Sa Morakot and the Dvāravatī Ruins

Sa Morakot is an ancient Khmer reservoir at Ban Sa Khoi village, about 23 kilometres east of Prachinburi town on Route 319. The reservoir dates to the Dvāravatī period (6th–11th centuries CE) and was the water source for the ancient city of Sri Mahosot. The original laterite sluice gates and carved Naga serpent sculptures survive at the edges of the tank, remarkably intact for stonework that is over a thousand years old.

The broader site — sometimes called Morakot Historical Park — includes the ruins of several brick prasats (towers) at Wat Sramorakot nearby. The structures blend Dvāravatī Buddhist and later Khmer architectural styles, reflecting the cultural transitions the region underwent over several centuries. It is a quiet, largely unvisited site with no crowds and little signage in English.

For context, stop first at the Prachinburi National Museum in the provincial capital, which holds a strong collection of artefacts excavated from Sri Mahosot and other sites in the province — stone boundary markers (sema), bronze Buddhas, and Khmer-period ceramics. The museum is in the grounds of the Provincial Hall and admission is free.

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A story
The ancient city of Sri Mahosot — whose ruins are scattered across the Prachinburi plains — was one of the most important centres of the Dvāravatī Kingdom, a Mon Buddhist polity that flourished in central Thailand between the 6th and 11th centuries CE. Dvāravatī coins, Buddhist votive tablets, and stucco Buddha images found here were among the first clues that archaeologists had to the existence of this largely forgotten civilisation.

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