In times of internal turmoil politicians tend to reincarnate external threats to obfuscate their failings and the problems or on-weng over the boundaries of Prasat Preah Vihear have served well the powers that be in Thailand and Cambodia, however few of the masses are aware of the history behind the ruins atop the Dangrek mountain range. Of course a European power ie France had a hand in the origins of this dispute and those in the future have to bear the fruit of the Euro-centric mappings.
In 1904 Siam and French Indochina laid out a common border following the washshed line of a mountain range. The survey by colonial engineers showed the temple on the Cambodian side of the border and the Thais accepted this until the French pulled out of Asia. Cambodia protested to the World Court in 1959. The lawyer for Cambodia was Dean Acheson based their possession on the map, while British lawyers argued for the Thais that the map never followed the agreement watershed line for the Thais. The Thais also contended that the site was almost impossible to reach from the cliffs overlooking Cambodia.
The Thais lost the decision in 1962.
The map was the determining factor along with the Thais never protesting the earlier decision. The Thais were very pissed at the USA, but backed down in Jan. 1963 and Prince Sihnaouk accepted Preah Vihear back within Cambodia, saying that Thais were welcome to the site without visas and Thailand could keep the antiquities it ‘borrowed’ from the temple.
The Khmer rouge took possession of the temple ruins on May 22, 1975. It was said to be the last place in Cambodia to fall to the Khmer Rouge. Peace was not to last. Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978 and the Khmer Rouge sought refuge in the rugged terrain. Access to the temple was problematic until the truce between the new Cambodian government and the remaining Khmer Rouge troops in 1998.
Due to the current tension the temple may sometimes be closed to Thais, foreigners, and Cambodians.
Needless to say those Froggie surveyors must be having a good laugh.
“We are gone, but we are still there.”
Preah Vihear can be approached via Tbeng Meanchey in Preah Vihear province or from Siem Reap in Siem Reap province via Anlong Veng.
The temple can be approached from Kantharalak district, Sisaket Province of Thailand. Cambodia allows day-trip access to the temple on a visa-free basis from Thailand. Cambodia imposes an entrance fee of US$5 or 200 baht for foreigners (as of 2006, reduced to 50 baht for nationals of Thailand), plus a fee of 5 baht for processing a copy of the passport. In addition, Thailand imposes an access fee of 400 baht for entering the National Park.