cambodian temple accessed from thailand

[jack_schist]

anyone know the name of the cambodian temple that one of the last to fall to Phnom Penh due to its inacessability from the cambodian side.

[elef]

Prasat Khao Phra Wihan

[asdf]

Now also accessible from Cambo, although less conveniently.

[Flashermac]

Beautiful temple that was awarded to Cambodia in an idiotic decision by the World Court. It faces the Khorat plains and was built to serve that area. The ruins of the village, the naga steps and all are in Thailand. The Thais had long considered it theirs and visited it regularly. The Fine Arts Department had done studies and restoration work on it. No Cambodians were known to have gone anywhere near the site for centuries. Presumably, the temple structures were built by forced labour from Isaan.

 

Then one day in the 1960s King Sihanouk found an French map that showed the Cambodian border cutting across the point of land the temple is on. He immediately started screaming aggression! The Thais were so sure of their case that they agreed to let it go to the World Court.

 

The World Court announced that it would decide by the standard practice of watershed: if the waters flowed from the site into Thailand, it would be considered Thai. If the water flowed into Cambodia, it would be Cambodia's. The court was supposed to send members to verify the situation on the spot. However, the French turned up with an old map they had forced the Thais to sign in the 1860s ... and that map showed what Sihanouk wanted. The border left the temple outside of Thailand. With that, the court completedly disregarded what it had agreed to decide by and gave the temple to Cambodia. The minority on the court wrote a scathing dissent, pointing out how the court was violating what it had itself agreed to do. But Cambodia got the temple and the Thais had to hand it over.

 

The Thais were seriously pissed off for a while, but nowaday the temple can be visited again. You "cross" the international border, but in effect just walk up the stairs to get there. There are no customs officials involved.

[whosyourdaddy]

I would check with the local police In Surin or Sisaket. They called ahead for us and it was closed. It is a hit or a miss if it is closed or not. Better call ahead from the provincal capitals

[Flashermac]

I went with a student tour. We took a bus there. Maybe they had called ahead or something. If you look down into Cambodia from the temple, there is an amazing drop. The temple had been the last part of Cambodia captured by the Khmer Rouge. They finally managed to climb up the cliff to seize it. The small non-communist garrison simply ran down the steps to "sanctuary" in Thailand.

[kamui]

It seems that is a occasional standoff at the temple between Thai and Khmer soldiers and therefore the border to the temple is sometimes closed for a few days or weeks like it was recently again. Maybe it helps to check talesofasia.com for updates on the current status.

 

I think at talesofasia.com was a report that the Khmer intend to build a road to the temple to give access from the Khmer site.

 

Anyway, the behavior of both sides is quite stupid a probably a symbol of the current relationship of both countries...

 

 

[pattaya127]

However, the French turned up with an old map they had forced the Thais to sign in the 1860s ...

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not sure, but didn't the french cede the temple to the thais in the early 50s, until King S. acted up? If so, what would be the rationale (other than political power play) to say 10 years later, it belonged to the cambodians, from a 1860 map?

 

previously, as part of the franco-siamese treaty of 1907, the Temple had been deemed cambodian, the country being then under french protectorat.

[gene1944]

Flashermac,

Thanks for all the history on this! I was there a few years ago with a group of Thais who talked about and were Still po'd about the court decision of 1962 or therebouts. I really enjoyed the site. The view into Cambodia is fantastic.

There was also a Russian helicopter that had crashed in the temple area a few years ago but no one had bothered to clear the wreckage.

 

There are (or were) students who live on the site and are willing to give tours for donations. I found out later that they make $20 USD equivalent per month so I suspect any donation is appreciated.

 

Stay on the trails or so say the signs that warn mines fields are closeby. Bring good shoes as the hike thru the temples is at least a kilometer and probably more.

 

One of these days, I am going to head back up there. Thanks for the reminder.