Why Preah Vihear Temple, Other Ancient Hindu Sites Are At Heart Of Thailand-Cambodia Conflict

Last Updated:July 25, 2025, 11:04 IST

The Thailand-Cambodia conflict stems from a border dispute centered on the Preah Vihear Temple, with both nations blaming each other for violating territorial sovereignty.

The Preah Vihear Temple (Image source: UNESCO World Heritage Convention)

Thailand and Cambodia continue to exchange heavy artillery fire as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day on July 25. The continuation comes despite calls from the region and beyond for an immediate ceasefire in an escalating border conflict that has killed at least 16 people.

As the situation remains tense, nearly 1 lakh people were evacuated from conflict areas on the Thai side, as the country’s military reported clashes from before dawn in the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces, alleging that Cambodia had used artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems.

Meanwhile, Cambodia’s Defence Ministry said the Thai jets dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple, which has been a site of past conflicts between the two countries.

Cambodian authorities also distributed photos they claimed showed damage caused there, and the country’s Culture Ministry said it would pursue justice under international law, since the temple was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural organisation, and is believed to be a historical legacy of the Cambodian people.

DISPUTE SURROUNDING THE PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE

Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over the jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 mile) land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th-century Preah Vihear, central to the disputes.

In 1962, the Court of Justice awarded to Cambodia, the Phnom Penh sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple and over a small patch of land surrounding it, but Thailand does not recognise its jurisdiction.

Tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the development led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths.

Last month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet had said his government had filed a new complaint with the UN tribunal over four disputed areas, but Thailand has pushed to seek a solution through a nearly 30-year-old bilateral mechanism.

THAILAND-CAMBODIA TENSIONS SURROUNDING THE PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE

On May 28, a border dispute near Morokot village, in Cambodia’s northwestern province of Preah Vihear, left one Cambodian soldier dead.

It began when Cambodian troops were conducting a routine patrol along the border and the Thai side opened fire, according to Cambodian officials.

The Thai army says that Cambodian soldiers entered the disputed patch of land and opened fire when Thai soldiers approached them to negotiate.

On Sunday, Hun Manet, in social media posts, declared that his government will ask the court to rule on the demarcation of several disputed areas, including where the centuries-old Hindu-style Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch and Ta Kro Bei temples are located.

In February, Cambodian troops and their family members entered the Ta Moan Thom temple in disputed territory and sang the Cambodian national anthem, leading to a brief argument with Thai forces.

Following last week’s incident, both sides called for calm and talks to ease their differences, while reserving the right to use military action to safeguard their sovereignty.

On May 29, the two countries’ army commanders met to discuss how to avoid more clashes.

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