Preah Vihear Temple

Preah Vihear in Cambodia

Itinerary planning

• Preah Vihear, Cambodia - Preah Vihear, AnLong Veng and Banteay Srei for a full day out of Siem Reap.
• Preah Vihear, Cambodia- Preah Vihear, AnLong Veng and Beng Mealea for a full day out of Siem Reap.

Preah Vihear in the morning

Preah Vihear history summary

Preah Vihear was built over a period of 300 years by various kings. The construction began in the early 9th century during the reign of King Yasovarman I, but most of the temple was built by King Suryavarman I in the 10th century and King Suryavarman II in the 12th century. It was dedicated to the God Shiva in his manifestations as the mountain gods Sikharesvara and Bharesvara. In 2008 Preah Vihear was listed in the World Heritage site list by the UNESCO.

Dispute between Thailand and Cambodia

Preah Vihear has been the center of a dispute between Thailand and Cambodia for years. In 1907 France and Siam allocated the temple to Thai territory, but a map drawn by the French officers show the temple placed on the Cambodian side. In 1954, after the French troops withdrew from Cambodia, Thailand occupied the temple and the political quarrell between both countries started. In 1962 the International Court of Justice in the Hague settled the case and allocatedt the temple to Cambodia and ruling that Thailand must return any antiquities that it had removed from the temple. However, access to the temple was only from Thailand until recently, and during the three decades of civil war in Cambodia, the it was open only sporadically. The conflict continues nowadays, and it broadened in 2008 to include the Ta Moan Thom complex. Thai-Khmer political relantionships remain tense with regards to this issue.