Ku Phra Kona

Ku Phra Kona is an 11th-century Khmer temple complex located in Sa Khu Subdistrict, Suwannaphum District, Roi Et Province, northeastern Thailand. Built of laterite, sandstone and brick in Baphuon style, it is the largest and most complete Khmer sanctuary in Roi Et. The site features a central prang with carved lintels and later Buddhist adaptations, surrounded by a moat and laterite enclosure, reflecting the region's Angkorian heritage.

Visitors can expect a compact, open-air archaeological site set in a village environment surrounded by rice fields. The complex consists of a central sandstone prang with brick and laterite elements, an antechamber, carved lintels and pediments depicting Hindu motifs, laterite enclosure walls and traces of a former moat. The grounds are flat and grassy with information boards, allowing close viewing of architecture, stone carvings and later Buddhist additions.

Built in the 11th century during the Khmer Empire, in Baphuon architectural style, Ku Phra Kona served as a Hindu sanctuary dedicated to Shiva. Constructed of laterite, sandstone and brick, it represents Angkorian expansion into the Mun River basin. Later modifications reflect its conversion for Theravada Buddhist use, illustrating the transition from Khmer Hindu influence to Isan Buddhist traditions.

The site is a significant example of Khmer heritage in northeastern Thailand and is revered locally as a sacred place. It demonstrates the cultural layering of Hindu Khmer art and later Buddhist veneration, and remains an important community landmark and educational site for Isan history and architecture.