Kanchanaburi

          Covering the northeastern region, much of the, and far west as Kanchanaburi Province. The Khmer built stone temples in the northeast, some sf which have been restored to their former glory those at Phimai and PhanomRung. Stone sculpturesand lintels depicting Hindu gods, stone Buddha images in t6he distinctive Khmer style, and bronze statuary, some of great beauty, are other vestiges of Khmer cultural, are other vestiges of Khmer cultural    dominance.  Politician, however, the Khmers probably did not control the whole of this area directly but exerted power through vassal and 

governors.   The fertile Chao Phraya River basin had always been an area with an ethnic mix: Mons, Khmers, and Laws. Towards the end of the 13^th century, Khmer power in this area waned and new Kingdoms, dominated by the Thai race, arose. These had been influenced by Khmer rule, but they brought other spectacular legacies, the origins of which are still a matter of historical dispute.