Ancient Cambodian Temple Severely Damaged in Border War with Thailand

A millennium-old temple in Cambodia has sustained extensive damage from military clashes with Thailand, leaving the UNESCO World Heritage site closed to tourists. The Preah Vihear temple, built by the same empire that created Angkor Wat, suffered hits to all five gateway pavilions and faces potential collapse during the upcoming rainy season.

PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia (AP) — Three months have passed since a ceasefire halted intense military confrontations between Cambodia and Thailand, yet evidence of warfare remains deeply etched into this ancient temple perched on a 1,722-foot cliff in the Dangrek Mountains.

The millennium-old sacred site has become a casualty of the decades-long territorial dispute between these Southeast Asian nations, placing the historic structure at serious risk.

Constructed by the Khmer Empire that also built the famous Angkor Wat temple complex 100 miles to the southwest, Preah Vihear earned UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2008 and represents a treasured cultural monument for Cambodians.

Following two major periods of warfare last year, significant portions of the structure have been compromised, with Cambodian authorities warning that certain sections could potentially crumble.

The location where visitors previously marveled at intricate stone carvings and breathtaking views across Cambodia’s lowlands now features scattered rubble, bomb craters, and charred remains of burned plants.

“The temple has turned quiet, and its beauty looks so sorrowful because of the tragedy,” Hem Sinath, archeologist and deputy director-general of the National Authority for Preah Vihear, told Associated Press journalists visiting earlier this month.

Tourist access has been suspended due to unstable walls and concerns about unexploded weapons remaining in the area. Barriers and warning signs mark potential landmine locations, a familiar danger for Cambodians following civil conflicts that concluded in the late 1990s. Conservation workers, maintenance crews, and military personnel continue operating at the site, where Thai forces remain visible across the border.

Cambodia’s Culture Ministry reported in January that all five prominent gateway structures sustained damage, with three nearly destroyed completely. An ancient northern stairway that had been restored through American-funded conservation efforts took repeated hits from bombardment.

Last week’s ministry statement documented temple damage at 142 locations during July fighting, plus 420 additional sites damaged during more intense December combat.

“Experts have predicted that during the upcoming rainy season, some structures on the verge of collapsing could finally fall,” Hem Sinath said.

Independent damage assessments from outside organizations remain unavailable.

Information Minister Neth Pheaktra blamed Thai military forces for using inaccurate intelligence to justify border incursions and intentionally harming the temple.

“Preah Vihear temple belongs to all humankind. It is not an enemy of Thailand,” he wrote.

International regulations prohibit attacks against significant historical landmarks like this temple, though Thailand contends that Cambodia turned the site into a military installation by placing weapons, storing munitions, and operating surveillance equipment there, eliminating its wartime protections. Thai forces targeted a tall construction crane at the location, claiming it functioned as military communications equipment.

Thai Army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree has maintained that Thai military units aimed exclusively at military objectives.

Cambodia rejects claims that its armed forces operated from the temple, with the Culture Ministry stating the site remains under civilian administration and that security personnel were present solely to safeguard the cultural landmark.

Both countries point fingers at each other for initiating the conflicts that erupted in July and December. Cambodia reports that over 640,000 residents fled border areas during the fighting, with nearly 37,000 still unable to return home.

The temple, called Phra Viharn by Thai people, has remained central to border disagreements since the 1950s. The International Court of Justice determined in 1962 that the temple and surrounding two-square-mile area belonged to Cambodia, reconfirming this decision in 2013.

For many years, the site attracted tourists from both countries, with numerous international visitors entering through Thailand before border closures.

UNESCO’s 2008 recognition of the temple as a Cambodian heritage site intensified Thai resentment, while rising nationalism fueled by domestic Thai politics led to periodic armed confrontations at the temple in 2008 and 2011.

Rebuilding the temple presents enormous challenges. Hem Sinath worries that weakened structures might collapse during monsoon season, which typically starts in late May or early June and lasts through October.

India, China, and the United States have participated in earlier restoration work, but funding has been suspended since fighting began.

Hem Sinath explained that urgent new projects needed to prevent further deterioration face obstacles due to safety and security concerns while the ceasefire remains unstable.

“We have a plan; we want to do a repair — the sooner the better, but as you see, it depends on the situation along the border,” he said.