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Prasat Phanom Wan

Khmer Hindu temple

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 2, 2026
Entity authorityQ2084796 ↗
Source-derived summary

Prasat Phanom Wan (Thai: ปราสาทพนมวัน, pronounced [prāː.sàːt pʰā.nōm wān]), also locally known as Wat Phanom Wan (Thai: วัดพนมวัน, pronounced [wát pʰā.nōm wān]) is an Theravada Buddhist temples in the area of Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. It was first constructed as a Hindu temple and later converted into a Buddhist temple, regarded as one of the largest Khmer Buddhist temple in Thailand.

It is believed that it was built in the 11th century. Later during the 13th-14th centuries, a stone building was built over it. It was the Hindu temple and later became a prominent Buddhist temple. Although most of the place was ruined, the main prang (Khmer style stupa) and a tiered stupa are still remaining. The main stupa facing east was built of sandstone and was connected to the cloister by a square path of 25.50 m (83.7 ft) length and 10.20 m (33.5 ft) width. The stupa has three arched gateways. In the north gate, it enshrines a standing Buddha statue in the posture of forgiveness according to the Ayutthaya style.

The sanctuary is surrounded by laterite wall, the southwest area is a sandstone stupa called "Prang Noi" (Thai: ปรางน้อย, pronounced [prāːŋ nɔ́ːj]) with the large Buddha statue inside.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Prasat Phanom Wan” as khmer Hindu temple. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Prasat, Phanom and Khmer.

Editorial reviewMost useful as a place-based finding aid connecting the present description to earlier jurisdictions, maps and built evidence. The current 204-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Prasat, Phanom and Khmer providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Prasat Phanom Wan”, the useful work is to connect “khmer Hindu temple” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2084796. Authority coordinates are 15.025, 102.194. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.

Critical limits

Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Prasat Phanom Wan”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Prasat Phanom Wan primary sources, Prasat Phanom Wan archive and Prasat research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Prasat Phanom Wan”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Prasat Phanom Wan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.