Whether it’s raining lightly or heavily, we should not be discouraged to come out and play. In fact, the rainy season is also attractive for travelers to enjoy the trip. The forest, trees, and grass are green, creating a fresh scenario. This trip, we are heading to Sa Kaeo, the eastern border of Thailand. Many people may not know where to go in Sa Kaeo, therefore, we are here to recommend the best destinations of Sa Kaeo that will make your day delightful.

Prasat Sdok Kok Thom, or other name, Prasat Mueang Prao, is located about 1 kilometer away from the border of Thailand and Cambodia. It is considered to be an important Khmer temple and the biggest one in Eastern Thailand. It was built in the 14 ^th century to be used as a sacred place to worship and do ritual ceremony of Hindu. The words Sdok Kok Thom refers to the town where reeds grow from the swamp.

This temple is built of sandstone and laterite stone, consisting of 2 temple libraries, surrounded by 4 sides of ditch and 2 story wall. The temple is influenced by a Khmer architecture. In addition to the temple, the most important and valuable discovery of this area is the Sdok Kok Thom stone inscription, which records the history of the Khmer nation for a period of up to 200 years.

Currently, the Fine Arts Department has registered this temple as a national historic site. Moreover, you can travel to other landmarks easily as this area is near to other attractions such as Prasat Khao Lon, Ta Phraya National Park, etc.

It is located at Khok Sung District, Amphoe Khok Sung, Sa Kaeo Province.

Prasat Khao Noi Si Chomphu, or in short, Prasat Khao Noi, is a Hindu religious site that was constructed around the 12 ^th century, which is one of the oldest and most complete temples in Thailand. It is named as Prasat Khao Noi Si Chomphu (Pink Hill) because it is located on a pink hilltop. The building is built from brick without cement. It is comprised of 3 pagodas; namely, the northern Prang, the central Prang, and the southern Prang. However, as time passes, the pagodas had collapsed and only the central Prang and 2 mound hills remain. It was registered as a National Ancient Monument by the Fine Arts Department in 1935. There have been many excavations unearthing various artifacts such as those made of metal, pottery, 5 sandstone lintels, an inscription indicating the construction period of the temple (the oldest inscription in Thailand). The artifacts from the excavations were collected and displayed at the Prachin Buri National Museum. Prasat Khao Noi is open every day from 8.30 – 16.00.

It is located at Klong Nam Sai District, Amphoe Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo Province.

Sa Kaeo has a lot of natural attractions. Those who love nature and animals should not miss the Pang Sida National Park because this is a place containing birds of more than 300 species and 400 butterfly species. Especially on a sunny day and clear sky, butterflies will come out and fly beautifully. The best time to watch the butterflies is from 9.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.

Pang Sida National Park has a large green area covering many districts of Sa Kaeo and also some parts of Prachin Buri. The forest is rich, so it contains a collection of wild animals, birds, butterflies, etc. Furthermore, the attractions at Pang Sida National Park includes Pang Sida Waterfall, Pha Takien Waterfall, Kwae Maka Waterfalls, Tham Kang Khao Waterfalls, Jedi Mountain, Dinosaur’s Fossil, Butapod Grassland and the 25-point scenic viewpoint, which can see a view of the vast valley from far away. It is even more beautiful during the morning when sunrises and in the evening when the sun sets.

It is located at Amphoe Mueang, Watanakorn, Ta Phraya, Sa Kaeo Province.

If you drive through highway 317, you will be able to see the Khao Chakan Mountain, which is very prominent. This landmark is considered to be a very amazing natural attraction because there is a hole in the middle of the great limestone mountain which penetrates to the other side of the mountain. Inside, there is a temple which contains the statue of the Buddha, the simulated Buddha’s foot, and 2 hermits. Apart from paying homage to a Buddha’s image, in the morning and evening, there are thousands of monkey around. Moreover, during the evening, there are bats flying out of caves. It is a very beautiful scenario for travelers to see. Furthermore, there is a lot of points for you to take beautiful pictures, especially on the top of the mountain, where you can see the view of field grassland and the scenery of the city.

It is located at Khao Chakan District, Amphoe Khao Chakan, Sa Kaeo Province.

Nana Dhamma Sathan is a new captivating landmark of Sa Kaeo. Whoever visited this place would never miss taking a photo of it. Actually, Nana Dhamma Sathan is a meditation practice center built by the faith of Buddhist believers, using their own personal assets. The construction takes 3 years, which at this moment, it is still incomplete. The highlight of this place includes the 3 large sitting Buddha’s image, 320 large white Buddha’s image and 5,000 small Buddha’s statues, enshrined in the quiet courtyard. Apart from being a meditation center, Nana Dhamma Sathan is also a Buddhist tourist site of Sa Kaeo, opened for a visit every day.

It is located at Nong Mak Fai District, Amphoe Wattana Nakorn, Sa Kaeo Province.

This is a very popular tourist attraction of Sa Kaeo, especially for those who love adventure, you should come and visit Phet Pho Thong Cave, which is located in the middle of the mountain. This cave is a middle-sized cave, where the wind blows all the time. Within the cave, it is divided into 4 main chambers, the cave entrance, the tunnel hall, the pearl hall, and lastly, the entrance to Prasat Tham (Cave Castle). The pearl hall is where stalagmites and stalactites glittered against the light. On the other hand, the entrance to Prasat Tham is where creamy stones and stalagmites form interesting shapes with a Buddhist-image-like stalagmite resting as its highlight.

