Why A Cluster Of Hindu Temples Is At Heart Of Thailand-Cambodia Conflict

The 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, is perched on a 525 metre cliff in Cambodia's Dangrek mountains. Built under the Khmer Empire, it is a religious site for not just Cambodians, but also their Thai neighbours. Roughly 95 km to the west lies the Ta Muen Thom temple, a 12th-century Shiva shrine.  

Although largely overshadowed by the popularity of Angkor Wat, this cluster of temples has been at the centre of a conflict between the two nations for more than half a century.

Clashes erupted again on Thursday between Thailand and Cambodia along their border, marking the most violent escalation in over a decade. The clashes left 12 dead, dozens wounded, and forced mass evacuations.

The latest round of fighting began in the early hours of Thursday near the Ta Muen Thom temple in Thailand's Surin Province. The Thai version of the events claims that the confrontation began when Cambodian troops deployed drones for aerial reconnaissance near Thai military positions. Attempts by Thai soldiers to de-escalate failed, and by 08:20 local time, heavy exchanges of fire had commenced.

Thailand claims its forces acted in self-defence after provocations by Cambodian units equipped with RPGs. Cambodia, on the other hand, alleges Thailand violated its sovereignty.

Thailand escalated threat levels to "Level 4," triggering a full closure of all border checkpoints along the shared frontier. Around 40,000 Thai civilians from 86 villages have been evacuated.

Ancient Temples And Claims

The border dispute revolves around the controversy surrounding the demarcation between Cambodia and Thailand, much of which stems from colonial-era borders.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in favour of Cambodia and ordered Thailand to withdraw troops and return any artefacts removed after 1954.

The ruling rested on a 1907 French-drawn map that placed the temple within the French protectorate of Cambodia. Thailand, then Siam, had accepted this map at the time but later argued it had done so under the mistaken belief that the border followed a natural watershed line. The ICJ disagreed, concluding that Thailand had accepted the map and was bound by it.

In 2013, after renewed clashes between troops at the site in 2011, the ICJ clarified its original judgment, granting Cambodia sovereignty not only over the temple but also the surrounding area, and instructed Thailand to remove its forces.

Ta Muen Thom 

The current hostilities have focused on the Ta Muen Thom temple. Situated along the rugged forested border in the Dangrek Mountains, this lesser-known Khmer Hindu complex includes three main temples - Ta Muen Thom, Ta Muen, and Ta Muen Tot.

Ta Muen Thom's architecture features a sanctuary faced southward, an anomaly among Khmer temples, which traditionally face east. A naturally formed Shivling remains enshrined in its sanctum.

Its location has made it a recurring flashpoint. In February, Cambodian soldiers reportedly sang their national anthem at the temple, provoking a confrontation with Thai troops. A video of the exchange went viral on social media. 

Politics And Colonial Borders

Following the establishment of French protection over Cambodia in 1863, several treaties between France and Siam were signed from 1904 to 1907 to define territorial boundaries. French surveyors created maps based on watershed lines but made exceptions near culturally important sites such as Preah Vihear.

Southeast Asian historians have long noted that boundaries, particularly those drawn by Western powers, were alien to regional politics.

The French-made maps based on European cartography gave Cambodia a distinct "geo-body," with Preah Vihear located just inside its borders. Thailand has consistently disputed these lines, especially as more modern geographic technologies exposed inconsistencies.

In 2008, Cambodia succeeded in having Preah Vihear listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a move that again triggered Thai opposition. Thailand's then Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, who had supported the bid, was forced to resign following domestic backlash. That same year, clashes broke out near the temple, killing soldiers on both sides.