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Phimai (pronounced "Pee-my") is an Angkor era temple in Thailand. Having been to Angkor, the layout and ornamentation was very familiar - and yet it felt very different. There were a lot more locals visiting Phimai than there are at Angkor, where Cambodians are hugely outnumbered by foreigners. And somehow the mood seemed lighter. It made me think that Angkor's visitors are too serious, too earnest. Partly it's a product of seeing one of the most famous monuments in the world, but the other side of that is the Thais, who are an easy-going people (I've really enjoyed being back in Thailand). They have respect for the place, but it's a day out - it's fun.

Another thing you can see from this picture is the jigsaw nature of all of these monuments. Parts are stolen or simply fall down, and archeologists are left with the challenge of reassembling diverse pieces. Some are recreations or incorrect replacements, some have weathered differently because one was lying on the ground for centuries and the stone next to it was protected staying where it was under an eave ...

Image 20060406-PhimaiDoorTop.4930.web.jpg, size 128278 b
Image #20060406-PhimaiDoorTop.4930
Photo © 2008, Giles Orr

https://www.gilesorr.com/photography/2006.asiablog/thailandblog.20060406-PhimaiDoorTop.4930.html 
Last modified: 2008-05-18 by giles