Sunken Cities
Wat Saam Prasob, the Sunken Temple
Flooded 1984 · seasonal · Khao Laem Reservoir, Sangkhla Buri, Thailand
Boat / seasonal walkThe prize. A Mon temple that rises and sinks with the monsoon
Where. Khao Laem Reservoir, Sangkhla Buri, Thailand
Status. Boat / seasonal walk
Where. Khao Laem Reservoir, Sangkhla Buri, Thailand
Status. Boat / seasonal walk
The account
When the Khao Laem Dam filled, it drowned a whole town and its temple, and the people climbed to a hill to rebuild. The old shrine never left. In the wet season only its spire breaks the water, reached by longtail boat; in the dry months the reservoir falls and you can walk in through the doors the Mon and Karen built, the Buddha still seated where the village left him.
Leads, where the trail points now
- Pin down the most specific last-known position in the record before going; the search centers on Khao Laem Reservoir, Sangkhla Buri, Thailand.
- What you are chasing is A Mon temple that rises and sinks with the monsoon. Work the documented record of Wat Saam Prasob, the Sunken Temple back to primary sources and separate what is attested from folklore.
- Open to visitors, by boat at high water, on foot in the dry season; a living shrine, treated as sacred.
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The starting brief, the gear, the legal picture for this exact ground, and a GPS chart pack you can load and go. The map stays free.
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