It can be said that each room has its own highlight for visitors to appreciate. Moreover, when leaving the cave, you will find some challenging activities such as rappelling off the cliff with a height of about 30 meters to create some excitement for you.

There are 2 scenic spots, Pha Mok Rachanee, which is 300 meters away from the cave. It is surrounded by a variety of trees and flowers. Another scenic point is Pha Hin Thoep, where you can see the Cambodian village and observe the rare herbs. Furthermore, there are monkeys and bats nearby. In this trip, there is nothing to be worried about since there are civilian volunteers and village councils to ensure safety. Inside the cave, there is also electricity and you can drive a car towards the front of the cave.

It is located at Klong Had District, Amphoe Klong Had, Sa Kaeo Province.

Pra Prong Dam is the biggest irrigational dam in eastern Thailand and is also one of his majesties the king’s (Rama IX) projects to create a water resource that can help the people in this area to grow plants all season and have water consumption throughout the year. Pra Prong Dam has a total area of about 250 acres, surrounded by nature and beautiful mountains. If you visit this place, you can do activities under the Pra Prong Dam’s slogan “Cruising, Fishing, Trekking at Pra Prong Dam”. Here, at the dam, you can ride a boat to enjoy the scenario of water and forest, or see the rare species of wild birds that are close to extinction and birds that migrated from Australia. Surrounding the dame, there are abundant hills and trees, wild animals of varied species. There is also a waterfall and restaurant zone with a freshwater menu that you could enjoy.

It is located at Chonggume District, Amphoe Wattana Nakorn, Sa Kaeo Province.

Lalu is derived from Khmer word meaning “pierced”, considered to be the unseen tourist attraction of Thailand. People have nicknamed this place as the wonders that is worth seeing. This is due to the vast land of 2,000 acres, which is caused by the amazing natural phenomenon of rainwater that erodes the soil and collapses and form into many shapes depending on each person’s imagination such as the city wall, cliff, castle, pagoda, etc. Each year, Lalu will change its shape depending on the rain and wind that came to create amazing art on this land.

Lalu is opened for a visitor all year round, but the best time to visit is during the morning and evening. There are many activities for you to do. For example, cycling, taking a bus and visit the community, trekking, watching the hundreds of wild birds at Pa Nong Pak Wan Temple, and watch the community performances of students in the community. In addition, there are Lalu Homestay which consists of 10 community homestays, with 10-20 persons per homestay and 2 accommodations from Lalu tourist center, with 40 persons per room.

It is located at Thap Rat District, Amphoe Ta Phraya, Sa Kaeo Province.

Kasorn Kasitwit School is a water buffalo agricultural school of Chaipatana Foundation, training the buffaloes to work in the field. Visitors will be able to see what is currently difficult to find, such as an ancient farming machine, a rice field demonstration, a demonstration of rice cultivation without chemicals, and the home of local philosophers who live a traditional life. In addition, there is an opportunity for visitors to join activities like the rice-milling, rice harvesting, and learning the way of agriculture following the footstep of King Rama the IX. These experiences will make your trip an enjoyable and knowledgeable one.

If you are tired and hungry, stop to cool off at Kwai Kanong Restaurant, which serves both Thai menus and homemade Thai desserts. Moreover, there are also 4 special coffee recipes by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Otherwise, support the farmers and locals by buying their vegetables, fruits, rice, agricultural products, and homemade products, to distribute income to the locals.

Kasorn Kasitwit School is open for learning and visiting for both farmers and the general public every day from 8.00 – 19.00. If you want to stay overnight, there is accommodation with the rural atmosphere for you to reserve, which will surely impress you.

It is located at Sala Lamduan District, Amphoe Mueang, Sa Kaeo Province.

• Kwai Kanong Restaurant, a restaurant with a good atmosphere surrounded by green fields, selling Thai food, homemade Thai desserts, coffee and special drink recipes that you should not miss.
  
  
• Chan Manee Restaurant is an old restaurant of Sa Kaeo, selling basically Thai food. The recommended menus are Snakehead Fish Roll, Tom Yum, Green Curry, and Rotee.
  
  
• Sabiang Restaurant is a famous restaurant in Sa Kaeo. The recommended menus are Lap and Crab Lone Chili Paste.
  
  
• Ko Waeng Hua Pla Mor Fai, which has fresh and good quality fish, with Tom Yum, Fried Crab in Curry Powder, and Shrimp potted with vermicelli as recommended menus.
  
  
• Yai Tam Restaurant is the first Vietnamese restaurant in Sa Kaeo with a lot of delicious menus.
  
  
• Je Suao Kitchen, a long-established rice porridge restaurant serving both porridge and rice.
  
  
• Coffee Hills Grand is a good atmosphere café serving coffee, drinks, cakes, bakeries, and foods.
  
  
• Kru Look Maew Cake Shop, a small mint-color café that combines vintage style and Japanese homey mood. The shop serves homemade cakes, ice creams, and drinks.
  

Tourism Authority of Thailand, Nakhon Nayok Office (Areas of Responsibility: Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo) Tel: 037 312-282 037 312-284