Antiquity in decline

The cities of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, once the capitals of the kingdoms of the same name, are the undisputed top monuments of Thailand.

A visit to the country without having visited at least one of these world-famous archaeological monuments is almost unthinkable. Both old towns are still well preserved and have been declared World Heritage by Unesco.

Yet there are also a number of smaller old places that are more than worth a visit. What about Phimai Historical Park in the Korat district or Phanom Rung in the Buriram district, to name just two of the many archaeological treasures. Everyone can move freely in these open-air museums and fortunately that is still going very well so far.

Sri Mahasot

Another city of antiquity, which reminds you of the fifth century, Sri Mahasot is located below Prachinburi. Unlike the aforementioned monuments, this city has more or less been left to its own devices and has fallen into disrepair. It's all pretty well signposted if you want to go there.

My route leads via the 304 and then to the 3079. At an important intersection, follow the 3070 towards Sri Mahasot. Continue to follow the signs for Sri Mahosot Ancient Town and Ancient Pond. First you arrive at the late fifth, early sixth century pond, of which only a deep large well remains.

No doubt it must have been a beautiful pond so many centuries ago, located at the entrance of the city. The pond, called Bolan Sathan Sa Kaeo, has an area of ​​18 x 18 meters and was carved many centuries ago in a laterite formation. (Laterite is rich in iron and aluminum and occurs in tropical and warm countries.

It is caused by weathering in combination with the high ambient temperature and a lot of precipitation. The rock-hard laterite is then formed by dehydration.)

At this former pond, attention will mainly be paid to the large reliefs carved into the upper edge with 46 images of animals, including elephants and lions. Sun, wind and stir have left their traces over many centuries and have seriously damaged the once beautiful images. On the outside, the images carved in stone are shown small and are a good aid to recognize the real carved large images.

By oude stad

Further exploring the once reasonable size city is a downright drama. Over the years, people have not recognized the value of such an old historical gem, or perhaps have not had the financial means to preserve it in time.

It is a pity that, except for the said pond, the explanatory text is only indicated in the Thai language. The only things that are understandable to the non-Thai, even without text, are the foundations of a small temple and the once beautiful city moat that surrounded the city. Sri Mahasot would certainly deserve more attention so as not to be further lost.

Buddha's footprint

Driving further you come across an immense footprint of Buddha. The difference in interest in this footprint and the ancient city of Sri Mahasot is huge. People crowd at the footprint on certain Buddhist holidays, while the old city has lost little interest. Preserving this footprint is apparently more important than the old city itself. A roof has been built above the footprint for protection against the weather.

Religion predominates and apparently people do not see the irreplaceable value of a magnificent piece of history. Too bad, very sorry.