Khok Setthi Historical Site: Ruins That Take 5 Minutes

Why Khok Setthi Is Worth Seeing

The ruins of Khok Setthi Historical Site near Cha-Am are clearly not for everyone. It's worth going here only if you love ancient ruins and are ready for the fact that there's not much to see. In fact, only the base of the ancient stupa has survived on the grounds, nothing more. Take a couple of shots and drive on – it'll take about five minutes in total.

The history of this place, however, is impressive. According to the information on the boards, this stupa with a square base (about 25 by 25 meters) was built with a brick frame, filled with earth, and covered with plaster. It has staircases on the eastern and western sides, as well as a circumambulation platform with decorative niches in the center and corners. The stupa was richly decorated with stucco sculptures of people, animals, and intricate patterns. Scholars suggest that it served as a Buddhist monument of the Dvaravati era (6th–11th centuries AD) and was a center of religious ceremonies. Although the upper part has collapsed, the surviving structure reaches about 5 meters in height.

In the Dvaravati era, this territory was a densely populated community. The location was chosen strategically: the sea to the east and mountains to the west, including the prominent Chao Lai Mountain. It was probably a vital port city for maritime trade between China, India, and Persia.

In our opinion, it's worth visiting this place only along the way if, for example, you've decided to walk the Ang Phan Thu Rut hiking trail on the mountain or are heading to the bat cave mountain. It's definitely not worth a special trip. But if you're passing by, drop in for a few minutes – there are information boards with the history of this place that you can read.