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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Phimai
พิมาย
Spend one day: morning market, Phimai Historical Park, Sai Ngam banyan, night market; travel from Nakhon Ratchasima ~1 h by bus.
Phimai is a tiny town (under 10 000 people) dominated by the Angkorian Phimai Historical Park. Its sights are within walking distance, so a single day covers the main temple, the giant banyan tree, and the evening market. Overnight stays are optional for a relaxed pace or if you arrive late.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- พิมาย
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (dry, cool)
- Avoid
- Apr–Oct (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿800–1,200 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,200–2,000 excl. bed · High ฿2,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance / Tourist police 1669 · General emergency 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal at night market | ฿50–100 |
| Bottle of water | ฿10–15 |
| Motorbike taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Motorbike taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | ฿30–50 |
| Bus Nakhon Ratchasima → Phimai | ฿50 |
| Historical Park entry | ฿200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KKC · Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) Airport
- —
Typical fares
- Nakhon Ratchasima → Phimai bus
- ≈ ฿50, 70–90 min (check)
- Historical Park entry
- ฿200 per foreign adult
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable; rent a bicycle (20 min to Sai Ngam) or hire a motorbike taxi from the clock‑tower for trips beyond the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Phimai Historical Park (Khmer temple complex)
- Sai Ngam banyan tree
- Night market
- Local Khmer heritage
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Phanom Rung Historical Park | Bus to Buriram (≈1 h) then local minibus 30 min | ≈2 h |
Sleep
- Boonsiri Guesthouse
- Dorm 150 baht, fan room 400 baht, air‑con 500 baht; 50 m from the Historical Park.
- Moon River Resort Phimai
- River‑front bungalows 600–800 baht; 10 min walk to the park.
- Phimai Paradise Hotel
- 500–650 baht rooms; 200 m from night market.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkhǎw thôot |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhàawp khun |
| How much is this? | เท่าไหร่thâo rài |
| Where is the market? | ตลาดอยู่ที่ไหนtâa-làat yùu thîi năi |
| Can I have the bill? | เช็คบิลได้ไหมchék bin dâi mái |
| I need a taxi | ต้องการแท็กซี่tông gaan thâek-sîi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Local buses run every 60 min (05:30‑22:00) from Nakhon Ratchasima; tickets 50 baht, 70‑90 min ride.
- Entry to the Historical Park is 200 baht for foreigners; check opening hours (07:00‑18:00).
- Night market can be noisy early morning; bring ear protection if you are a light sleeper.
Phimai is low‑risk; typical precautions apply – keep valuables secure, watch traffic on narrow streets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Phimai yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Phimai Historical Park (Khmer temple complex)
- Sai Ngam banyan tree
- Night market
- Local Khmer heritage
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Phimai, revision 5192990 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5192990
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/phimai). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.