The Prasat Preah Vihear temple complex has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.Image: Shutterstock
Just two months after an agreement, the conflict on the border between Thailand and Cambodia flares up again. At the center of the dispute is an ancient Hindu temple.
After weeks of rising tensions and Thailand’s suspension of the ceasefire agreement in mid-November, it is at the Thai-Cambodia border to hostilities again came. This means that the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has failed for the time being. This was signed in October after tensions between Thailand and Cambodia led to a military exchange in July.
At the center of the conflict is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva, which has been the cause of disputes between the two Southeast Asian countries for decades.
Thai police try to convince civilians to leave the border region in July 2025. Image: keystone
This article was originally published in July 2025. It has been revised and republished for current reasons.
Important temple complex
The Hindu Temple Prasat Preah Vihear (Thai Prasat Phra Wihan) was created by the people of Khmerthe dominant ethnic group in today’s Cambodia, built in the 10th to 12th centuries and successively expanded. The Hindu temple was one of the most important temple complexes in the Khmer Kingdom and bears features of various architectural styles. It stands on a rocky hill that slopes steeply down to a plain to the south – on the Cambodian side – while it is easily accessible via a natural ramp from the Thai side to the north.
The temple offers a spectacular view of the southern Cambodian plain. Image: Shutterstock
The Khmer probably gave up the complex, which was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, in the 12th century. The temple then fell into disrepair, but the stone decorations have been well preserved. In 2008, UNESCO recognized the monument at Cambodia’s request on their World Heritage Listnamely as a Cambodian monument – which caused the conflict, which had been simmering since the 1950s, to flare up again.
Old rivalry and colonial legacy
The relationship between the two neighboring states, which today share an 800-kilometer-long border, is burdened by an eventful history. Large areas of Thailand once belonged to the ancient world Khmer Empirewhich existed from about 800 to 1430 and was the dominant power in Southeast Asia. The Thai people, who probably immigrated in the second half of the 1st millennium, successfully rebelled against Khmer rule in the 13th century. The Khmer state now came partly under Thai and Vietnamese rule.
With the arrival of the European colonial powers in Southeast Asia, the power structure changed. The current border between Thailand and Cambodia is a result of the colonial era: Thailand, which remained until 1939 Siam was able to maintain its independence, but had to cede extensive border and areas of influence to the colonial powers France and Great Britain at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. This also included Cambodia, which was dependent on Siam and was part of French Indochina became. The area around the temple complex was ceded to French Indochina in 1904, but remained controversial; Thailand always claimed ownership of the temple.
Decades of dispute
The conflict continued to simmer even after Cambodia gained independence in 1953. In 1958 there was almost a war between the two countries, whereupon Cambodia International Court of Justice (ICJ) called in The Hague. In 1962 he decided in favor of Cambodia, which Thailand reluctantly accepted. However, the decision only affected the temple complex itself – over the border in the surrounding area the Court did not commentsince Cambodia’s application only included sovereignty over the temple complex itself. This left 4.6 square kilometers of land around the temple in dispute.
As mentioned, the inclusion of the temple complex in 2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site also led to a crisis. Thailand gathered troops in the area, whereupon Cambodia also sent military to the border and also appealed to the UN Security Council. There were battles in which several soldiers were killed until 2011. In 2013, the ICJ clarified its 1962 ruling and declared that the area surrounding the temple also belonged entirely to Cambodia; Thailand must withdraw its troops from the area.
A burning house in the Thai border area after Cambodian artillery shelling in February 2011.Image: EPA
The situation then calmed down, but in May of this year there were again exchanges of fire. Both sides blamed each other for causing the escalation. Cambodia imposed a ban on imports of food, fuel and gas from Thailand. End of June Thailand closed border crossings in six provinces. The saber rattling then intensified and fighting broke out again at the end of July. At the same time, Thailand recalled its ambassador from Phnom Penh and expelled the Cambodian ambassador.
US President Trump then increased the pressure on the two states: He threatened not to conclude any more trade agreements with the two states if they did not end the fighting. Both countries agreed to the agreement during the Asean summit in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, which provided for military de-escalation, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border area and the establishment of an observer team from the Southeast Asian association of states Asean.
Mutual shelling by Thailand and Cambodia – these are the videos
Video: Watson/Lucas Zollinger