower) or other medium sized structure.

Pra Siwali - A venerated follower of Buddha

The center figure is possibly the Chinese god Lu

Fields of rice outside the wat

This hunk of sandstone below, located at Wat Kham Talay Soh, is a real mystery. It once contained an image of some sort, but what? Centuries of exposure to the elements has resulted in erosion and other wear. I hadn’t seen this stone on previous visits because it was used to store construction materials. The white stuff at the top is the remains of a sack of cement. The only real clues are the semi-circle of points at the lower left and twisted, organic-looking forms along the lower right.

I realize that this is a stretch, but it may be part of a bas relief frieze or lintel depicting Kala (Kirtimukha) the "swallowing monster"; quite common in the iconography of Southeast Asia. Compare with the better-preserved lintel below which is from Prast Hin Phimai in Korat (not my photo):

Kala, the swallowing monster is at the lower left in both images. Both images also contain the typical organic looking design elements (vines and flowers?) at the lower right.

Very old wooden Buddha image

This may be an ancient Khmer canal that has been repurposed as a pond. The original use may have been to move water from the Khmer reservoir at Bueng O to rice fields and villages further south.