Almost a thousand years ago, the present-day Buriram area was part of the Khmer Empire. Many ruins from that time attest to the destruction. The most significant of them is on an extinct volcano and is protected in the Phanom Rung historical park. According to inscriptions found, Buriram's ruler recognized the hegemony of the Khmer Empire's emperor. Before the ascent of Bangkok, little was known about Buriram. In the early Bangkok Period, in the early 19th century, the town originally called Muang Pae, was renamed Buriram. Then it came under Thai rule. After administrative reforms in the late 19th century, Buriram was incorporated into Siam as a province.