Phimai National Museum
Phimai National Museum was established in 1964 as an open air museum. Most of the artefacts on exhibit come from the excavation and restoration of archaeological sites in the lower part of the northeastern Thailand including Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buriram, Surin and Si Sa Ket. In 1989, the Department of Fine Arts upgraded the Phimai National Museum to meet accepted standards of a national museum and work was completed in 1993. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn officially opened the Phimai National Museum on
the 9th August 1993.
The Phimai national museum displays a large number of artifacts from various sites in the lower region of North East Thailand. The museum exhibits many items from nearby PrasatHinPhimai, including wonderfully sculpted lintels and a statue of Jayavarman VII, who was King of the Khmer empire during the end of the 12th century. The statue was discovered in one of Phimai’s prangs. The museum also has items on display from nearby Ban Prasat archeological site that was inhabited up to 3,000 years ago, including ceramic pottery
In the 1960's and '70's the museum site largely served as a storage warehouse for artifacts found in archaeological excavation and restoration efforts in the region. In 1987, the Department of Fine Arts allocated 40,000,000 baht to create the museum space that exists today. The resulting site is a nice break from the mostly outdoor attractions that Phimai offers and paints a fuller picture of Khmer culture than you'll get at the ruins alone.
Exhibitions:
Part 1 : Second Floor Exhibition. This exhibition shows the development of communities in the lower part of northeast Thailand from prehistoric to recent periods.
Part 2 : Ground Floor Exhibition. This exhibition shows the archaeology and history of Phimai town. It includes the town environment, the construction of Prasat Phimai during the11th to 13th centuries, and evidence of the flourishing religion, culture and economy of that time.
Part 3 : Outdoor Exhibition. This displays sandstone objects used in the construction of Khmer temples such as Prasat Phimai. These include lintels, door columns, motifs, lotus bud-shapes crowns (the apex of the tower) and miniature towers.